“A-Tian, I hear that you’re no longer in the sect?”
The transmission came through rather suddenly and had completely caught Wu Lingtian off guard. He, who had been making his way over to the jewelry shop, abruptly stopped by an alley and looked at the ring around his middle finger. After finding out where Fan Yi’s voice had come from, Wu Lingtian let out a soft huff, and replied.
“I was to look over the disciples’ semiannual assessment,” Wu Lingtian said. “Why are you suddenly contacting me? Did Ren-jie and Third Pillar say something?”
Fan Yi’s chuckle sounded from the other end. “Before I left, you were so worried, but now that we’ve parted ways, you’re quite cold.”
Wu Lingtian’s heart thumped hard against his chest. “You surprised me is all. And I still have a bone to pick with you.”
“Which is?”
Fan Yi’s voice was soft and carried a hint of indulgence. Wu Lingtian ignored the way his heart skipped a few beats and continued his train of thought, “How could you tell them that I’m not fit to handle sect duties?”
“Isn’t it true? You’re not supposed to be overly stressed,” Fan Yi said. “The fact that you’re out now means that Second and Third Pillar failed to follow my orders.”
“They are merely sect duties,” Wu Lingtian said. “It’s not as if I was traveling out every day to see Li Ran or to speak with other people. Because of this, Ren-jie and Third Pillar was so overwhelmed that no one had time to oversee the disciples’ semiannual assessment. Since I was the freest, naturally I would be the one to go.”
“It’s how they misconstrued my words. How am I to blame?” Fan Yi asked with a soft whine to his voice. “However, overseeing the disciples’ semiannual assessment is significantly less stressful than tending to sect duties.”
“Then, why did contact me?”
“I was also told that you not only graciously accepted this mundane task, but also decided to take care of handful of missions on the way.”
“…It’s only two.”
“A-Tian,” Fan Yi’s voice was filled with a sweet smile, but Wu Lingtian sensed Fan Yi’s displeasure, “Your cultivation base was affected and you’re prone to fainting spells. Not having a soul bound sword is fine, but the one in your possession is the Rui Sword. In your current state, taking on two missions is already overkill.”
“…It seems Third Pillar has told you everything.”
“A-Tian.”
“I’m fine,” Wu Lingtian said. “I know my limits.”
“You know how to push your limits, not to actively avoid them,” Fan Yi said. After a beat of silence, he spoke again, “Where are you right now?”
“Are you going to come over?” Wu Lingtian asked.
“I would like to.”
“There’s no need,” Wu Lingtian said, his index finger scratching along the scabbard of the Rui Sword. “You have your own business to take care of. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
“You are my business,” Fan Yi said. “Where are you?”
Wu Lingtian pursed his lips. His grip on the Rui Sword tightened and he heard a scoff in his head that didn’t belong to him. He ignored the Rui Sword’s judgement and tried to quickly compose himself.
“Sect Leader, I don’t want to be your burden,” Wu Lingtian said softly. “How about this? If I feel that something is off, then I will contact you.”
“By the time you’ve contacted me, I’m afraid I will have to get ready to watch over your comatose body again,” Fan Yi said jokingly.
“We have the rings, don’t we?” Wu Lingtian said. “The rings were for me, but Sect Leader can also use them.”
“…Fine. Tell me where you are at least, so I know where I must go to find you.”
“I’m at Zhao Village,” Wu Lingtian said.
Fan Yi let out a hum. “If I go there now, the two of us could see the Edge of the World together.”
The flirtatious tone to Fan Yi’s voice ended Wu Lingtian’s patience. He clenched his jaw and felt his face go completely red. He let out a sigh. “Sect Leader, you’re harassing your subordinate again.”
“How could that be? I also want to be with A-Tian for eternity. It’s quite a nice sentiment, don’t you think? Or do you not want to spend eternity with me?”
Wu Lingtian felt the Rui Sword trembling in his tight grip. He knew the sword wanted to escape to cause trouble, so he quickly tightened his grip further.
“A promised eternity should only be for your cultivation partner,” Wu Lingtian said seriously.
Fan Yi was silent. Wu Lingtian wondered if he had taken it too far when he heard a soft chuckle on the other end. “We’re already halfway there, what’s wrong with taking it another step?”
He sighed. “But I know, I know. Your heart has already been taken by another. If not, I wouldn’t mind having you as a nominal cultivation partner.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Is he pretending to be a fool, or is he actually this foolish? With how high your desire to possess him is, he should thank whatever gods or buddhas are out there that you have such a tight rein on your emotions.”
