Along the banks of the moat, wine houses and tea shops stood in a jumbled pattern, their golden dust and fragrant mist swirling in the wind.
The moon, like a crescent hook, cast its silvery glow upon this bustling street, its lights ablaze like crimson rouge. Luxurious carriages and fragrant boats paraded by, while the sounds of singing birds and chattering swallows echoed from the painted lofts.
“…”
If it weren’t for the fact that he couldn’t leave Lou Guan Xue, Xia Qing would have wanted to jump out of the carriage and run away by now.
The carriage stopped in front of the largest building by the riverbank. Lou Guan Xue put on the mask from last time and held the bone flute in his hand. His robe swept gracefully as he got out of the carriage. He changed into a pure black robe with gold embroidered edges and silver accessories at his waist, looking every bit the noble young master.
Xia Qing looked complicated. “Do we really come here?”
Lou Guan Xue looked at his sullen and bewildered face, thought for a moment, and said, “If you don’t wish to accompany me inside, then feel free to wander around on your own.”
Xia Qing clenched his teeth. “…How am I supposed to wander around by myself! I wish I could! But I can’t leave you!”
Lou Guan Xue glanced at him. “Give me your hand.”
Xia Qing glared at him, but as he extended his hand, he observed Lou Guan Xue take out a red string with a relic tied to it from his sleeve.
The relic, green in hue, seemed freshly extracted from ashes, surrounded by a layer of charred black.
As Lou Guan Xue tied the red string around Xia Qing’s hand, Xia Qing felt as though his skin and flesh were being seared alive by blazing fire.
“What is this thing?!” He winced in pain, swiftly attempting to shake it off, aiming to break free. However, Lou Guan Xue restrained his hand, commanding in a cold tone, “Stay still.”
Xia Qing gritted his teeth and stood still obediently.
The moment the red string was secured, he felt as if his soul is about to be burned through by the relic!
“What’s the purpose of tying this on me?” Xia Qing attempted to manipulate the relic with his hand. However, when his gaze fell on his own hand, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh my gosh!”
The sound startled the boatmen on the lake.
With a splash, the bamboo poles parted the calm water, and the boatman looked over in bewilderment.
Xia Qing was bewildered himself. Meeting the boatman’s gaze and confirming he was indeed alive, he hastily jumped off the carriage and stood firmly on the ground.
“Is this what you said could help me come back to life?” he asked.
Lou Guan Xue glanced at his face for a few seconds and casually responded, “Yes.”
Xia Qing: “… “Unbelievable!!!
Xia Qing stood amidst the most bustling night market of Ling Guang City, his light brown eyes widening in astonishment. His black hair swayed in the wind, revealing his fair skin.
Lou Guan Xue lightly pushed aside his messy hair with the bone flute, his peach blossom eyes deep and unpredictable. He smiled faintly and said casually, “You can leave now if you want.”
Xia Qing: “…”
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.
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Obe Xejc Wef mtemxifv ilutais, “Lww, jigluta.”
Pcvffv, Obe Xejc Wef vlvc’a mbwf tfgf rffxlcu fzmlafwfca ja jii.
He suppressed his smile, his face as cold as ice, beneath the mask revealing a nose as sharp as a jade mountain and lips as enchanting as watercolor. Draped in the bustling red dust, he headed towards the brothel.
Xia Qing was left behind by him alone and remained stunned for quite a while.
After the cold wind raised goosebumps on his skin, he hurriedly rushed to the edge of the moat, squatting down to see his current face reflecting in the shimmering water.
This face was somewhat similar to modern times but had many differences in subtle details.
The features were delicate, akin to the colors of spring dawn.
For the first time in his life, Xia Qing observed himself quietly. His fingers traced over the surface of the water, landing on his brow, speechless: “You promised not to rush me, but ended up taking action directly?” Truly, it’s just like you.
After becoming human, he felt lost for a moment.
If someone had given him a body a month ago, he would have definitely left without hesitation, not even bothering to look back.
Now, however, he felt that, despite the vastness of the world… there was nowhere to go.
Xia Qing remained stunned for a moment, then stood up after receiving many curious glances from passing boatmen.
Forget it.
He stopped thinking, feeling hungry. It’s better to go eat something first.
A river separated two worlds.
On this side were the celestial chambers of earthly beauties, while on the other side were low and quiet small stalls.
Crossing the bridge, he arrived at the slightly colder other side. Xia Qing looked around, intending to find a dumpling stall to satisfy his hunger. However, unexpectedly, while passing through a dark alley, he heard strange noises.
Xia Qing stopped in his tracks.
The sound of fabric rubbing against fabric, accompanied by the suppressed cries of a youth and another malicious wheezing.
“Poor little thing, been eyeing you for a while now, waiting for someone, huh?”
The male voice was hoarse and murky, emerging from the deep and desolate alley, like the hiss of a venomous snake.
The youth’s voice carried a crying tone, timid and helpless: “Waiting for my grandpa, let me go, sob… I want my grandpa.”
Xia Qing grabbed his hair, wondering why he always stumbled upon such things.
He lowered his head and casually tried to find a weapon, but this area was so clean that there wasn’t even a stone lying around. The only thing he could find to hold in his hand was a dry twig.
He walked deeper into the alley.
The cold moonlight illuminated the corner, revealing the situation vaguely.
In sight were two figures entangled with each other. The one facing away from him was short and fat, dressed like a wealthy young master from Ling Guang. His greasy, chubby hands pressed down on the struggling youth beneath him. His eyes were crazed as he muttered, “I saw you as soon as I arrived today, poor thing, cowering alone in the corner with swollen eyes, so pitiful. But it’s okay, you’ll follow me from now on, and I’ll treat you well.”
