Tuesday, May 4, 2021

⽆穷碧 roughly "infinite green." In the novel's official character art, this is a long staff-like 46 object with a thin bamboo-like shape made of jade.

Chapter 5  

Fengdu City at the foot of Luofeng Mountain was undoubtedly the most talked  about place in Jiuzhou and the subject of the most stories. 

It was the gateway to the netherworld, the battlefield of the fierce battle between  the Demon Lord and the Great Beiyin Emperor a hundred years ago, and the  transportation hub and thoroughfare between cities. It was the gateway to the  world's cultivators for travels, treasure hunting, exchange of views, as well as  the black market and gold cave for the proud, powerful, and talented. 

Since Zhuanxu's heaven and earth were divided into three realms, many stories  had been told about the place: the prosperity and decadence of Fengdu, its  secrecy, the marketplace. Drunkenness, dreams of death, heroes of men and  ghosts, together, they built this small world. 

It was said that a storyteller with a three-inch tongue couldn't escape from 47 Fengdu City in his lifetime. 

At this time, a pair of teenagers in black and white appeared on the street. Even  in the crowd, they stood out. 

Xie Bian was familiar with the local conditions and customs. He had been  watching life and death since he was young, and had seen too many people  spend their whole lives in pursuit of flashy and false things. In the end, they  regretted it. So he was happy with his life since childhood. He received joy just  from seeing flowers and grasses. He loved all kinds of music, chess, poetry, and  paintings. The stars and the moon, tea and wine, eating and drinking, he loved  them all. 

After walking a little more than half a street, Fan Wushe already knew which  shop had the best jujube cake, which butcher weighed meat the most  accurately, and that one tailor had the best materials for clothing, but another  tailor was more famous. He watched Xie Bian from the side, frowning, reluctant  to disturb him. 

During those last years, this person could no longer smile. He never thought he  would see such a vivid and happy look again. 

"Boss, deliver these dishes to the third house on Qintai lane." 

47 idiom: a glib tongue

"Okay, Xie Gongzi, we wouldn't make a mistake even if you didn't say it." 

They bought things all along the way, and most of them were sent directly by the  vendor to Xie Bian's residence in the city. He only held the little things he bought  for Bo Zhu, and soon, both of his hands were almost full. 

When Xie Bian was buying candy from the third vendor, Fan Wushe couldn't  bear it. "The sun is so strong, it will all melt in a while." 

"Oh, yes." Xie Bian was reminded. He took out a cold ice talisman from his  sleeve, pasted it on the candy vendor, and asked Fan Wushe, "Are you hot? Do  you want one?" 

Fan Wushe said with a black face, "No." 

"You're sweating. Let's go look at cloth. The tailor I just mentioned is next to an  ice powder shop. Their rose ice powder is unique. When you go there to make  clothes, you can eat some for free." 

When they arrived at the clothing shop, Xie Bian released his hand temporarily  and picked out the cloth. 

The shopkeeper introduced himself. "Xie Gongzi, these are all new arrivals from  yesterday. Look at this brocade with auspicious grass, cloud crane, and  scattered flowers. The color is rich and the stitches are dense. I originally  ordered crab shell blue. After seeing the sample, I chased down three more  colors." 

Xie Bian touched the material and said with a smile, "This is a nice looking  material. Shidi, what do you think of this one?" 

"Whatever." 

"What color do you like? How about this lake blue? It's brighter, if you wear  it…." 

"Black." 

"Xiao Gongzi, always wearing black is so dull," the shopkeeper smiled. Fan Wushe coldly glanced at him.

The shopkeeper didn't immediately speak again. He wondered how a person  this young could have such knife-like eyes. 

"All right then, one black one. I'll pick some of each of the other cloth patterns  and make him some more clothes." 

After Xie Bian finished picking out the cloth, he sat down to eat the ice powder  delivered from next door, and watched the tailor measure Fan Wushe. 

The tailor sighed with admiration, "Xiao Gongzi, this figure is too good. I've been  a tailor all my life and I haven't seen many with such good bones like this. Your  arms and legs are so long, I don't know how tall you will grow in the future. It  should at least be…" 

"Five chi seven cun. " 48 

"Oh, that's tall." 

Xie Bian laughed, "If you want to grow that tall, you have to eat more." He  teased the tailor again, "Xu Bo , I grew up making clothes with you, but I didn't 49 ever hear you praise me." 

"Why didn't I praise you? I don't know how many times I've complimented you  since you were a child, but Xie Gongzi is very handsome now." 

"Then can I be taller too?" 

Xu Bo was just about to answer when Fan Wushe said, "You won't be able to  grow more." 

Xie Bian was a bit unconvinced. "How do you know?" 

Fan Wushe hooked his lips shallowly. "I just know." 

Xie Bian was surprised. "Shidi, you, did you just… smile?" 

Fan Wushe's face suddenly tensed. The trace of his own unnoticed smile  disappeared, but there were traces of guilt left on his face. 

48 Ancient Chinese units of measurement. approx 190 cm 

49 Bo = Term of respect, like Uncle but not necessarily related to you

Xie Bian blinked. "Don't be embarrassed, you look good when you smile. You  should smile more." 

Fan Wushe squirmed and looked away. 

Xie Bian thought sweetly that he and his shidi had just gotten a little closer. 

After they finished ordering their clothes, the two of them went to a teahouse to  have lunch. 

Jinyixuan was a famous restaurant in Fengdu. It was full of guests all year round.  They came late without a reservation, so they could only sit in the lobby, just in  time for a storytelling. 

The storyteller waved his folding fan, introduced himself as Lang Lang, and said,  "Today's story is about the four ancient divine treasures." 

"Heaven and earth were dark and yellow. The universe was vast and desolate,.  The sun and the moon were full. Since Pangu opened up the heavens and the  earth, the two were divided into chaos. In this world full of spiritual energy, you  and I could become immortals. Unfortunately, good times do not last. When  there came to be many immortals, the gods were dissatisfied. When the gods  gave orders to them, the immortals were dissatisfied. And so, they fought each  other endlessly. People, ghosts, and gods started a great war, and countless  souls were lost. In the end, Zhuan Xu, the emperor of mankind, completely cut  off the confluence between heaven and earth. From then on, he divided the  three realms. Although still lead by heaven, the reality was that each realm  governed itself, which brought peace to the three realms."  

The storyteller's voice had smooth cadence, and his face was full of vitality,  which soon attracted the attention of the guests. "It is said that after the war of  Fengshen, there were four ancient divine treasures left in the world. I believe all  the guests have heard of them. They are the Donghuan Bell, Shennong  Cauldron, the Shanhe Sheji map, and the Xuanyuan Tianji tally.50 

As for the four ancient divine treasures, everyone knew about them. Xie Bian  knew more about them than this storyteller— he had seen two of them himself—  but he still listened with great interest. 

 I will keep on editing these until I'm satisfied. The Donghuan Bell and Xuanyan Tianjin tally 50 have been mentioned before. I changed the term (again) to tally for accuracy. The other two  are: 

Shennong Cauldron: Shennong = a mythical godly farmer of legend who invented the plow Shanhe Sheji map: Shanhe = Mountains and Rivers + Sheji = God of the land of grain

"Spiritual treasures are not unusual. Among the successful cultivators in the  world, which one doesn't have one or two. However, each of the four ancient  divine treasures has the power to destroy heaven and earth. To get just one of  them, to get two…" The storyteller coughed softly and shook his head. "Cannot  say, cannot say."  

Laugher and applause rang out from the guests. 

Xie Bian also laughed. 

Fan Wushe said, "Why are you laughing so much, what's so funny about it?" 

Xie Bian began to serve food. He put a large plate of braised fish in front of Fan  Wushe. "This is their signature dish. It's very fresh, try it quickly." 

"First of all, the Donghuang Bell, the first of the four ancient divine treasures, is  the spiritual weapon of the Donghuang Taiyi. It can be be used to attack or  defend. If used to attack, one would be invincible. If used for defense, then  they'll be solid as gold. We all know who this spiritual weapon belongs to and  where it is." 

There was a cry from below. "It's in our Fengdu." 

"Not bad. Such a treasure was obtained by the judge of the underworld, Zhong  Kui, Zhong Tianshi. It's no surprise that Zhong Tianshi is such a person. He put  this treasure in Fengdu to mend the boundary, so that people and ghosts will not  disturb each other." The storyteller bowed to the sky to show his admiration. 

"Zhong Tianshi is a living immortal," a peddler yelled from below. "I have the  latest portrait of Zhong Tianshi here. Stick it in your home. It can calm the house  and ward off evil spirits. Only three coins a piece." 

Xie Bian chuckled. "They always make Shizun so ugly, and Shizun gets angry  every time."51 

Fan Wushe took a look at the portrait of Zhong Kui. In the picture, there was a  big gnarled man, with eyes like bronze bells, the back of a tiger, the waist of a  bear. His hideous expression seemed to be based on the person's imagination  of how to draw something scary. Remembering Zhong Kui's drunk and sloppy  appearance, it was really absurd and comical. 

51 Remember, the actual Zhong Kui of legend was really ugly while he was alive

"The second spiritual treasure is the Shennong Cauldron, which is the spiritual  weapon of the Shennong Yan Emperor. It can refine anything the world and  create the best spiritual weapons, elixirs, and pills, which makes cultivators from  all over the world flock to it. Everyone knows where it is. Everyone can see and  touch it, but no one can take it for themselves."  