Qe Olcualjc lucbgfv atf Eel Vkbgv. “Pa kbeiv yf ws ugfjafra tbcbg ab yf Vfma Ofjvfg’r meialnjalbc qjgacfg.”
The Rui Sword froze before clattering loudly again. “Ballsy! He’s got to understand it with this right?!”
Lbkfnfg, Mjc Tl’r gfrqbcrf vlrjqqblcafv atf Eel Vkbgv. Qlat j mtffgoei ijeut, Mjc Tl rjlv, “C-Kljc, sbe’gf regf oliifv klat rkffa kbgvr, jgfc’a sbe?”
Qe Olcualjc ibkfgfv tlr ujhf, yea lcrafjv bo ogeragjalbc atfgf kjr j rwjii rwlif bc tlr ilqr. “Cr ibcu jr la wjxfr sbe tjqqs.”
Fan Yi’s laughed louder. “Silly child. Ah, I can’t talk for much longer. But you—make sure to contact me and keep me updated with your condition. If anything feels off or I feel like you’re lying, I’m heading straight over. I don’t want you to fall into a coma with no one there by your side.”
Wu Lingtian’s smile grew. “Okay.”
“I’m ending it now.”
“Mn.”
The alleyway fell silent with the end of this transmission. Wu Lingtian rubbed his thumb over the ring and felt the warmth that penetrated his skin. His smile turned into a grin and he left the alley to continue to the jewelry shop.
“…You’re actually psychotic, aren’t you? You’re actually not mentally well in the brain, right?”
Wu Lingtian smiled a tight-lipped smile, but didn’t respond in the growing crowd.
“You—let me down! Go back to the alley and let me down!”
“Will you transform with clothes on?” Wu Lingtian asked quietly.
“Yes, yes, I will! Now hurry up! Stinky little brat!”
Wu Lingtian ignored the Rui Sword’s rudeness and did as he was commanded. He released the Rui sword and, a moment later, the levitating sword transformed into a handsome teenager with inky locks and golden eyes. He wore an arrow-sleeved martial arts outfit that was the same shade of black as his scabbard. Faint gold embroidery was intertwined in the darkness, forming the same type of pattern that ran up and down his scabbard.
The Rui Sword glared at Wu Lingtian. “If that Fan Yi isn’t an idiot, then that was an obvious rejection! Why are you still laughing and smiling? You’re crazy!”
Wu Lingtian turned and exited the alleyway with the teenager following him. “What should I call you in your human form?”
“…Just call me Rui Sword, why are you trying to think of another name?”
“You’re a human right now, not a sword.”
The Rui Sword rolled his eyes to the heavens.
“I’ll call you Rui Jian,” Wu Lingtian said.
“…It sounds the exact same.”
“If anyone asks for the characters, it’ll be different,” Wu Lingtian said.
“…You’re really…one of the dumbest humans I’ve ever met,” Rui Jian stared at Wu Lingtian’s profile in great contemplation. “I knew your love was one-sided, but I didn’t realize you got rejected! Not only that, you’ve come up with such a stupid name.”
“I’ve never been a scholar,” Wu Lingtian said.
“This isn’t even about that!” Rui Jian was hopping about as he spoke. “I’m talking about your situation with Fan Yi!”
“You can talk down to me, but Sect Leader is your elder. You should do well to show a bit more respect,” Wu Lingtian said with a slight glance Rui Jian’s way.
“Respect? Why? He’s not my kind and he’s not my master. There’s no reason for me to show respect,” Rui Jian scoffed. “And you’re changing the subject again!”
“Sect Leader is very clear on his likes and dislikes,” Wu Lingtian said. “I’ve made my feeling towards him clear, so if he truly felt another way about me, he would have already told me so.”
“…What if he doesn’t realize? Or he’s just someone who likes to string others along?”
Wu Lingtian felt the ring around his finger. “He isn’t. He must have another reason for playing dumb each time I say something.”
Rui Jian stared at Wu Lingtian. “Not only are you stupid, you’re also a hopeless romantic. My goodness, you’re helpless.”
Wu Lingtian placed his hand on Rui Jian’s head and gave his already messy hair a tussle. “If you’re going to stay in human form, don’t say anything while I gather information.”
Rui Jian swatted Wu Lingtian’s hand away, his own hands landing to cover the top of his head. “Don’t touch my head! What’s wrong with you?!”
A soft sigh left Wu Lingtian’s lips, but he said nothing else as he stepped into the jeweler’s store.
Inside the shop was a middle-aged man. He was dressed in robes finer than others in this town, but it wasn’t comparable to what the city folk would wear. His hair, which was already gathering a bit of white, was pulled back into a topknot. He stood rather absentmindedly behind the counter until he heard the footsteps of a new guest. As if mustering up his energy, the man took a deep breath before rounding the counter to greet Wu Lingtian.
