After Xia Qing said this, he immediately regretted it, closed his mouth, and immersed himself in regret, wondering if he was being foolish.
Fortunately, Lou Guan Xue didn’t pay attention to him either. Upon hearing this, he just glanced at him indifferently. His complexion was even paler than before, and his eyes seemed to carry a hint of sinister redness. Perhaps influenced by Wen Jiao, the suppressed violence within him became even stronger, as if it could burst through his flesh and blood at any moment like boiling magma.
“Are you okay?” After all, the thoughts just now were heard by others.
Xia Qing had thin skin, and he appropriately showed some concern to change the subject.
Lou Guan Xue didn’t answer, and asked him word by word like cutting ice and breaking jade, “Fairy?”
Xia Qing gritted his teeth, “Uh, ‘fairy’ is a term we use to praise someone’s beauty and power. Both men and women like to be called by this title.”
Lou Guan Xue stared at him, and smiled faintly without any emotion.
Xia Qing felt like he was being paralyzed.
As if things weren’t bad enough, when they returned to the bedroom, they found someone lying on the bed—it was unexpectedly the guard who smiled at him a few days ago.
The burly figure covered in muscles and chest hair was covered with a thin shirt, with limbs tied up, apparently drugged. The honest face was flushed, and the eyes were watery, looking at Lou Guan Xue in confusion and moaning.
“…”
Xia Qing was shocked.
What the hell!
He felt his scalp tingle at the sight of this “handsome man on the bed.”
And Lou Guan Xue lived up to his reputation. His demeanor was cold and indifferent, unaffected by the situation. He even casually walked in and lit the lamp first.
Xia Qing stuttered, “I-I-I can explain, this is Zhang Shan…”
Lou Guan Xue coldly interrupted, “You have desires, keep them to yourself, don’t use my body.”
“?” Xia Qing was speechless, wide-eyed and tongue-tied. “How can you blame me for having desires? He just smiled at me, and I made a comment. Zhang Shan is the one who put him on the bed! How is this my fault?!”
Perhaps Lou Guan Xue was truly in a bad mood tonight. He lowered his gaze without saying a word.
His lips tightened, coupled with his paleness, he inexplicably gave off a fragile feeling like glass.
Xia Qing awkwardly said, “I’ll handle this matter, you rest well.”
Lou Guan Xue remained silent, lit the lamp, and looked at him sideways in the bright light. His black eyes were as cold as a deep pool, and after a long time, he said lightly, “You’ve always said my reputation is bad, now thanks to you, I have another label as a homosexual.”
He cast a quick glance at the bed and observed the guard entangled in female attire, contorting in the grip of the drug. A hint of mocking smile appeared on his lips again. “Oh, and a pervert.”
Xia Qing: “…” As if you’re not twisted enough on a regular day!!!
The first thing he did when he got on Lou Guan Xue’s body was to rush out to find Zhang Shan to settle the score.
Facing Zhang Shan’s smiling face as if he were about to boast, Xia Qing was truly at a loss for words. He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger, “Next time you put someone in my bed, I’ll kill you!”
“Ah? Your, your Majesty…” Zhang Shan’s face turned pale, like a withered leaf in the cold wind, about to kneel down to apologize and beg for mercy again.
Xia Qing already had a physical aversion to him, so he just wanted him gone. “Get lost, get lost, get lost.”
With such an episode, it’s hard to say whose reputation is worse between the two of them.
The incident with Wen Jiao made Xia Qing feel that Lou Guan Xue was really a bit twisted, and he couldn’t help but sneer. But now, with a guard tied to the bed, his reputation probably wasn’t much better!
Zhang Shan, you’ve caused me a lot of trouble!
So Xia Qing tacitly treated it as if nothing had happened tonight.
At night, Xia Qing didn’t like to enter Lou Guan Xue’s body because it was too painful and cold, and he couldn’t sleep well. It was easier for him to sleep alone like a lonely ghost.
Upon careful calculation, it had been more than ten days since they came out of the Zhai Xing Tower, but he hadn’t left the palace once. However, these days, there was a lot of commotion in Ling Guang—mainly two things, the selection of concubines and the demon-slaying at the pagoda.
The selection of concubines was a blatant competition among aristocratic families, while the demon-slaying at the pagoda attracted Taoist from all over the world.
The streets and markets should be bustling.
Actually, Xia Qing was quite curious about Ling Quang.
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.
As the capital of the first country under the peaceful and prosperous reign, Ling Quang must be extremely prosperous, “With countless buildings leaning against the sky, the scale of the sacred era seems to have taken shape”
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Obe Xejc Wef qjerfv jcv gfqilfv, “Vbbc.”
Wlj Hlcu: “Let?”
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After such a long time, no matter how slow he was, he still realized that what Lou Guan Xue said at the beginning was probably half true and half false. He wasn’t afraid of Yan Lan Yu. After all, he didn’t even care about the Regent. He should just have a very weak soul and want to leave this body to rest.