The Shennong Cauldron was an immortal mountain in Kunlun. It could be seen  and approached, but few people could use it. 

"This Shennong Cauldron is an active volcano. There is samadhi fire which is 52 dormant all year round. This fire can only be driven by spiritual power. In the  process of refining, if the spiritual power is constant, the fire will not be  extinguished. Otherwise, it will be a foregone conclusion. No one in the world  can fuel the cauldron alone, because the consumption time is huge. The last  time this baby was opened, the Lord of the Jinling Xianyue Pavilion refined a  sword for his eldest son. 

Xie Bian said to Fan Wushe quietly, "Shizun also took me to see all the fun at  that time. The Jinling Xianyue Pavilion recruited a hundred high-ranking  cultivators, taking turns to protect the cauldron for three days and three nights." 

Fan Wushe didn't agree. "I heard about it." 

Xie Bian said with admiration, "That is a really rare sword, worthy of the one  named the number one gongzi in the world. Lan Dage is also a good person. He  knows that I like orchids so he gave me a hundred year old mother plant of a  lotus petal orchid. It's very precious. I…" 

Fan Wushe put down his chopsticks with a snap. 

Xie Bian was puzzled. "What's the matter?" 

Xie Bian showing admiration for another man made Fan Wushe jealous. He  clenched his teeth and squeezed out a word: "…. spicy." 

Xie Bian handed a cup of water to Fan Wushe. "Here, drink some water. I asked  you earlier and you said you can eat spicy food. Next time, I'll ask them to make  the food less spicy." 

 True spiritual fire which can't be put out by natural means This term is used in other xianxia 52 and fantasy series

The storyteller over there had already started talking about the Shanhe Sheji  Map. 

"The Shanhe Sheji Map is a spiritual weapon of Nu Wa's family. It is said it has  the power to move mountains and claim the sea. It had stayed in the treasure  vault of Zong Tianzi for hundreds of years, and no one could use it until  someone stole it," the storyteller said mysteriously. "What happened afterwards  is known to everyone. At the battle of Luofeng Mountain a hundred years ago,  this map disappeared without a trace. This map, which has mountains, rivers,  and countries is the most mysterious of the four ancient spiritual creatures.  There are different opinions about its effectiveness. It is said that this map can  make a person be like they are in an immortal land or in hell." 

Hearing the name "Zong Tianzi," Fan Wushe's eyes became gloomy. "Then, Zong Tianzi…" Xie Bian said suddenly. 

Fan Wushe's heart choked. 

"If you're interested in Zong's story, next time I'll take you to Tingyu House.  There's a teacher in that family who tells the story well." Xie Bian gave Fan  Wushe a piece of fish. "Be careful of the bones." 

Fan Wushe squeezed his chopsticks. "Don't people not dare to speak of Zong  Zixiao?" 

"That teacher is courageous and open-minded. Besides, he doesn't dare  mention the Demon Lord's name or what happened after Zong Zixiao was  possessed. Only the founding of the Zong clan, the reign of the emperor, the  collapse of Zong Ziheng and Zong Zixiao due to sibling rivalry, from the peak of  their prosperity to decline. Later, I bought the book he compiled. It's quite  interesting." 

The tide in fan Wushe's heart surged, and could not be calmed. In a hundred  years, everything had been turned to dust. All the things from then, one of them  forgot, and the other remembered. Listening to this man gossip lightly about  their previous lives, that indifferent appearance only made him resentful and  hateful. 

The storyteller talked about the final spiritual treasure that the listeners were  most interested in - The Xuanyuan Tianji tally.

"The Xuanyuan Tianji tally should have been mentioned together with the  Shanhe Sheji map because they were once controlled by one person. With these  two spiritual weapons, this person almost destroyed the human and ghost  realms." 

The guests who were listening all exhaled. They were obviously excited. 

"The Xuanyuan Tianji tally was the spiritual weapon of the Queen Mother of the  West. She once sent Jiutian Xuannu to help Xuanyuan Huangdi defeat Chiyou  and teach him the "Three palace, five meaning" Yin and Yang strategy, the Taiyi  Divine Invisibility Step-Fighting skill, the Yinfu technique, and Lingbao's Five  Victories. She also gifted a tally to command the soldiers of the three realms of 53 heaven, earth, and the human realm. Later Xuanyuan wrote the "Huangdi Yinfu  Scripture" also known as the "Huangdi Tianji Scripture" which describes the  mystery of this tally." The storyteller was excited. "Rumor had it that this tally  had fallen to earth, but no one had seen it for millions of years. It was said that  the rumor was untrustworthy, but it was found by that unnameable man. From  then on, heaven and earth changed colors and were turned upside down. With a  command, it awoke millions of yin soldiers, and no god or Buddha could stop  it." 

The hall was silent. 

After a moment of silence, a young voice suddenly said, "Dad, I want this tally." 

The solemn atmosphere was broken in a second, and the storyteller burst into  laughter. He said with a smile, "Anyway, after the battle of Luofeng Mountain,  this tally was suppressed in Jiuyou by the Great Beiyin Emperor, and never had  the chance to see the light of day again. It'll be hard for your father to find it,  young lady." 

Xie Bian applauded along with the crowd, and the storyteller's apprentice  shuttled around the lobby to ask for tips. Xie Bian prepared some pieces of  silver.  

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the street. Xie Bian looked out of the  window and saw a group of cultivators in the green robes of Wuliang Sect  chasing a man. 

 Sorry for the mishmash of English names and pinyin in this entire paragraph. These can be 53 kind of rough because they're martial techniques. Actual translators can kind of choose how to  translate them with artistic license, but I chose to keep the literal translation of the long ones,  and the nicer-looking pinyin for the others. If any of these end up being important to the story  later, I'll take another stab at them.

Chapter 6  

"Stop—" 

The person being pursued had been injured and was running away in a panic.  The group chased him in the busy market, knocking down vendors and  passersby one after another, putting the whole street in pandemonium. However,  when they saw that the people were from the Wuliang Sect, they didn't dare  speak up. 

The man resisted, but was eventually caught. Still, he cried, "I don't know  anything! What do you want to arrest me for? Can Wuliang Sect arrest people in  broad daylight! Taking advantage of your power to bully people! Are there no  laws anymore!" 

"Cut the crap. Don't think nobody knows what you're doing! Take him away!" 

The teahouse waiter was coming over to refill their tea. Xie Bian inquired, "Xiao  Ge, do you know what is going on outside?" 

"Oh, there was a big event yesterday in Wuliang Sect. Is Gongzi from Xianmen?  If so, you should have heard about it." 

"Yeah, I heard about it. Could this man be the murderer?" 

"Of course not. I heard that Meng Kefei was very powerful. If that was the  murderer, how could he be caught by a group of lower-level disciples of Wuliang  Sect?" 

"Xiao Ge's analysis is reasonable. Then this is…" 

"This person, ah, most likely escaped from Fumenghui. Last night, Song 54 Chungui, the Lone Sword, took people to Fumenghui and turned it upside down.  I heard that all people related to selling human pills are being arrested and taken  back for interrogation." The waiter curled his mouth and said in a low voice,  "They're catching people like crazy. There are several men in our village who just  went to work at Fumenghui to do odd jobs or have a meal, but somehow, they  were also caught for no reason." 

 Roughly "Floating Dream Painting" 54

Xie Bian frowned and thought deeply. 

The name Song Chungui, even to ordinary people uninvolved with the cultivation  world, was like a thunderclap. He was Li Buyu's youngest disciple, the most  famous one-armed swordsman in the world. Even with one hand, his  performance of Wuliang Sect's sword technique was godlike. Now, he was the  most popular member of Wuliang Sect. Li Buyu sent this man out, which  showed that he attached great importance to the death of Meng Kefei. 

Fumenghui was the largest black market and fun-seeking nest in Jiuzhou, only  30 miles away from Fengdu City. There, there was nothing that couldn't be  thought of, nothing one couldn't dare do, nothing that couldn't be sold, and  nothing that couldn't be bought. It was the number one magical place in the  world. 

"Wuliang Sect moves fast, checking Fumenghui first." Fan Wushe looked out the  window at the people who had been tied up and taken away. He said coldly,  "Unfortunately, they'd have to be sick to dare to trade Meng Kefei's golden core  in this storm." 

"Yes, but if they catch some people who are related to trading human pills, they  may be able to find some clues. However, casting a wide net and arresting  people indiscriminately will indeed damage the prestige of Wuliang Sect." 

The word "prestige" made Fan Wushe sneer to himself. Time really is good for  whitewashing the facade. Who knows now, the head of the Immortal Alliance  and the model of an immortal sect, what it looked like a hundred years ago.  

"However, as long as Wuliang Sect finds out the truth, they will not harm  innocent," Xie Bian said. "Wushe, let's have lunch first. After lunch, we'll go  home to have a have a look." 

Go home… 

Fan Wushe's heart stirred. 

After lunch, they went back to Qintai Lane. 

Zhong Kui bought a house here. It wasn't small, but it was old, plain, and  unremarkable in appearance. It was the residence of the master and disciple  from the underworld. When Xie Bian was young, he couldn't stay in the  netherworld for long periods of time. He grew up in this house more than half of  the time.

When they pushed open the door, a burst of the fragrant scent of orchids came  to their noses as they entered. Before their eyes was a sea of flowers. This  square courtyard was full of all kinds of colors and varieties of orchids,  branches, and plants. Each plant was elegant and fragrant. Such beautiful  scenery was like a fairyland. 