“Is your surname Huang?” Wu Lingtian asked before the man could say his usual greeting.
The man surnamed Huang stopped and looked at Wu Lingtian, then to Ruan Jian, with a hint of confusion. “Yes, that’s me. May I ask what this Lord is here for?”
“I was told that something has happened to your daughter, sir,” Wu Lingtian said. He cupped his hands together and bowed. “I’m a cultivator. My surname is Wu, name Lingtian. This is my shidi, Rui Jian.”
The shopkeeper looked between the two men with growing surprise. The surprise, however, quickly became distorted. The shopkeeper flew forward and tightly gripped Wu Lingtian’s hand, his eyes widening as he tremblingly spoke, “Cultivator—Oh, Lord Immortal! Please—please save my daughter!”
“He just said that’s what he’s here to do,” Rui Jian mumbled.
“Rui Jian.”
Rui Jian rolled his eyes.
“Sir, please calm down,” Wu Lingtian pulled his hands from the other man and helped him to sit down at stool. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to cure your daughter, but I would at least like to solve the mystery of the forest.”
The shopkeeper nodded emphatically. “Yes! Yes, of course. I…to be honest, I hadn’t harbored much hope that she would recover. Even now, if you can’t save her…I…I would understand. But the forest! Oh, Lord Immortal, if you could figure out what is wrong with that dastardly forest, it would do our whole village a big favor!”
Wu Lingtian pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to the weeping man. “If you don’t mind, I would like to meet with your daughter. Would that be possible?”
“Of course! Of course!”
The shopkeeper stood and gestured for Wu Lingtian and Rui Jian to follow him.
Rui Jian glanced around as they followed the hurried shopkeeper back to his residence. There was little of note, especially when they were simply walking to the back of the shop. After another few minutes, the shopkeeper had arrived at a room. He wiped away his tears and raised a hand to knock on the door.
“Daughter, it’s your father. I’ve brought a cultivator here to see you.”
There was no answer.
The shopkeeper let out a soft sigh. He smiled dejectedly at Wu Lingtian and Rui Jian before pushing the door open.
The room was neither too big nor too small. It was well furnished with things girls her age might have liked. Everything was neatly arranged, from the shelves of books, to the desks of drawings. By the windowsill sat some unfinished embroidery and on the tea table was a dog-eared book.
However, despite the signs of living, the girl sat woodenly in her bed, staring ahead, without even looking at them when they walked in.
Rui Jian paused. His brows furrowed as the shopkeeper closed the door behind them. He glanced about and looked at the girl again before following Wu Lingtian and the shopkeeper into the inner room.
“This is my beloved daughter, Shanshan,” the shopkeeper said. He sat down beside her and took his hand in hers. “Daughter, Father has come to see you again.”
Huang Shanshan remained silent as if she didn’t even hear him.
Wu Lingtian stepped forward. “May I?”
The shopkeeper stood and stepped aside for Wu Lingtian. Wu Lingtian moved Huang Shanshan’s arm so that her wrist faced up. He gently pressed two fingers down to feel her pulse. Very carefully, Wu Lingtian sent a sliver of his spiritual energy to feel out the patient.
A regular mortal was different from a cultivator. Their meridians were naturally thinner, making it harder for spiritual energy to move through. That was a big reason why they could not cultivate. Now, Wu Lingtian had to be careful as he guided his spiritual energy through, so as not to disturb the balance within Huang Shanshan.
After a moment, he sat back and looked at the girl. He stood and leaned into her field of vision. Her eyes were unfocused and her expression was like that of a wooden doll. Wu Lingtian reached out and carefully forced her mouth open. He bent closer and took a small sniff before withdrawing and stepping back.
He turned to the shopkeeper. “Could you show me to where the forest is?”
The shopkeeper, seeing Wu Lingtian’s lukewarm response, tried to suppress the sorrow in his heart. He nodded, “I can tell my servant boy to guide you. Unfortunately, it is inconvenient for me to leave at the moment.”
“Of course. Thank you, Mr. Huang.”
Wu Lingtian and Rui Jian remained silent as the somber servant boy led them to the forest path so many people had taken before. When they reached it, neither Wu Lingtian nor Rui Jian could feel that there was anything strange about this place. Wu Lingtian looked around before turning to the servant boy.
“Is this the only way to the Edge of the World?” Wu Lingtian asked.
“Yes, Lord Immortal,” the boy bowed his head before he spoke. “This is the safest route.”