“Why would a person’s soul be weakened to this extent?” Xia Qing wondered.
A curse on the soul? Who gave it to him?
It seemed that Lou Guan Xue wasn’t sleeping peacefully either.
His black hair spread out on the pillow, his face pale and transparent, his lips crimson, and his brows exuded a sinister aura.
Xia Qing dared not share the bed with him, so he decided to sleep on the desk.
But for some reason, he found it hard to fall asleep, tossing and turning, unable to rest.
This is tough. I can’t sleep.
Insomnia was a strange phenomenon for Xia Qing.
From a young age, he had lived a life of carefree ease. Untroubled by worries and possessing an uncanny ability to forgive and forget, he held few grudges or lingering thoughts. Blessed with the gift of deep, uninterrupted sleep, he had always drifted off to slumber the moment his head hit the pillow.
Xia Qing carefully pondered, and the root of all evil came from the fragrance emitted by Wen Jiao. It was a scent of icy desolation, captivating and soul-stirring, like a flower growing at the bottom of a deep abyss, one glance evoking a myriad of sorrows.
His mind was now completely filled with that scent.
There wasn’t much for Xia Qing to be sad about, so he let his thoughts wander, thinking about this miserable experience of being duped by the system after death.
It had to be said that although Lou Guan Xue was the person he interacted with the most, he still couldn’t figure him out.
He couldn’t understand what Lou Guan Xue was thinking, nor could he understand what he wanted to do. Lou Guan Xue spent most of his time either reading or painting. The books were filled with unfamiliar characters, and the paintings were filled with eerie symbols.
Within the imperial palace, dark currents surged, and on the court, power struggles played out in intricate deceit. Yet, he sat high and aloof upon the golden throne, watching it all unfold with indifference.
After thinking for a while, Xia Qing finally felt drowsy, his eyelids fighting, and he drifted off to sleep.
Perhaps influenced by that fragrance, Xia Qing actually had a dream this time.
He dreamed of a vast sea.
The sky was high and vast, a cerulean expanse, while white gulls soared overhead, their cries echoing clear as they swept past, carrying on their wings the briny sea breeze mingled with the scent of the tide. Upon the vast expanse of the sea lay an island, shrouded in ethereal mist, where the lingering rain had just ceased to fall. The distant mountains exuded an aura of emerald coolness, and the voice of an old man resonated between the mountains and the sea. His words were indistinct and muffled, but the memory of him speaking of a sword remained.
The name of the sword was “Ananda.”
Ananda, a name that seemed to endure hardships and difficulties, yet its meaning was “joy “.
Before he could finish his complaint, Xia Qing was awakened.
Something cold and urgent was hitting his face, patting it fiercely and forcefully, making his face sore.
Xia Qing opened his eyes very unhappily, his light brown eyes full of anger, and he lifted his head with a cold and icy expression of “are you asking for death”, only to see a supernatural event!
The thing hitting him—was that flute?!
It was floating in the air, spinning frantically, crazily poking his face with its tip.
Damn it, Lou Guan Xue, your flute has become sentient, do you know that?!
Xia Qing was completely confused.
It continued to dart toward his face.
Unable to bear it any longer, Xia Qing grabbed it. “That’s enough, stop it!”
The bone flute quieted down obediently, lying horizontally in front of him, revealing a hint of “grievance.”
Xia Qing’s anger subsided quickly, and now he was full of curiosity about this “sentient flute.” Sitting cross-legged, he sat up, his eyes shining with excitement as he asked, “Are you a monster? Can you speak like me?”
However, this miserable thing was just like its owner, with the same attitude.
Ignoring him, but being held by him, it took the lead and moved in a straight direction.
“Darn it, where are you taking me—”
Xia Qing’s words came to a sudden halt.
…Because the bone flute led him to the bedside of Lou Guan Xue.
At that moment, Xia Qing was stunned, never having seen such a strange scene before.
He saw the evil aura between Lou Guan Xue’s brows completely disperse, the blood-red light and the black mist surging coldly, layer upon layer, like a cage and shackles, trapping him inside.
The bone flute seemed to want to rush in to save the person, but before it could get close, it was entangled by a wisp of demonic energy that resembled clouds and vines. Then, the entire flute trembled in fear and whimpered into Xia Qing’s arms..
Xia Qing: “…” You weren’t this obedient when Lou Guan Xue threatened me with you.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Xia Qing held the flute, standing in front of the bed at a loss.
The bone flute rubbed against his clothes and then floated out, writing a word in Xia Qing’s palm.
“Barrier.”
Xia Qing was even more confused. “Barrier? What’s that supposed to mean?”
The bone flute wrote again.
“Curse, trapped, save.”
Trembling and full of pitiful grievances and pleas.
Xia Qing pondered, “Are you saying Lou Guan Xue is cursed, trapped by a barrier, and needs me to save him?”
The bone flute pitifully rubbed against his finger.
Xia Qing observed this miserable thing. But to be fair, when people were in a strange place, they were most likely to soften their hearts towards their longest companions. After some thought, he asked the flute, “How do I save him?”