Xie Bian inhaled the fragrance into his lungs. He felt refreshed. He laughed  cheerfully and said, "I named this place Lanyuan , I have been planting orchids 55 in this garden for more than ten years." 

Fan Wushe looked at this beautiful scenery, but felt like he was being run over  by a rolling board of nails which went spiking straight into his five organs. His  eyes blurred from the inexplicable burning pain. Time and space in that moment  seemed to have been inverted. The elegant courtyard overlapped with the  palace garden with dragons, phoenix, and waterside pavilions pavilions. It  started from the same blue sky, then the sun, then the clouds, then the flowers,  and finally, the young man standing in front of a sea of flowers, smiling at him  tenderly. 

"Wushe, Confucius said that orchids have the virtue of a gentleman and the  fragrance of a king. Shixiong likes orchids best. Do you like orchids?" 

Xiao Jiu, Confucius said that orchids have the virtue of a gentleman and the  fragrance of a king. Shixiong likes orchids best. Do you like orchids?  

Ten thousand arrows pierced his heart. 

Fan Wushe staggered back, his eyes red. 

Xie Bian noticed Fan Wushe's abnormal condition and asked nervously, "Wushe,  what's wrong, are you uncomfortable? Wushe, is it heatstroke?" He stepped  forward to help Fan Wushe. 

Fan Wushe fiercely turned away Xie Bian's hand. "Don't touch me!" 

Xie Bian froze. The concern on his face didn't have time to change. His deep  loss had already crept to the surface. Looking a little comical, he sighed and  said, "Wushe, you and I have only known each other for a day. We've not even  had any disagreements. I don't know why but you seem to… reject Shixiong." 

55 Orchid Garden

Fan Wushe looked at Xie Bian's drooping eyebrows. His eyes seemed to  swallow that person whole. 

Xie Bian was still talking to himself. "It's fate that you and your shixiong would  have a fight. Still, Shixiong hopes to get along well with you, seek immortality  together, and serve Shizun together. I know that you have had a miserable and  lonely life. It may be difficult to trust others, but I will treat you as my own  brother," he said, raising his head and looking at Fan Wushe sincerely. 

Fan Wushe turned his back and said in a low voice, "I just don't like to be  touched by people." 

I can't just let you touch me. I hope you won't be nice to me. Don't smile at me,  don't touch me, because I will want to take you and keep you for myself all the  time. All the time.  

What would you do if you knew all the shameless things I wanted to do to you?  I can't repeat the same mistake.  

Xie Bian tried to peep at Fan Wushe's expression, but he couldn't see it. He  hesitated and said, "Then, do you recognize me as your Shixiong?" 

“…… recognize." 

Xie Bian was relieved immediately. He was broad-minded and never dwelled on  trivial matters. "As long as you recognize me as your Shixiong. It was Shixiong's  thoughtlessness. We just met yesterday. We can't get to know each other  immediately. In the future, if Shixiong has made things difficult for you, just say  so." 

"Fan Wushe adjusted his mood before turning around. His expression was  already as indifferent as before. "The orchids are very beautiful." 

"Yes, I put a lot of effort into it. But I also planted more than just orchids. Here  are some sun-loving plants. Jiuyou has no sun. I've planted many shade-loving  plants at Tianshi Palace. I'll take you to see my garden there later." 

"Good." 

"Ah, look." Xie Bian pointed to a bunch of pink and white orchids, extremely  luxuriant and beautiful, and said excitedly, "This is the mother plant of lotus-

petaled orchid that Lan Dage sent me. This variety is called Dangshanhe . Its 56 name is beautiful, and its flowers are even more beautiful." 

Fan Wushe stared at the orchid. 

"By the way, you can't imagine how Bo Zhu reacted when I told him about it."  Xie Bian mimicked the surprised appearance of Bo Zhu and said, "Ah! What sow  can live for a hundred years, wouldn't it be a spirit!? Hahahaha—"57 

“……” 

"Bo Zhu, this silly boy, always saying silly things. He's very cute." The white and  slender hand of Xie Bian stretched out to lovingly caress the Dangshanhe. The  tenderness of his fingertips almost melted when he touched it. "How would he  know that the hundred-year-old mother plant of this lotus-petaled orchid is  worth thousands of gold in the black market. Even if there are thousands of  varieties of orchids in the Moon Pavilion, this one is very previous. Lan Dage and  are both lovers of flowers. If he can give up such a lovely thing as this, I…" 

"He's just trying to please Shizun," Fan Wushe said in a vicious voice. "If you  were a little cultivator with no reputation, would he take care of you?" 

First a mouthful of Bo Zhu, then a mouthful of Lan Dage. Fan Wushe felt that his  scalp was on fire. 

More than one hundred years ago, he didn't know of any shitty place called  Moon Pavilion. Otherwise, he would have emptied all the orchids at their house.  He wouldn't let this person have good words for other men. 

Xie Bian said with a smile, "I understand that even if you don't say it, but your  Shixiong praises himself on being romantic. Lan Dage and I both cherish our  friendship. Lan Dage isn't a person who needs to climb high and make friends  with noble people. He respects Shizun and is willing to be friends with me.  There's no conflict." 

Fan Wushe was so angry that he wanted to dig up and break the flower. 

56 Dangling Mountain Lotus 

 "Mother plant" ⺟株 and ⺟猪 "sow" both share the same first character. 57

There was a couple surnamed Liu living in the courtyard who looked after the  house and the flowers. They knew Zhong Kui's true identity. Knowing the rules  very well, when they never asked a word about Fan Wushe's arrival. 

Xie Bian put all the things he bought today into his spatial bag and prepared to  take them back to the netherworld. Taking advantage while the day was still  bright, he changed his clothes, put on a straw hat, and went to the yard to  cultivate the soil. Weeding and watering the plants, he looked happy and  enjoyed the moment. 

Fan Wushe sat in the shade, watching in fascination. 

He had seen Zong Ziheng take care of his orchid garden as carefully as he did  now. He had also watched that orchid garden become withered, overgrown, and  barren with his own eyes. 

Xie Bian was the Zong Ziheng from when everything was still beautiful. 

However, they were the same nineteen years old. Zong Ziheng's nineteenth year,  all the drastic changes began that year. Now, in Xie Bian's nineteenth year, they  crossed two lives to meet again. 

If life has a fixed number, and fate has a fixed law, then he didn't believe in life or  fate. He crawled back to the world from the infernal hell. He would never let  everything from his previous life repeat itself. 

In the evening, after dinner, Xie Bian handed the spatial bag to Fan Wushe and  said, "Wushe, I'll send you back through the Yin-Yang Monument. Let Bo Zhu  come to take you back to Tianshi Palace. Remember to put the food in the ice  

cellar, or it won't stay fresh. Shixiong will wrap up wontons for you to eat  tomorrow morning." 

Fan Wushe didn't answer. A pair of black fox eyes stared at Xie Bian. "You're not  going back." 

"Shixiong has business to attend to." 

"Fumenghui?" 

"Mn." 

"Take me with you."

"This trip may be dangerous. Shixiong will just go by himself." Song Chungyi  was human, but he could ask ghosts. Maybe he could find some clues at  Fumenghui. 

Fan Wushe frowned. "Do you think I need your protection?" 

Xie Bian laughed. "Shixiong knows you are powerful and talented, but you are  still young. That's not a place you should go." 

"Take me." Fan Wushe didn't give in at all. "Or do you not even want to go."  Xie Bian looked at him helplessly. 

"I won't hold you back, and..." 

"And what?" 

Fan Wushe said in a low voice, "I will listen to Shixiong." 

"So good." Xie Bian said with a smile, "Okay, then you should listen to me well  and not act without authorization." 

"Mn." 

Author's Note: 

It's about to flash back to the past life. Don't worry

Chapter 7  

Ghosts cry at night, and dreams float in paradise.58 

This was Fumenghui in the eyes of the common people. 

Fumenghui, located southwest of the Luofeng mountain range, was only 20 to  30 miles away from Fengdu City. The prosperity of Fengdu City complimented  Fumenghui. It was originally called Fengmenggui because it was located near 59 Luofeng Mountain, the gateway to the netherworld, where the land was  distorted and strange from the gathering of thousands of ghosts. It was said that  it was place of the decisive battleground between the Great Beiyin Emperor and  the Demon Lord, but that couldn't be confirmed.  

With its unique terrain, it gradually became a concentration for all kinds of  unseen human activity. Later, it became more and more famous, resulting in the  present-day golden kiln for people to live and dream. The name Fengmenggui  was too fierce. In order to avoid scaring people, the name was changed to the  present one. 

Two worlds separated by a boundary: one, the gloomy netherworld; the other, a  paradise of hedonism, extravagance, greed, darkness, desire, and sin. This was  the world, but also the ghost world. 

Fumenghui was a concave valley which was difficult to describe. Sometimes  called "the grotesque rocks," this valley was made up of countless large and  small peaks and caves which resembled skulls. It seemed that thousands of evil  spirits were sealed in the rock. Every time the wind would blow, it would linger in  the valley and deep caves, as if ghosts were screeching. 

