This illusion seemed to bewitch the mind, and immediately after, strange and distressing emotions gradually welled up in the heart.
Xia Qing began to feel uneasy.
He stared at a lamp, inexplicably reminded of the time when he received the Ananda Sword as a child, his biggest concern being what to do on the bridal night. His master had said he hadn’t even grown his hair fully and yet was thinking so much. In fact, as he grew up, he truly stopped being puzzled by this matter. He had zero interest in worldly desires, even avoiding them like floods and fierce beasts.
“What place was this exactly?” he murmured softly.
One red lamp after another occupied the field of vision.
Xia Qing tried to move forward but found himself bumping into an invisible wall in the darkness, blocking his way, with the door to the quiet room closed behind him. He was trapped in a small space, accompanied by countless red lamps, like thousands of quiet eyes, revealing countless sins deep in people’s hearts.
The next moment, he suddenly froze, his body wounded by the sword intent within him, the pain burning his soul, unexpectedly resurfacing at this critical moment!!
Xia Qing’s face paled, he breathed heavily, his fingers lightly touching ahead as he half-kneeled in discomfort.
It was too quiet there, quiet to the point where there was nothing to distract him.
And the demonic illusion, the more he tried to escape, the more sharply it appeared in his mind.
So much so that the more he hurt, the clearer his mind became. Looking ahead, his light brown eyes were confused by the red light, and all he could think of was the words on the bamboo raft watching the snow — “Take your time thinking. It’s best to come up with an answer that satisfies me.”
He had been thinking, ever since he awkwardly flipped out of the window in that village, he had been thinking, thinking so much that his head felt like it was going to explode.
He wondered what he should do.
Xia Qing lowered his head, staring blankly at his open palm, where the cold sword light flowed silently between the palm lines.
His black hair fell quietly, his eyes tinged with a layer of ambiguous red, crimson as if just shed tears.
Suddenly, fear, panic, anxiety, and restlessness—all sorts of anxious and irritable emotions—pressed upon him like a trapped beast.
It seemed like since birth, he had never experienced such feelings.
Song Guichen didn’t understand, Xue Fuguang didn’t understand, and he himself didn’t understand.
The Supreme Path of Forgetting Emotions was indeed not heartless, not requiring the severing of emotions and love. But not being bound by emotions, not being entangled by love—how could it be such a simple matter? It might be better to just choose to sever emotions and love, and live freely.
Tears moistened Xia Qing’s eyelashes, his long hair scattered as he knelt on the ground, looking at his palm, his expression stunned, filled with confusion.
Tears of pain overflowed from his eyes, pattering onto his palm, splashing water droplets.
Thousands of lamps tore open flesh and soul.
From his hair strands to his fingertips, every part of him ached, the pain so extreme that his soul calmed down.
The butterfly in his sleeve sensed his abnormal mood, quietly poking its head out and flying to Xia Qing’s open palm.
The butterfly’s scales were blue, shining with a clear and cold radiance, becoming the only place of peace in his hazy vision.
Xia Qing’s breath eased as he watched the butterfly flap its wings.
His past life played back in his mind like a movie.
Starting from the wall covered in ivy at the orphanage.
The peeling and mottled dormitory building, the noisy cafeteria, he was born there, grew up there, went to school there, and graduated from there.
In twenty years of life, countless joys and sorrows, if he were to carefully recall, perhaps the clearest memory would be that afternoon with the setting sun like blood.
Actually, he met many people who were kind to him, and also many who were not. Gentleness and kindness were real, as were abandonment and abuse.
All stories have an end.
Just like the orphanage being renovated, the old director aging, and chubby leaving with dreams of success from his childhood.
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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All actions, words, and thoughts are karma. All evil deeds, causes, and effects are sins.
On a rainy night in the capital, Xia Qing dreamed of many past events, of Song Guichen’s sins, and of the deep hatred between him and the merfolk.
Xia Qing thought that his subconscious rejection and opposition to Song Guichen should have been deep-rooted emotions accumulated over a hundred years.
Otherwise, with his temperament, how could he remember for so long?
But even with a grudge spanning a hundred years, he would not lose his sanity, nor would he end up in the current situation of generating inner demons.
Xia Qing slowly raised the corners of his lips, tears falling down, wetting the wings of the butterfly.
“I’m really curious why Master said you are the most suitable person to cultivate the Supreme Path of Forgetting Emotions – could it be because you have a great forgetfulness and don’t hold grudges? The words ‘Supreme Path of Forgetting Emotions’ sound so powerful, I want to learn too, but Master won’t allow it. Tell me, how did Master teach you so I can learn a few moves secretly?”