“What about the other routes?” Rui Jian asked.
“The other routes are far too mountainous. The point of going to Edge of the World is to go with one’s beloved. If you were to take the other paths, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be as romantic,” the boy explained.
Rui Jian looked at the relatively clean path and nodded. Most hikes weren’t a simple walk, after all.
“Thank you. There is nothing else we will need.”
The boy bowed again and left, leaving Wu Lingtian and Rui Jian at the mouth of the forest.
“Hey, lover boy, I think you’d best call out your lover,” Rui Jian said.
Wu Lingtian looked to him. “Why’s that?”
“That room back there…my hair started standing on end as soon as I stepped in. And that woman—didn’t you notice how strange she was? Part of her soul was completely gone,” Rui Jian said.
Wu Lingtian nodded. “So, you noticed too.”
The reason Wu Lingtian hadn’t clapped his chest and reassured the shopkeeper that he would be able to make his daughter normal again was because it was unlikely he would be able to.
Huang Shanshan was already missing her hun.
A soul was made of 3 hun and 7 po. Once a person dies, the 3 hun would leave the body, while the 7 po would remain within the corpse. The infection of the po was what caused the phenomenon of living corpses. Normally, when the hun leaves the po will remain and eventually dissolve with the human body. However, if the po happens to be tainted by resentful or demonic energy, the corpse come to life and will be able to move about. More often than not, this corpse was not sentient and would be easily exterminated.
When a person suffers an unnatural death, it would be easy to summon their hun back as long as their po was around. The tricky thing was when hun and po were both missing or destroyed, leaving basically a death without even a witness.
This was where things became strange.
Since Huang Shanshan’s hun was gone, Wu Lingtian should be able to summon it back since her po was still intact. But he couldn’t do that. Not because the po was destroyed or her hun was untraceable, but because Huang Shanshan wasn’t actually dead yet. Without being dead, how could Wu Lingtian perform a ritual for the deceased?
“But how can someone still be alive like that?” Rui Jian shuddered.
“It’s a strange technique, but it’s not undoable,” Wu Lingtian said.
“Do you know how?” Rui Jian looked at him, wide-eyed.
Wu Lingtian shook his head. “I do not, but I feel like I’ve heard of it.”
“…Have you or have you not then?”
“I’m not sure.”
“How can you be not sure?” Rui Jian raised a brow. “If it’s something as strange as this, I feel like you should be able to remember!”
Wu Lingtian felt a bit sheepish for the first time in his life. He appeared a bit helpless as he spoke, “But I really am unsure.”
Rui Jian sighed and shook his head. “Anyway, I still think it’d be better safe than sorry for you to call your Sect Leader.”
Wu Lingtian mulled over Rui Jian’s suggestion. In his heart, he knew that Rui Jian was right, but at the same time, he felt a bit reluctant to call over Fan Yi. After all, Fan Yi was attending to his own business.
“Don’t you miss him?” Rui Jian negged him. “Hasn’t it been a month since the two of you last saw each other?”
“It hasn’t even been a month,” Wu Lingtian said.
It had been a little over three weeks.
“Safety first,” Rui Jian continued. “I may be here, but you’ll need me to be your sword, don’t you? If I’m in sword form to help you fight, I’ll be powerless if anything actually ends up happening to you.”
Wu Lingtian fiddled with his ring. He glanced at Rui Jian and found that, for once, the artifact was actually being quite sincere. And Wu Lingtian was well aware of his own situation. If, for some reason, something were to set him off, he really would faint for an hour or even a day. At that time, who was supposed to save him? And in the worst case scenario, if what was behind this a powerful demon, would the Rui Sword be able to defend them by himself?
A soft sigh left Wu Lingtian’s lips.
While mourning the fact that he had turned from a hero to a damsel in distress, Wu Lingtian reluctantly connected a call through to Fan Yi again.
He waited in silence until the ring let off a gentle, warm glow.
A soft, barely audible chuckle entered Wu Lingtian’s ears.
“Do you need me?”
We’ve caught up with all the posted chapters from other sites! From today on, updates will be posted on Fridays at around 3:00PM GMT 8+ (I need time to edit, you see–)
Rui Jian conversation is quite honest now that he’s done tempting Wu Lingtian
Tian tian: Yessss~~ need, need * nodding*
fan yi is always needed for out little tiantian
❤❤❤
No need to be condescending about it, Fan Yi! I don’t know why, but I thought Bai Qiu might actually be more knowledgeable about this.
Rui Jian saying what i’m thinking ‘:D i have decided: we are comrades alxbskxbsk
Thank you so much 😊