The interiors of the innumerable caves were mostly connected, and were very  suitable for hiding and escaping. Therefore, at first, it was a lawless place for  killing people, stealing, raising corpses, refining gu , and black market trading. 60 Many cultivators' golden cores were offered and sold here. After it was cleaned  up many times by the Immortal Alliance, the spring wind blew again. Later, wine  shops, pawnshops, music shops, brothels, casinos, fighting arenas, auction  houses, and more opened up in the area. Illegal transactions became hidden  

 Fumenghui = floating dream painting. This couplet describes the image people have of that 58 place 

 Same "feng" as "Fengdu City" menggui would be dream + ghost 59 

60 Poisonous parasitic insects or worms, often used to control or curse people

and hard to find. Many people depended on this place to make a living. The  Immortal Alliance had to turn a blind eye to the existence of Fumenghui.  

During the day, Fumenghui was quiet and sleepy, but once it was night, the  caves were lit with red candles, casting a blood-red glow on the valley. The  shops opened up to welcome people, and guests would come to the caves with  admiration. Figures moved among the caves, their shadows scurrying and  dancing to the music playing all night long. It was a scene of grotesque and  bizarre beauty, as if hundreds of ghosts were walking in the night. 

Fan Wushe looked at the fantasy-like scene in front of him, as if thinking. 

"Is this your first time here?" Xie Bian asked. "Fumenghui, does it compare with  the rumors?" 

Ordinary people were not likely to come to Fumenghui. First, it was a place  heavy with yin qi and spirits. Those with mortal bodies might leave with a  disease. Second, most of the people who came here spent a lot of money. If  someone wasn't well-dressed, they would be shunned. 

"Almost." This had been Zong Zixiao's last stop on earth. When he revisited this  place, Fan Wushe's mood was very calm. The boiling hatred calmed down over  a hundred years, turning slowly into a simmer. Like a stew over a fire, it was  thick and long-lasting. Only this person in front of him could add firewood to  raise his fire. 

"After you go in, don't run around. It's easy to get lost. Follow Shixiong." "Understood." 

The interior of Fumenghui was a huge cave, based on the natural shape of the  mountain. Stones opened up a road which met a bridge built over the ravine.  Slender pathways were constructed, extending in all directions from the bottom  to the top. 

The duo, one in black, one in white, looked extraordinary together. Each of them  looking like a gongzi of an immortal family made people quickly come up to  them to solicit business. Xie Bian kindly refused, but one man didn't give up,  wanting to draw Xie Bian to his music shop. Before his paws could touch the  snow-white corner of his robe, a sword scabbard knocked the back of his hand. 

The man let out a cry and drew back his hand.

One black and one white are both very respectable. As soon as they look like  the childe of Xianmen family, someone comes up to solicit business. Xie Bian's  good words refuse this, and the one who doesn't give up. A man wants to draw  Xie Bian close to his music shop. Before his paws touch the snow-white corner,  he is drawn by the scabbard on the back of his hand. 

The man let out a cry and retracted his hand. 

Fan Wushe said coldly, "Get lost." The sharp sword was half-sheathed,  protecting Xie Bian. No one dared to come closer. 

"Wushe, low profile," Xie Bian said in a low voice. 

"Fan Wushe's face was sullen. "Go your way." 

Xie Bian shuttled between the passages, looking for something. Soon, he found  two underworld messengers. 

This was the boundary of the underworld. There was no City God, but there  were always messengers of the netherworld around. It was common for people  to die in Fumenghui. Sometimes a person would die silently, and no one found  out, only the ghost that took him on his way. 

Xie Bian called the two netherworld agents to a hidden corner. "Bai Ye," they saluted respectfully. 

When Xie Bian remembered that Fan Wushe couldn't see them, he summoned  Wuqiongbi and told him to hold it.  

As soon as Fan Wushe touched the cool green jade spiritual weapon, he  immediately saw something he couldn't see before. The two ghosts were a little  surprised, and they looked at Xie Bian a little at a loss. 

"No matter, he is the new disciple of Tianshi. He is my shidi." "Bai Ye is here, but is there a new soul to collect? What haven't found out yet." 

"No, just a few questions." Xie Bian asked if there were any clues related to  Meng Kefei's golden core lately. 

Most people who dug up golden cores would either take them back to cultivate  for themselves or would sell them at a high price at Fumenghui. Xie Bian also 

thought that no one would dare sell Meng Kefei's golden core at this hot spot,  but there were demonic cultivators related to trading golden cores around here  all the time. Maybe Meng Kefei had been offered as a bounty here, maybe  someone had inquired about his golden core, perhaps someone had discussed  who killed him. In any case, cultivating golden cores was so profound, that it  was likely someone would know his true face, or that many had done it. And the  things people dared not to say in front of people were likely to be heard by  ghosts. 

"Reporting to Bai Ye, from yesterday until now, there were indeed many people  talking about this matter. Last night, a one-armed cultivator came here and  captured many people." 

"Did you hear anything useful? 

The two ghosts thought about it. "We don't know if it's useful, but it has been  said that the more powerful a cultivator is, the more difficult it is to refine his  golden core. Ordinary alchemists using common herbs and cauldrons are not  good at it. The only ones that have the courage and ability to refine Meng Kefei's  golden core are ghost hands." 

"What else? Has anyone offered a bounty for Meng Kefei's golden core? Has  anyone said who the killer was, even if it was just someone guessing?" 

The two shook their heads. 

Fan Wushe asked, "Wuliang Sect arresting people, what was the basis?" 

"They have taken all the bosses of pill shops, as well as those who frequented  those places to deliver goods, any workers who looked suspicious. As I see it,  most of the time, they had nothing to base it on." 

"Then it's a messy arrest." Xie Bian frowned. "Disturbing the people like this, I  don't know if I can find any useful clues." In his opinion, the daily patrol from the  netherworld didn't hear anything important, and Song Chungui was unlikely to  ask too many questions from the people he took away. 

He asked the two some more questions, and got very little. It seemed that the  identity of the thief was very secret, and it was very likely that it was done by  one person. Xie Bian had only looked at Meng Kefei's corpse in a hurry. Judging  from the injury, there shouldn't have been a third person.

Fan Wushe said, "Shixiong, go back." Although he didn't have any big waves in  his heart, this place brought back too many dark memories for him after all. He  didn't want to stay long. 

"Fine." Xie Bian smiled at Fan Wushe. "But, it's rare to visit Fumenghui. Don't  you want to stroll around?" People in the world were curious about Fumenghui,  especially teenagers. 

"Don't want to." 

"Then we'll go back." 

Just as they were about to leave, they suddenly heard a commotion coming  from a door. Looking down, a group of cultivators in green rushed in. Wuliang  Sect again. 

There was a lot of grumbling around. "Why are they coming again." 

"Here we go again. Didn't they catch enough people yesterday? Wuliang Sect is  really bullying people too much!" 

"What can you do? Be honest for a while, and don't stand out." 

Listening in, Wuliang Sect intended to take everyone away from the pill shop  next door. Obviously, it was to make sure whether the people in the pill shop  were hiding something from the people who had been in and out recently, but  that would be too many people to arrest. 

Xie Bian and Fan Wushe took advantage of the chaos to go downstairs, only to  find that the only entrance had been blocked. Xie Bian was hesitating whether to  leave by sword from outside the cave, when several cultivators approached  them. Looking them up and down, they asked, "Which sect are the two  gentlemen from?" 

Xie Bian said, "We brothers are both rogue cultivators. Just passing by to see  what's going on." 

The cultivator took a look at Xie Bian's sword. "A rogue cultivator? Gongzi, your  sword looks extraordinary. What sort of furnace is it from? Which master's  handiwork?"  

Xie Bian said with a straight face, "It has nothing to do with my fellow daoists."

"Wuliang Sect is tracking down the murderer of Meng Shixiong. Any suspicious  person must be interrogated. So please come with me, both of you." 

Fan Wushe only had two simple words: "Get lost." 

The cultivator sneered. "Then don't blame us for being impolite." 

"Wait a minute." Xie Bian didn't want to draw attention to himself here. "We  really are just passing by here. Wuliang Sect indiscriminately arresting people at  will, wouldn't that be detrimental to the reputation of Wuliang Sect?" 

"So I 'invite' you to be my guest at Funding. Would you be willing to pay me a  visit?" 

Fan Wushe said unhappily, "Why are you wasting your words with them?" 

Xie Bian suddenly grabbed Fan Wushe's collar and jumped onto a hanging  ladder in one leap. "Go, go out through the cave." 

"Chase!" The cultivator gave an order, and a dozen people flew up to chase after  them. 

The two of them fled back and forth between the passages. Most of the caves  were connected inside and outside, and they could leave as long as they ran to  the main body of the peak. But the cultivators of Wuliang Sect came from all  directions. As a last resort, Xie Bian took out his sword and told Fan Wushe,  "Stay behind Shixiong and try not to hurt anyone." 

A cultivator swung his sword to stab at them, and Xie Bian blocked him in front  of Fan Wushe. He forced him back in two moves and jumped onto another  walkway, only to hear a cry. Looking back Fan Wushe had kicked a man down  the chain ladder. 

"Wushe, this way!" Not far ahead was a tavern that led right outside. 

"Here they are, chase them!" The green-clothed cultivators came in droves. 

The chain ladder shook violently. The two men held their footholds and  stabilized their bodies, but they could see pursuers in front and behind them. 

Xie Bian said comfortingly, "Don't be afraid. Shixiong is here."

Fan Wushe said in a deep voice, "Wipe them out." 

"Don't kill anyone," Xie Bian said. "We're not supposed to be here. If anyone  loses their yang life because of this, we have created karma, which will not be  good for anyone." 

"Do you think they'll let us go?" 

Xie Bian looked around and pointed to a shop below. "Let's go through there."  Saying that, he waved his sword and cut at the thick hemp rope of the chain  ladder. 