“…He didn’t teach me anything. He just let me stare blankly at people for no reason.”
“And then?”
“Well, then,” the youth pondered, chewing on a leaf. “He told me to live without attachments.”
Without attachments.
Xia Qing curled up in pain, his black hair falling to the ground. As he closed his eyes, he let out a short laugh.
The things that made his head ache, he finally understood.
What is he avoiding?
– He is afraid.
Afraid that the Dao heart he has upheld for a hundred years will be destroyed in an instant.
Afraid that once he falls in love, he will never be able to free himself.
Afraid that this obsession will be a long-lasting affair.
Afraid that this time, he will never again achieve a state of detachment.
Xia Qing’s fingertips trembled, his black hair flowing like water over his body, revealing vulnerability for the first time, his voice also trembling, as light as snow.
“Lou Guangxue, I’m afraid this time is beyond redemption.”
Boom—
He hadn’t been wrong when he talked to Xue Fuguang; his inner demon would only ever be himself.
Thousands of red lanterns shattered in an instant, transforming into flowing starlight, spreading across the entire dark world.
As the illusion crumbled, a corner of snowy white robe appeared in Xia Qing’s peripheral vision.
His mind was muddled, but he lifted his head, his eyes reddened, tears still clinging to his eyelashes.
“Why are you so pitiful.”
Lou Guang Xue also crouched down, using his fingers to wipe away Xia Qing’s tears, letting out a soft chuckle.
Xia Qing remained silent, quietly watching the person before him.
A blue butterfly flew to Lou Guang Xue’s side. It seemed to have completed its mission, feeling relieved as it dissolved into a pure white light, merging into his fingertips.
Lou Guang Xue lowered his gaze, explaining, “I wanted it to follow you and protect you. It said you were in trouble, so I came, never expecting it to be an illusion of your inner demon.”
Xia Qing still didn’t speak.
Lou Guangxue bit his own tongue, kissing Xia Qing without hesitation, prying open his lips and feeding him his own blood.
This time, Xia Qing didn’t resist, obediently opening his mouth and closing his eyes.
After swallowing Lou Guang Xue’s blood, the stabbing pain faded away like a tide.
Their blood mingled, and Xia Qing took the initiative to wrap his arms around Lou Guang Xue’s neck.
Lou Guang Xue was slightly taken aback but deepened the sweet yet metallic kiss.
Afterward, he gently traced Xia Qing’s eyes with his fingers. His gaze was deep and enigmatic, with a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “Xia Qing, you didn’t mistake me for your inner demon, did you?”
Xia Qing’s gaze seemed to want to scrutinize every inch of his face.
Seeing Xia Qing’s current weakened state, Lou Guang Xue didn’t press further and lifted him up.
Xia Qing didn’t struggle, and after a while, he spoke softly in Lou Guang Xue’s arms. “I’ve figured it out.”
Lou Guang Xue was momentarily stunned, then responded lightly, “Hmm.”
Xia Qing continued, “Falling for you might indeed be an irreversible mistake.”
Lou Guang Xue fell silent for a moment, then chuckled softly, his tone gentle. “Is that your answer to me?”
Xia Qing didn’t reply to that question. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Lou Guang Xue’s neck and closed his eyes wearily.
His voice was barely audible as he continued from before, speaking to himself, “Forget it, let it be an irreversible mistake.”
The White Bone Path had countless silent chambers of illusions. Basically, everyone who reached the end would have to struggle inside.
Wen Jiao’s journey was full of stumbling and tripping. He would occasionally be startled by the fallen skeletons, and even a slight touch to his tender skin would make him cry incessantly.
He dared not cry out loud, but he felt both wronged and sad. He thought the journey would be so difficult all the way, but unexpectedly, after entering a dense fog, he became the smoothest walker among them all.
The miasma was too heavy, making it impossible to see the surroundings clearly. He could only hear desperate screams and cries of despair one after another.
Everyone’s inner demons were often the deepest obsessions in their hearts, which could be fear or regret.
But Wen Jiao had no inner demon.
His greatest wish in life was to be loved and pampered by everyone, without doing anything, and to trample everyone underfoot.
But this wish was also shallow. He just thought about it and didn’t want to put too much effort into it, so he didn’t have deep obsessions.
Although his country was destroyed, his family perished, and he witnessed his loved ones being buried alive in the yellow earth, Wen Jiao was born without a heart and lungs, so these things couldn’t become his nightmares.