“Sob… No, go away, I don’t want—” The youth, pinned under the fat man, completely broke down, crying and cursing.
He reached out with his slender, white arms, attempting to resist.
But his resistance only seemed to excite the abuser even more as he moved closer, “That’s right, you’re really spirited.”
The youth’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse. He could only allow the sticky stench of sweat to pervade his body, the hot breath licking his neck like a snake’s tongue.
Terrified and humiliated, he felt nauseous, and a mist of tears blurred his vision, as if blood could drip from his eyes.
He had promised his grandfather to wait outside…
But now, there was no one who could come to his rescue.
The youth felt like a drowning man, his body instinctively shutting out his senses in overwhelming despair.
At that moment, a gust of wind swept through the surroundings, and the sound of footsteps faintly echoed. Fabric slid across the ground, carrying a strange cold fragrance.
“Who—?” The nobleman naturally heard it too, and he suddenly turned around, meeting a pair of indifferent black eyes.
In the narrow alley, Xia Qing stood tall, his oversized gray robe making his wrist, holding the dry twig, look clean and fair. His unkempt black hair gave him a peculiarly casual yet elegant demeanor. When he looked at people with his drooping eyelids, he didn’t seem dull at all; instead, he exuded an inexplicable sense of pressure.
“Who are you?” The nobleman’s expression changed, and after being stunned by the sight of this face, he felt a surge of trepidation.
Xia Qing didn’t want to waste words with him and simply said, “Get lost.”
In order to enjoy some “wild fun” himself, the nobleman dismissed his guards, leaving only himself, a man with no strength. Besides, there had been many cultivators coming to Ling Guang City recently, and who knew if there were any evil spirits or demons among them.
Seeing that Xia Qing didn’t seem like an ordinary person, the nobleman swallowed hard, feeling unlucky to have his plans disrupted. After cursing under his breath, he quickly redressed himself and left, skirting along the wall.
Xia Qing hadn’t expected the situation to be resolved so quickly; he had thought he would have to teach the man a lesson.
But to be honest, he didn’t want to provoke conflict with this person either. Because when a dog is desperate, it will jump over the wall, and if the fat man were to return with guards seeking revenge, Xia Qing might not come out unscathed either.
Letting him leave, Xia Qing held the dry twig and walked forward, step by step, towards the young boy crouched in the corner of the alley.
There were some discarded straw piles in the corner.
The youth’s skin was extremely tender and pale, his clothes tattered, and his hair disheveled, giving him a pitiful and vulnerable appearance.
He now trembled, lifting his head amidst the light and dust, resembling an injured young animal, his eyes red.
As Xia Qing approached, he noticed the youth’s ear contours were translucent.
He’s a… merfolk?
Xia Qing tucked the dry branch into his sleeve, pondered for a moment, then asked, “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
Tears poured down the merfolk youth’s face as he shook his head, straightened his clothes, and, looking pale from his ordeal, knelt down, tears streaming, and said, “Thank you, benefactor, thank you.”
Xia Qing crouched down, helping him up.
“It’s okay, I just happened to pass by and lend a hand.”
The young merfolk, still sobbing heavily, gasped out, “Thank you, benefactor.”
Xia Qing, feeling a headache coming on, decided to follow through with his act of kindness. “No need to thank me. I heard you were waiting for your grandfather? Let me take you to him. Where is he?”
The youth, having experienced ups and downs, now had a blank mind, unable to comprehend Xia Qing’s words, only able to cry.
Xia Qing squatted there waiting for a response, but after a long while, he sighed in resignation.
Just then, a voice came from the side of the alley.
“I know about this. His grandfather just entered the Feng Yue Tower. If you want to find him, go in and look for him!”
The voice was very familiar, filled with the arrogance of a young master and the debauchery of a playboy.
Xia Qing was bewildered, looking up to see a young man with a crooked crown and a light purple robe struggling to climb the wall, clutching a weed. It was evident that this person was trying hard to maintain his dignity despite his disheveled appearance. Finally, he settled down, tidied up his messy hair and clothes, then smiled triumphantly in the moonlight.
“…”
Xia Qing recognized this person.
He had collided with his carriage on the street when he and Lou Guan Xue first left the palace.
Wei Liu Guang, the sixth son of the Wei family.
This name had been appearing in various ways in his ears recently.
Wei Liu Guang obviously had great confidence in his own face, believing that everyone in Ling Guang City knew him, so he calmly accepted Xia Qing’s astonishment.
He pointed across the river to the tallest and liveliest building on the other side, saying, “I’ve been here for half a day and found out that his grandfather went to the Feng Yue Tower to redeem his sister. His sister was abducted and sold into slavery by a toothless woman years ago. The old man worked hard for many years to finally save enough money and decided to bring his sister out today. Oh, his grandfather asked him to stay here, fearing that this merman looks good and might be coveted by someone.”
The sudden appearance of this person also shocked the youth, interrupting his crying.
Xia Qing just stared at Wei Liu Guang’s face.
The debauched playboy flashed a smile at him, saying, “You want to help him find his grandfather? That’s so touching. I also want to go inside to see my dear sister. Shall we discuss how to do it together?”
Now why I find that Wei man cute? I bet he has a goofy overconfidence face. Thank you for the chapter!
Mc really love conflicts eh? XD
Mc is definitely a magnet for trouble 😂 and wow, he regained his human body so fast-
Thank you for your translation 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