Understanding, Fan Wushe raised his sword to cut the hemp rope on the other  side. The chain ladder broke and the men cried out in response. Grasping the  rope while the chain ladder swung down, they jumped steadily onto the footpath  and rushed straight into the shop. 

They rushed out of the cave in one fell swoop and rose up on their swords. 

At that moment, a sharp sword broke through the air, turning into a silver-white  lightening with a dark red halo, coming straight toward Xie Bian. 

The speed of the sword was so fast that it was too late to catch it. Fan Wushe  shot his own sword out, and Xie Bian flew up. 

With a clash, the blades collided. 

The two people successively fell down from mid-air, rolling several times in  confusion. 

Two swords pierced into the mountain one after the other, while the third was  cut in two and fell to the ground. 

Fan Wushe looked at the broken sword on the ground, his pair of extremely  charming fox eyes filled with killing intent. 

Xie Bian looked at Fan Wushe and wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know  what to say. The sword wasn't a great one, but for any swordsman, a broken  sword was a great humiliation. 

A slender figure came from the darkness. He had a straight face and sharp eyes.  Even if he only had one arm, he didn't lose any of his majestic aura.

This man was Li Buyu's little disciple, Song Chungui, the Lone Sword. 

As soon as Song Chungui reached out, his sword shook violently in the  mountain rocks, pulled itself out, and flew back to its master. 

Xie Bian also recalled his own sword. 

"If these two gentlemen aren't guilty, what are you fleeing for?" Song Chungui  asked flatly. "Wuliang Sect will not harm innocent people. We're only asking the  two of you to go to Yunding to answer some questions. After relieving the  suspicion, you'll be sent back safely." 

Xie Bian said, "You have gone too far." He was hesitating whether to actually  make a move. Song Chungui was not easy to deal with, and once he started, his  identity would definitely be exposed. 

Fan Wushe suddenly summoned half of the broken sword and looked at Song  Chungui as if he was looking at a dead man. 

Song Chungui frowned. "Xiao Gongzi, are you going to use this broken sword  against me?" 

Fan Wushe said coldly, "Good enough to kill your dog." 

Song Chungui had been famous for a long time. He had flew rivals in the area of  sword cultivation. He had never seen such an arrogant young man. 

"Wushe, you are not allowed to…" 

Before the words had finished, Fan Wushe had already raised his sword to force  Song Chungui back. 

Xie Bian originally wanted to stop Fan Wushe, but he was a little curious about  his swordsmanship. He thought it would be good to see one or two moves  before he helped. 

It was astonishing to see. Fan Wushe actually used a broken sword to make a  complete move against Song Chungui, without showing any fear. 

Song Chungui also showed a different color. "Who did you learn from? How  come I've never heard of your name?"

Fan Wushe did not answer, but only attacked Song Chungui more harshly,  dealing a deadly move. 

Song Chungui became more serious. When he faced several moves from Fan  Wushe, he became more and more frightened. He forced Fan Wushe back for a  while and asked more harshly, "Who exactly are you under?" 

Xie Bian had also been observing Fan Wushe's sword techniques. Among the  world's immortal sects, sword cultivation accounted for most of them. He could  see at least one or two of each sect's skills, but it was very strange. He saw  moves and styles that had an indescribable sense of familiarity, but he couldn't  remember where he had ever seen it. With this overbearing sword technique, it  should have been famous long ago. He definitely wouldn't forget it once he had  seen it once. 

Fan Wushe still did not speak, as if he was bent on killing Song Chungui. Song Chungui looked grave. "This is… Zongxuan sword?" 

Upon hearing these words, Xie Bian was shocked. 

Zongxuan sword? Isn't that the Zong sword technique that had been lost for a  hundred years!?

Chapter 8  

For three hundred years from the time their ancestors founded the sect and  made it famous with their Zongxuan sword and Guiyuan method, the great 61 famed Zong clan dominated Jiuzhou. Even if it was against the immortal world's  general knowledge of "the way to the world is with the people," no one in the  world's immortal sects dared to say anything about the emperor. They could  only bow their heads in subordination, delimit the land, become feudal lords,  and embrace the son of Zong Tianzi as emperor and leader of Jiuzhou. 

But impermanence is constant, and prosperity is bound to decline. Change is  eternal. In the reign of the Ninghua Emperor Zong Minghe, the Zong clan's  power had declined, and there were many talented people in the cultivation  world. Over the past few hundred years, dissatisfaction with the Zong clan had  been accumulating. Though seemingly calm under the surface, the water was  turbulent. 

In fact, the decline of the Zong clan and its last three generations had a lot to do  with the the failure to produce a top heavenly talent. 

When it comes to cultivating immortality, acquired diligence and enlightenment  are important. However, the quality of the innate spiritual root often determines a  person's upper limit from birth. In the cultivation world, one person is promoted  to heaven by nine tribes to ascension. Without a leader who could reach the  peak, it would be difficult to rely on the crowd or convince them. 

Zong Minghe had nine sons and three daughters. Both his eldest son and his  youngest son were excellent. They had the potential to walk the immortal path.  Unfortunately, with the confrontation between the immortal sects and the Zong  clan and the decline of his ancestral estate, the precarious situation could not be  reversed by two children who had not yet become talents. 

Daming Fu, Wuji Palace62 

There was a burst of laughter in the back garden. A young man was leading a  group of children to play cuju. The sheepskin ball seemed to grow on his feet, 63 how could it get out of his control. Children of different heights were chattering  

 Returning Heart, this should be a martial skill 61 

 Daming is the whole imperial compound as well as the City at the foot of Wuji Palace. 62 63 Ancient Chinese predecessor to football/soccer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuju

and grouping around him, trying to steal the ball from his feet. The jumpy scene  was like a big dog leading a group of puppies to have fun. 

The boy's eyebrows were colorful. His eyes shined like stars, his looks were not  inferior to the scorching sun, and his smile was brighter than beautiful gems. He  was really a stunning gongzi. 

"Dage… ah!" A child stumbled, fell to the ground with a thump, and immediately  whimpered. 

Zong Ziheng put down the ball, pushed aside the crowd, and picked up the  child from the ground with a smile. He pinched his nose and joked, "Aiya, Xiao  Jiu , are you going to cry?" 64 

Zong Zixiao had no tears in his eyes at all. He had to put on a watery look and  wipe his eyes with his dirty hands. "I fell on my leg, and you're still laughing at  me." 

"Let me see." Zong Ziheng lifted up the leg of his trousers and saw blood on his  knees.  

"Dage, can you take me to get some medicine?" 

"Mn." 

Zong Ziheng held Zong Zixiao up with one hand, and several children pulled on  Zong Ziheng's clothes. "Dage, are you coming back? Do you want to play with  us?" 

Zong Ziheng rubbed their heads one by one. "The sun is too big , you should 65 also disperse. Dage will play with you next time." 

Zong Zixiao wrapped his arms around Zong Ziheng's neck, secretly showing a  smug smile. 

"Dage, it's so hot." He pressed his face to Zong Ziheng's neck and whined in a  low voice." 

 Little Nine. This would be the ninth-born child and youngest son of the Emperor 64 65 Basically a way to say that it is late in the day

"It's hot, and you're still hugging me so tightly." Zong Ziheng pulled one of his  small arms off his sweaty neck and gasped, "You can still fall and tumble into  Dage, ah?" 

"I…." 

Zong Ziheng suddenly tackled Zong Zixiao's waist, swung him three times in the  air, then swayed him up and down head first, and finally pulled him up from  under his armpits. 

Zong Zixiao screamed and laughed at the same time, his face flushed with  excitement. 

Zong Ziheng smiled and said, "No pain?" 

"It didn't hurt, I just didn't want to play anymore," Zong Zixiao said coquettishly.  "I want to eat the iced snow fungus soup made by Dage." 66 

"Just be careful." Zong Ziheng took him back to Qinghui Pavilion in his arms. On  the way, he tested Zong Zixiao on his recent lessons from the past few days.  Seeing that he answered correctly and didn't slack off, he praised him. 

"Delicious, so sweet." Zong Zixiao took a big mouthful of the soft snow fungus  soup and licked his lips. 

Zong Ziheng brought a moist cloth and wiped Zong Zixiao's dirty face first. At  the age of eight years old, he looked like his mother, who was known as the  most beautiful woman in the world. With a face like carved pink jade, he was  carved from the same mold as her, especially the pair of fox eyes, hooked at the  tail. When looking at people, his eyes shone brightly, making people want to  stand still. 

"Eat slowly." After wiping his face, Zong Ziheng wanted to clean his wounds. Zong Zixiao shook his leg. "No, it'll be fine in a few days." 

"At least rinse it off." 

After treating the wound, Zong Zixiao almost reached the bottom of his bowl of  snow fungus soup. He blinked, "Dage, I have good news to tell you." 

66 Snow fungus is also called tremella https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremella

"What good news?" 

"I've almost formed my golden core." 

Zong Ziheng was stunned. "Really?" 

"En." Zong Zixiao proudly raised his chin. "Dage also formed his before he was  ten years old. I want to be like Dage." 

Zong Ziheng patted Zong Zixiao on the shoulder happily. "You will do it earlier  than Dage, Xiao Jiu. You must cultivate diligently and one day achieve  greatness, so that the world will not laugh at our Zong clan's younger  generation." 

"With Dage around, who dares to laugh at us?" Zong Zixiao's eyes were filled  with adoration. "Dage is the most powerful." 