The bone flute said, “Break the barrier.”
Xia Qing rolled his eyes. “Obviously, I know I have to break the barrier. And don’t call it a ‘barrier,’ use a word I can understand, I guess it’s a demonic possessions.” Wicked deeds will have consequences.
The bone flute seemed to want to retort, but it was discouraged by its poor linguistic abilities and closed its mouth.
Its tip rubbed against Xia Qing’s finger, leading him forward.
Xia Qing was really curious. “Who exactly is Lou Guan Xue? When I possessed him, I didn’t feel any different from a mortal. But now all these demonic possessions have occurred.”
Those black demonic barriers were like intertwining iron chains and thorns.
The demonic bloodlight pierced into the deepest desires of people.
But Xia Qing’s eyes remained clean and pure even after being bathed in the red light.
“Alright, alright, don’t rush me, I’ll go in now.”
The demonic barrier excluded all physical objects.
But he was a soul.
As Xia Qing entered, he couldn’t help but think, was he really sent by the heavens to save Lou Guan Xue?!
Did Lou Guan Xue plan to use him from the beginning?!
But that doesn’t make sense. With their current allied relationship, he wouldn’t refuse if Lou Guan Xue mentioned it in advance.
Did Lou Guan Xue not expect the backlash to be so severe?
He was lost in thought, and as he entered the realm of the demonic possession, everything spun around him, and he felt a bit dizzy.
In fact, for anyone else, the feeling upon entering would be more than just dizziness. The demonic light could awaken the madness of love, hatred, and endless desires buried deep in one’s heart, overwhelming one with the torment of torn souls, unbearable pain.
Xia Qing’s reaction was abnormal.
“Entered so easily?”
He hadn’t had time to feel smug when, the next moment, his footsteps faltered, and he fell downward.
What the heck?!
Xia Qing plummeted straight down, seeing stars in his eyes, and the sound of wind rushing past his ears.
He landed with a thud on the ground, holding his head in pain. When he opened his eyes in annoyance, he realized he had landed in a palace.
The palace was vast, but the roof was dilapidated, the curtains were yellowed, giving it a desolate and rundown appearance.
It was probably nighttime outside. A beam of moonlight shone through the window, forming frost on the ground. Inside, a dim yellow light illuminated the room.
Xia Qing looked around, and the curse words he hadn’t uttered yet got stuck in his throat.
Because he saw the back of a woman.
Her black hair trailed on the ground like a gorgeous brocade.
The woman sat at the table, seemingly reading, her voice accompanied by the faint candlelight, exceptionally gentle. Her fingers traced over the pages, word by word.
“Gathering wild pea, gathering wild pea, the wild pea ceases to grow.
Said to return, said to return, but the years never cease.
No room, no home, because of the Xianyun
No time to rest, because of the Xianyun.”
When she recited the poem, her voice was soft and gentle, giving rise to tenderness.
Afraid of being discovered, Xia Qing stealthily crawled under the bed.
Raising his gaze, he could see the woman’s face more clearly.
He saw her silky hands and cascading long hair.
The woman turned a page and continued reading.
“Gathering wild pea, gathering wild pea, the wild pea is also soft.
Said to return, said to return, but my heart ceases to be at peace.
Worried and intense, carrying hunger and thirst.
My post is not yet set, so there is no way to send home the message .”
A childish yet cold voice interrupted her.
“What does ‘wild pea’ mean?”
The woman paused for a moment, then smiled, supporting her chin as she thought for a moment. “Wild pea? It’s said to be a type of vegetable seedling.”
“Oh.” The boy replied dryly.
The woman reached out her arms and hugged the little boy, smiling, “Well, it reminds me of another type of flower.”
The boy seemed very resistant, but couldn’t break free.
The woman placed the book on the table, her voice calm and gentle, her smile still there, as if truly a scene of maternal love and filial piety.
“That flower is called Lingwei.”
Unable to escape, the boy could only purse his lips coldly.
The woman continued, “After a merfolk dies, their body will decay and turn into water, growing into a Lingwei flower. The life and death of the merfolk are linked. According to legend, only those who died on the mound can enter reincarnation and be reborn.”
“At the end of the Sea of Heaven is the Abyss of Myriad Tombs, the place of death and birth for the merfolk. The mounds are covered with Lingwei flowers.”
In the dim candlelight, the woman’s profile carried a hint of blurry tenderness as she spoke quietly, with a tone of nostalgia.
“Every year on the fifth day of the third month, during the Jingzhe, the Lingwei flowers emit a nocturnal glow on the sea mounds. Those merfolk who are lost due to storms can find their way home by following the light, and the elderly who are dying in despair can find peace by following the light. So, among the merfolk, Lingwei has another name, ‘Guiding Light for Departed Souls.'”
Thanks for the chapter!
Really mysterious creatures
Thank you for your translation and Happy May for everyone 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛
LMAO that poor guard hope we see him in the future again
Thanks for the chapter!