Looking at Zong Zixiao's carefree and naive appearance, Zong Ziheng sighed. "Dage, can I have another bowl?" 

"No, you ate too much ice last time and got sick." 

"Just one bowl." 

"Dinner will be served in another hour. Do you want to have snow fungus soup  or do you want to eat the lion's head made by Dage?" 67 

"Lion's head! Lion's head!" 

There was a loud noise outside the room. Zong Ziheng lifted his head and stood  up to take a look. 

A woman came in, surrounded by servants. She was born with a beautiful face  and picturesque appearance. She was dressed in brocade and jade, with a gold  hairpin. She had a dignified and noble manner. 

"Mother is back." Zong Ziheng said in a salute. 68 

 This is a type of stewed meatball: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion%27s_Head_(food) 67 

 I swapped this back from "muqin." When/if they talk to the empress or use more/less familiar 68 terms of address I'll call it out

Zong Zixiao also stood up. "Shen Fei Niangniang ." 69 

"Xiao'er is here too," Shen said with a smile. "Come to play with your dage?" "Mn." 

"It's almost time to eat. Don't eat so much cold food." Shen Shiyao pulled Zong  Zixiao toward herself and wiped his sweat with a silk handkerchief. "Xiao'er,  please stay in Qinhui Pavilion for dinner tonight." 

"Okay, Dage said he'd make lion's head for me." 

Shen Shiyao chuckled. "You only love to pester your Dage. Go back and call  your mother. After dinner, let's go to Luoshui Lake and enjoy the moon together." 

"Okay!" Zong Zixiao jumped up and ran away. 

After Zong Zixiao left, Shen Shiyao looked at her talented and good-looking son  and was very relieved. "Ziheng, how were your studies today?" 

"I finished all of them, I just took my younger brothers and sisters to play for half  an hour. 

"I heard that the emperor has assigned you another task." 

"The Pingyang generation is in trouble because of ghosts. Two groups of  cultivators were sent to the palace. The casualties were heavy. I will leave the  palace tomorrow to have a look." 

"Very well, your brothers and sisters have not grown up yet. Only you can share  the worries of the emperor. You must perform well. Don't let the emperor down." 

Zong Ziheng said obediently, "Mother, rest assured." 

"I heard…" Shen Shiyao's slender jade fingers stroked the red and gold nine  turning exquisite bracelet on her wrist. "Chi Songzi tested your ninth brother's  spiritual root, and his natural talent is not inferior to yours?" 

 Fei is her title as consort. Niangniang is a respectful term of address to an older woman, 69 often used by servants.

"Yes, Xiao Jiu is of the highest talent," Zong Ziheng smiled. "He just told me that  he was about to form his golden core." 

Shen Shiyao gave a slight pause. Her gaze drifted to the window and she said  quietly, "The Zong clan has not been able to produce such a spiritual root for  three generations. I did not expect to two to be produced at once. The emperor  must be very happy." 

"Fujun is very happy, with this son and the younger siblings working together,  we can restore the Zong clan." 

Shen Shiyao turned her head to look at Zong Ziheng. Here eyes were dim and  hard to see. "You were born the son of heaven. You are the best in this  generation of aristocratic children. It's a pity that your mother's family  background is not good and holds you back." 

Zong Ziheng was shocked. "Mother, why do you say that? This son was born in  the Zong clan and grew up with no worries about food or clothing. I am very  satisfied and have never had such thoughts." 

Shen Shiyao took Zong Ziheng's hand and smiled tenderly. "You have such high  natural talent. If you were a di son, you would be bound to be the future head of  any other immortal family. Niang is thinking, you are so competitive. I, in turn,  am not competitive." 

"Mother, you must not think like that," Zong Ziheng said anxiously. "Di son, shu  son , what does it matter? I've never cared." 70 

Shen Shiyao stared at her son a long time before she said, "That's fine. Well,  your ninth brother is also a shu son. You're not alone. It's not a pity." 

Zong Ziheng knew that his mother was strong and was very strict with him since  he was young, forbidding him to fall behind others. However, it was all for his  own good. Today, this was the first time he heard her say something like this. It  was really strange. 

He could not understand, so he stopped thinking about it for the moment. After  comforting Shen Shiyao with a few words, he went to make lion's head for Zong  Zixiao. 

 "Di" son/daughters are the children of the official/main wife. "Shu" sons/daughters are the 70 children of concubines. They are lower in rank and often do not have rights of succession. 

During the moonlight viewing in the evening, Shen Shiyao acted the same as  usual. She and Zong Zixiao's mother were good friends and the two often  visited each others palaces to walk around. 

After enjoying the moon, Zong Zixiao wanted to sleep with Zong Ziheng again.  The two of them were eight years apart. Zong Zixiao was brought up by Zong  Ziheng, so he was very sticky toward him since childhood. 

The summer heat was stifling and there were many mosquitoes. Zong Ziheng  pasted two cold ice talismans in the mosquito net and fanned the wind with a  fan. Zong Zixiao stopped tossing and turning like a pancake and started to feel  sleepy. 

"Dage," Zong Zixiao said in a daze. "Are you going to leave the palace  tomorrow? When will you take me out of the palace?" 

"When you grow up a bit, you can join Dage and get rid of the troublemakers." 

Zong Zixiao yawned. "What reward will Dage give me when I form my golden  core?" 

Zong Ziheng laughed. "What reward do you want?" 

"Take me out of the palace. Dage could travel when he was twelve, but I've  never been out of the palace before." 

"Okay, when you've finished forming your core, I'll ask father to take you out of  the palace." 

Zong Zixiao turned around and buried himself into Zong Ziheng's arms. "Keep  your word!" 

"Oh, don't stick to me. It's so hot."

Chapter 9  

At ten years old, Zong Ziheng formed his golden core. At twelve, he went out on  a trip and subdued a mountain chimera that plagued the people by himself.  Since then, he became a famous gongzi. In both virtue and appearance, he was  always the model among his peers. 

Before long, the quadrennial Jiaolong Meeting would begin, which was a  competition held for young talents. It was a thousand year old tradition of the  immortal cultivation world. Only youths between twelve and eighteen years old  were allowed to participate. Almost all of those who had made their name on the  path to immortality were in the limelight when they were young. Almost all the  teenagers had a strong style. 

Zong Ziheng had also been preparing for the Jiaolong Meeting because the  Ninghua Emperor had high hopes for him and ordered him to take the lead in the  meeting. He practiced diligently day and night. He knew that the emperor did  not care about this mother and son in the past. It was only after he showed his  talent that he was valued. For the sake of his mother, he didn't care to  disappoint her. 

In fact, the path to immortality is boring and lonely. As the eldest son, Zong  Ziheng didn't care to be lazy, but what he really yearned for wasn't to achieve  ascension, nor to be a successful person. What he loved were flowers, birds,  landscapes, chess, calligraphy, painting, and delicious wine. There were so  many interesting things in the world. He wanted to see more, pursue more  meaningful things than cultivation and swordsmanship. 

Unfortunately, such thoughts could not be spoken. Otherwise, even his mother  would scold him for not being sensible. 

That afternoon, as Jinwu, the golden crow , began to fall in the west, and the 71 sun was not so bright, Zong Ziheng remembered that many snails had recently  grown in his orchid garden, Lanyuan, and were chewing his flowers into a mess.  So he lead Zong Zixiao to catch snails and weed the garden. 

Lanyuan was built in an uninhabited side hall, which was full of more than a  hundred varieties of orchids and other flowers he had collected over the years.  When the flowers were in bloom, they competed with each other and became a  sight to see in the palace. Although there were servants to take care of it on  

71 Folktale about the sun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-legged_crow

weekdays, Zong Ziheng preferred to do it by himself. It was his personal  pleasure after cultivating. 

Zong Ziheng was squatting on the ground to catch snails. Zong Zixiao ran  around in the flowers with bare feet. From time to time he stared timidly. "Xiao  Jiu, be careful, don't step on my flowers." 

"I won't." 

"You'd better stop running. Come over here." 

Zong Zixiao gave a sly smile. Suddenly, his foot tripped, and his whole body  lunged forward. 

"Ah—" 

Zong Zixiao supported himself on the ground with one hand, and he deftly  bounced his body up. He turned around in the air and landed steadily outside  the flower garden, laughing out loud. 

Zong Ziheng feigned anger and said, "How dare you cheat your Dage? Is your  skin itchy?" 

Zong Zixiao spread out his small hands. "I was helping you catch snails. Should  I throw them?" 

"Throw them in the bucket." 

Zong Zixiao ran to Zong Ziheng and pressed his whole body on Zong Ziheng's  back. "Dage, why do you always get these flowers?" 

"Beauty." 

Zong Ziheng handed him a shovel. "Come on, work." 

Zong Zixiao squatted one one side, following the example of his dage and  working. His heart, which had been a little hot and dry from the sun, slowly  calmed down. 

Zong Ziheng turned to look at him, revealing a beautiful smile. "Xiao Jiu,  Confucius said that orchids have the virtue of a gentleman and the fragrance of  a king. Dage likes orchids the most. Do you like orchids?"

Zong Zixiao nodded. "I like it if Dage likes it." 

"There are one hundred and seventy-one kinds of orchids here in Lanyuan.  Jiangnan is the hometown of orchids. Next year, Dage plans to go to Jiangnan  to collect more varieties." 

"When I can leave the palace, I will accompany Dage to travel around Jiuzhou  and plant all the orchids in the world in Lanyuan." 

"Really?" Zong Ziheng laughed. "You're not just saying nice things to coax me  for the sake of food, are you?" He picked up a clean cloth handkerchief and  wiped off Zong Zixiao's sweat. 

"Of course it's true." Zong Zixiao's eyes were very bright, like a sprinkling of  stardust. "You always say that a gentleman is like an orchid. Dage is a  gentleman. Dage is like an orchid." 

Zong Ziheng doted, "What would you like to eat tonight?" 

"I want to eat braised pork!" 

Zong Zixiao was muttering about what food he wanted when he heard the  sounds of footsteps and conversation approaching from the other side of the  wall. Both of them were cultivators. Their ears and eyes were clear, so if they  listened attentively, they could see and hear things from a very long distance.  When they caught the words "Shen Fei Niangniang" in the blurred conversation,  they both paused. 

"When the empress said those words today, did you notice the expression on  Shen Fei Niangniang's face?" 

"Oh, I saw. If it weren't for her respected and high status now, she would not  have the courage to make such faces in public." 

"Yes. Shen Fei Niangniang is not what she used to be. She's just a helpless  orphan. She almost made the empress so angry that she wanted to annul her  marriage, but now she's made more expensive by relying on her son." 

"If the First Prince can win first place, it will be even more remarkable. It's a pity  that the Second Prince is indeed not as good at the First Prince." 

Zong Ziheng's face was very ugly. Before he broke out, Zong Zixiao had already  jumped over the wall in one leap. The two attendants cried out in alarm.

Zong Ziheng caught up to them. They had knelt down on the ground begging for  mercy. "First Prince, Ninth Prince, these slaves are wrong! These slaves are  wrong!" 

Zong Zixiao waved his sleeves in the air and slapped them to the ground. "You  vile maids with broken mouths, don't you want to keep your tongues!?" The  childish voice was full of menace.  

"First Prince, please spare our lives. Ninth Prince, spare our lives." 

Zong Ziheng was furious. "As servants, you dare to talk about your master  behind their back. Do you know that this is a serious crime?" 

"Your highness, please spare this slave's life. These servants know we are  wrong. We beg you to punish us lightly." 

Zong Zixiao looked up at Zong Ziheng. "Dage, I'll cut out their tongues." 

Zong Ziheng saw the two girls were only teenagers. They were so scared of  Zong Ziheng that they shrank into a ball. His breath was almost gone. He took a  deep breath. "As punishment… Kneel outside here all night. If there is another  crime, it will not be lightly forgiven." 

"Thanking His Highness! Thanking His Highness for his grace." Zong Zixiao frowned and said, "Dage, you're just letting them go?" 

Zong Ziheng took Zong Zixiao's hand. "Let's go." Looking down and seeing that  Zong Zixiao was not wearing shoes, he picked him up and returned to Lanyuan.  When they returned, he let Zong Zixiao sit on his lap and silently put shoes on  the child. 

Zong Zixiao's lips were pursed. He suddenly wrapped his arms around Zong  Ziheng's neck. The two of them were so close, the tremors in his chest seemed  to connect to his dage's suppressed breathing, the feeling of a kind of quiet  sadness. 

After putting on his shoes, Zong Ziheng stood up, looking back to normal. "Let's  go." 

Shen Shiyao was taken in by the former emperor when she was a child because  of her natural talent. She became a disciple of the Zong clan and was regarded 

as the shijie of Zong Minghe. But when they were teenagers, they married 72 secretly. At that time, Zong Minghe's fiancée had not yet come over into the  house. This matter was very embarrassing for the two families, and Shen Shiyao  had to be accepted as a concubine. After giving birth to the eldest son, both  mother and son were left out in the cold. 

Zong Ziheng didn't know their status and situation in the palace, but as he grew  older, he became more and more prominent. After forming his golden core, the  emperor paid more attention to him. He didn't expect that after so many years,  these palace people were still unforgiving behind the scenes. If these words  reached his mother's ears, how sad would she feel. 

"Dage," Zong Zixiao whispered. "Don't be sad. When you win the top prize at  the Jiaolong Meeting, see who still dares to disrespect Shen Fei Niangniang." 

Zong Ziheng sighed. "Zixiao, you're still young. You don't understand. The most  powerful skills in the world can't stop other people's mouths." 

"If you are a dragon, why should you care about ants." 

Zong Ziheng looked down at Zong Zixiao and smiled faintly. Zong Zixiao's  mother was more beautiful than a fairy and highly favored. He was born with  excellent spiritual roots, so he grew up without suffering any grievances. His  pride, which had never been worn down, was really enviable. 

Zong Zixiao said seriously. "Dage, don't be unhappy. When I grow up, all the  people and things that make you unhappy, I will make them disappear." 

Zong Ziheng rubbed Zong Zixiao's squishy round little face. "If you cut class  less, slack off less, and eat more vegetables, Dage will be happy."73 

"Then I won't be happy!" 

"You dare justify it?" 

 Elder martial sister 72 

 I just realized I never went into the characters for each of their past-life names. The "zi" they 73 both have is like "son" or "person." It was common for children of the same generation to  have the same first character of their names. You'll also see that a lot with daoist names in  xianxia novels.  

Heng is a carved gem/jade of a type of pendant worn on a belt by aristocracy in ancient  China. Here is a picture of one https://catalog.digitalarchives.tw/item/00/11/8b/f9.html Xiao can mean owl, but also an ambitious or fierce person. 

The two bothers laughed and joked, washing away the low atmosphere. 

—— 

As everyone expected, Zong Zixiao formed his golden core shortly after his ninth  birthday, half a year earlier than Zong Ziheng. 

If reaching the age of fifteen was a rite of passage for the secular world, then  forming of a golden core was a sign that a person had officially entered the  cultivation world. Forming a core before reaching adulthood represented  superior quality and unremitting effort. Not to mention that the Zong clan had  produced two geniuses in one generation. Ninghua Emperor made this happy  news known to the world, and even hosted a banquet for it. Whether it was as a  monarch or as a father, it was a very proud moment. 

During the banquet, everyone was overjoyed. Only the empress looked pale and  absentminded. She was born in a noble family, and even the Zong clan had to  be courteous to them. Unfortunately, her son was not good. Compared with the  oldest and youngest sons, he was not good at all. 

Shen Shiyao took Zong Ziheng's hand and said in a low voice with a smile, "It's  good that my son is competitive. Otherwise, it would be more painful to sit in  that seat and watch someone else's son be better than their own." 

Zong Ziheng laughed bitterly to himself. The contrast between the empress and  the concubines made him feel helpless all the time. In fact, he and his younger  brothers and sisters were all good friends. Even with his second brother, they  were around the same age, grew up together, and never had any grudges  against each other. In the future, when his second brother assumed the throne,  he and his younger siblings would help him to build a century-old foundation for  the Zong clan. So whether it was the empress or his mother, such a competition  was really meaningless. 

However, Zong Ziheng could not afford to spoil his mother's face, so he didn't  reply. 

"Ziheng, the Jiaolong Meeting, you must win first place." Shen Shiyao clenched  her son's hand said, "Although Zixiao is small, one day, he might also  overshadow your light."

Zong Ziheng said warmly, "Mother, this son will give his best at the Jiaolong  Meeting, but Zixiao and I…. will be like the sun and the moon, neither  overshadowing the other." 

"How can the sun and moon be compared?" Shen Shiyao stared at his pair of  apricot eyes. Her voice still had its usual softness, but her tone had changed.  "The sun and the moon can't shine on the same day." 

Zong Ziheng didn't expect that a casual metaphor would be interpreted this way  by his mother. He frowned and said, "Mother, Zixiao and I are blood brothers.  There is no need to compare us like this." 

Shen Shiyao fixed her eyes on her son for a long time. Finally releasing his hand,  she said faintly, "You are still too young." 

After the banquet ended, the guests gradually dispersed, and only the members  of the Zong clan remained in the main hall. 

Ninghua Emperor Zong Minghe summoned Zong Zixiao to him. His eyes were  full of pride and doting when he looked at his young son. "Xiao'er, today is the  celebration of your core formation. As a father, I'm proud of you. If you have  anything you want, just ask. " 74 

"This son wants a good sword." His attitude was very generous. It was obvious  most of his requests could be met." 

"Haha, ben zuo has long prepared one for you. This sword is…" "I want a sword refined in the Shennong Cauldron." 

The hall was suddenly quiet. 

Zong Zixiao's consort mother Chu Yingruo scolded, "Zixiao, don't talk  nonsense."  

Shennong Cauldron, one of the four ancient divine treasures, could refine all  things in the world. Swords made in this cauldron were all rare and famous,  treasures that every sword cultivator dreamed of. But the consumption of such a  cauldron is very great. At least hundreds of high-level cultivators were needed.  They needed to use their spiritual power to stoke the flame at the same time. If  

 Confirming that he says these words more casually without the royal/powerful pronoun that 74 he uses later.

there was a little mistake during the refining, all the previous work would be  wasted. So this cauldron might not be opened even once over the span of  decades. Even the Zong clan would only open up the cauldron for the clan  leader. 

Zong Zixiao was young. He only wanted a good sword that everyone wanted.  He didn't know what kind of waves his words would stir in the hearts of adults. Zong Minghe stroked Zong Zixiao's head. "Xiao'er, do you know that a sword  refined in the Shennong Cauldron is not something that ordinary people can  

get?" 

"I'm not an ordinary person." 

Zong Minghe burst out laughing. "Of course, ben zuo's son is naturally not an  ordinary person. Good, ben zuo promises to refine a sword for you with the  Shennong Cauldron." 

Several suppressed huffing sounds rang out in the hall. 

"But…" Zong Minghe tapped his finger on Zong Zixiao's forehead and heart.  "You have to win first place at the Jiaolong Meeting." 

"That will take another four years," Zong Zixiao protested. 

"Four years? You want to win the championship at the age of thirteen?" Zong  Minghe laughed. "What a big mouth." 

Zong Ziheng looked at Zong Zixiao's confident face. No matter whether he was  only speaking big words, Zong Zixiao would work hard for the next four years at  least." 

"Good, ben zuo will wait for you for four years." 

"By the way, Fujun, I have one more thing." 

"Say it." 

"This son has never been out of the palace. My dage promised me last time that  when I formed my golden core, he would take me out of the palace, as long as  Fujun agrees." 

Zong Minghe looked at Zong Ziheng. "Is that right? Where is your dage going to  take you to play?"

Zong Ziheng said, "This son can take Jiu Di to help get rid of troubles and let  him gain some experience." 

"Good. You can take him out. Just in time to go with you to the Jiaolong  Meeting." 

"Yes"

Chapter 10  

"If you win first place at the Jiaolong Meeting, have you thought about asking  for a reward from the emperor?" 

"This son hasn't thought about it yet." 

"No matter what the reward is, it won't be a sword refined in the Shennong  Cauldron. 

Zong Ziheng stared at his own reflection on the water, thinking about the  conversation with his mother before he left. He couldn't help but be baffled. 

"Dage, the sweet potatoes are baked. Try it, they smell so good." 

Zong Ziheng came back to his senses. "Coming." He hurriedly washed his  hands and collected his emotions. 

These days after leaving Wuji Palace, Zong Zixiao was going crazy to play. This  was the first time he went out of the palace. He was tired of staying at the inn  and wanted to sleep in the wild. It was just as well, as there was a disturbance  by a ghost on Gutuo Mountain. Zong Ziheng planned to deal with it at night, so  they settled down nearby. 

"Your Highness, try it." The baked sweet potato was handed to Zong Ziheng. 

For this trip, Ninghua Emperor assigned two high-level cultivators as their  bodyguards. They were a pair of brothers named Huang Hong and Huang Wu. 

Zong Ziheng said, "Bring some wine." 

Huang Wu brought the wine pot over. Zong Ziheng poured three glasses of wine  and gave the two men a glass. "It's been hard on you two all this way." 

The two men were flattered. "Your Highness, what is what subordinates should  do." 

"Outside of the palace, there is no need to be too formal or stick to etiquette,"  Zong Ziheng laughed. "This Xiaoyao brew is a good wine. It's elegant and  mellow at first, but the aftertaste is endless, like an immortal. It's boring to drink  alone, come on."

They took their glasses and began to drink. 

Zong Zixiao stared at the wine. "Dage, can I…" 

"No." 

"Give me a taste. I've never had a drink." 

"How old are you? Who would dare to drink with you?" 

Huang Hong and Huang Wu laughed. 

"'Outside of the palace, there is no need to be too formal' That's what you just  said." Zong Zixiao climbed up on Zong Ziheng's shoulder. "Dage, give it to me  to try. Is it really that good?" 

Zong Ziheng glanced at him and hooked his lips in a smile. "Okay, I'll give you a  little." He dipped his thumb in the wine and wiped it onto Zong Zixiao's lips. 

Zong Zixiao curiously stretched out his tongue and licked it. His little face  suddenly changed. "Bah, bah, so spicy." 

The three of them burst out laughing. 

Zong Zixiao said angrily, "It's so bad!" 

"This is something you wanted to taste yourself. You can't blame anyone else."  Zong Ziheng held him in his lap with a smile and said, "Come on, drink some  water." 

Zong Zixiao gulped down a lot of water and finally became honest. 

After dinner, the sky was getting dark, and the two brothers leaned on each  other to enjoy the sunset together. 

"Dage, where is the evil spirit? When will it come out?" 

"We'd have to ask it, then. We just have to wait." Zong Ziheng flicked his finger  at the spirit-attracting talisman placed at the side which would burn up 75 whenever a ghost appeared within a mile radius.  

 This is different from the soul-summoning formation we saw in an earlier chapter 75

"Why are there so many ghosts and spirits in the world? We can't get rid of  them." 

"As long as there are people, there will be ghosts," Zong Ziheng said. "Are you  not listening properly again? Why are you still asking such questions?" 

"I'm just feeling it." 

"Come, let me test you. What's the different between spirits and souls? What is  the difference between people who expel spirits and the people who come from  the netherworld to collect them?" 

"The soul consists of the heavenly soul, the earthly soul, and the human soul.  The spirit is divided into joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, evil, and desire. These are  the three souls and seven spirits. " Zong Zixiao snorted. "I remember." 76 

"Good. Go on." 

"The heavenly soul and the earthly soul are originally the essences of heaven  and earth. After death, the heavenly soul returns to heaven and the earthly soul  returns to earth. Only the human soul carries the karma of the person. This  human soul will be collected by messengers of the underworld. The seven spirits  will gradually disperse in the first seven days." 

"If the soul is not taken away, or the seven spirits are not scattered, what  happens?" 

"Then it becomes an evil spirit," Zong Zixiao replied. "The soul changes and  becomes a ghost. The soul has no body and can only go to other people's  bodies. If the soul refuses to disperse because of its deep obsession, it will rise  up." 

"Not bad," Zong Ziheng nodded. "If the soul makes chaos, the people will  gradually pray to the local City God and ask the netherworld to collect it in the  future. If it is a spirit turned evil, we need to step in. However, any situation can  be encountered when exorcising spirits. Whether it is a soul or a spirit, never  take it lightly." 

 If you've read 2HA or Yuwu, you've probably already done some reading on this. Very broad 76 explanation of it is here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hun_and_po

"Mn." Zong Zixiao leaned against his dage's arms, a little sleepy. "What's the  City God like? In the netherworld, are there really that many generals? Dage,  have you ever been to the netherworld?" 

"The City God is not one person, but an official position. Every place has a local  City God. In fact, Dage has been to the underworld. I have been to Luofeng  Mountain, which is in the netherworld, but there is a boundary between yin and  yang. The living cannot see the dead." 

"Then one day when we die, can we meet again in the netherworld?" 

Zong Ziheng chuckled. "It's very unlucky to mention anything about dying or not  dying." 

"Because, when a person dies, the living won't be able to see him, but I always  want to see my Dage. No matter in the world or in the netherworld, I want to be  with my Dage forever." 

Zong Ziheng felt warm in his heart and rubbed his face against Zong Zixiao's.  "Dage also wants to be with Xiao Jiu forever, but when you die, you have to  drink Meng Po soup before reincarnation. If you drink Meng Po soup, you 77 won't remember anything in the next life. So when people are alive, we should  cherish it and after death, conform to destiny." 

"Then I won't drink it. I won't drink it even if I die." Zong Zixiao thought that he  was going to drink like he was already dead, and changed his words. "I won't  drink it. I don't want to forget Dage. Dage, don't drink it either. When I'm  reincarnated, I'll go to you. We'll still be brothers." 

Zong Ziheng was amused by this childlike talk. 

"I'm telling the truth. Promise me, Dage. We will not drink Meng Po soup." Zong  Zixiao was very serious about this matter. He needed to get a promise from  Zong Ziheng. 

Zong Ziheng said with infinite warmth, "Okay, I promise you. We both won't  drink it, and in the next life, you'll come back to annoy me to death. " 78 

 Meng Po (or Granny Meng) is a deity in Chinese mythology. Her soup makes people forget 77 their past lives before they reincarnate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meng_Po 

78 Heh, looks like only one of you kept that promise

"Hmph, maybe in the next life, it will be me as your Dage. No, I'll be your father." 

"It's the other way around." Zong Ziheng tickled Zong Zixiao, which led to a  burst of crying and laughing.  

—— 

At midnight, Zong Zixiao had fallen asleep on top of Zong Ziheng when he was  suddenly shaken awake. 

"Look, Xiao Jiu," Zong Ziheng said quietly. 

A glimmer of fire reflected in the bottom of Zong Zixiao's eyes. It was the spirit attracting talisman! He jumped up suddenly, looking around nervously and  excitedly. "Where is it? Where is it?" 

"Settle down." 

Zong Zixiao took a deep breath and spread his spiritual power to search for  ghostly resentment in every direction. However, his cultivation was still shallow,  and he had never been in actual combat. After a long time concentrating, he still  couldn't find it. 

"Follow me." Zong Ziheng drew his sword and swept off southwest. 

The ghost of Gutuo Mountain had been haunting the local area for a year. It  specialized in digging into people's intestines and at least six or seven people  had been injured. However, this place was located at the junction of Chunyang  Sect and Wuyun Sect. These two sects were always at odds, and neither one  was willing to manage the matter here, leading to the ghost becoming more and  more powerful. 

Zong Zixiao followed his older brother, while Huang Hong and Huang Wu  protected him from behind. 

Although said to be under Emperor Zong, the territory of Jiuzhou was vast.  Every place was already guarded by a local immortal clan or sect. The people  paid taxes for the protection of the cultivators, and each clan had to pay tribute  to the Zong clan. However, the people in remote, poor, or places caught in  between different forces were often ignored because of the lack of taxes and  suffered from demons and ghosts.