Wen Jiao sniffed and walked through the chamber of inner demons unimpeded, all alone.
He looked around and found the surroundings strangely familiar. Wen Jiao sighed in relief, slightly calming down. His hand, hidden in his sleeve, tightened as he followed the route he remembered from childhood and headed towards the depths of the tomb.
He saw the continuously burning mermaid candles along the way.
The lights were bright, and every wall retained its old appearance.
Arriving at the dust-covered door, Wen Jiao trembled as he used his delicate hand to open the mechanism. Click, click, click—the heavy green stone door slowly opened. Before Wen Jiao could react, a ball of azure flame joyfully pounced into his arms, its voice crisp: “Young master! You’ve finally come!”
Wen Jiao, frightened by nature, screamed and flung the flame away, stepping back, but accidentally tripped on the steps and fell awkwardly to the ground. His eyes reddened, tears welling up again.
At that moment, a familiar woman’s voice sounded: “Jiao Jiao, it’s been a long time.”
Wen Jiao didn’t even have time to cry. He looked up and saw the gentle smile of a woman in a black dress not far away, her black hair adorned with white flowers, her eyes silver-blue like the sea.
But seeing his deceased mother didn’t bring joy to Wen Jiao. His first reaction was disgust and fear: “Ghost! Ghost!”
He screamed and scrambled backward on the ground.
The little flame was flung away, feeling wronged and even more angry. Seeing the young master treat the mistress this way made it even more aggrieved and furious!
It turned its head dumbly, wanting to see the master’s reaction—since the master treated the young master so well, so lovingly, he must be saddened, right? But when it quietly glanced over, it saw Zhu Ji still wearing that gentle smile, seemingly uninterested in any of her son’s actions.
In fact, Zhu Ji was never interested in Wen Jiao’s love or hatred, and she even turned a blind eye to the wounds on his body. Whether he loves her or hates her, what does it matter?
All she wants is for him to safely grow up, regardless of how he lives.
All she wants is for him to come to her, no matter how difficult the process.
Zhu Ji floated over, bent down, and gently touched the scar on Wen Jiao’s forehead with her slender fingers, her smile gentle.
How strange.
Here… will be the place where she will be born.
Wen Jiao’s tears flowed incessantly as he kept pleading, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me!”
Zhu Ji’s tone was sweet and gentle: “Jiao Jiao, look at me clearly, who am I?”
Wen Jiao seemed to have finally regained some clarity, widening his eyes and staring blankly for a moment. His face was pale, and he shivered as he asked, “Mother?”
Zhu Ji smiled and replied, “Yes.”
With the certainty that this was indeed his mother, all the grievances that had been building up since entering the tomb suddenly burst out of Wen Jiao. “Mother! Help me seek revenge!”
Seeing his resurrected mother, Wen Jiao’s first thought was of overwhelming hatred.
The little flame came over with eager eyes. “What’s wrong, young master? Why are you covered in injuries? Who dared to bully you? Is it the main antagonist?”
Wen Jiao felt like he had found a pillar of support and cried out with a mixture of anger and urgency, “Mother! I want everyone who came in with me this time to die here! They all bullied me! They are all bad people!”
Zhu Ji replied, “Alright, whoever bullies our Jiao Jiao, I will seek revenge for you!”
Wen Jiao was overjoyed, and the twisted hatred in his heart eased slightly. He was accustomed to being spoiled and said, “Mother, I want you to take me to see how they die! I want to see them kneeling before me, begging for forgiveness!”
Zhu Ji smiled gently and said, “As you wish.”
The little flame blinked, finding his young master’s temperament really strange. But no matter what, being able to love and hate openly and ask for whatever he wants is also a kind of straightforward and adorable stubbornness!
“However, after helping you seek revenge, could you do something for me?”
In reality, Zhu Ji didn’t need Wen Jiao’s opinion at all, but she still wanted to maintain this semblance of motherly concern.
Wen Jiao sniffed, staring blankly at her. “What?”
Zhu Ji’s fingers gently traced the scar on his forehead as she smiled. “The merfolk clan leaving the Sea of Heaven means no reincarnation, but I don’t want to die.”
In a soft voice, Zhu Ji continued, “My Jiao Jiao, I have given you unparalleled favor, bestowed upon you unimaginable wealth and glory. I made the proud sons of the heavens from Peng Lai devote themselves to you, offering everything they have.”
“I gave you wealth, family, and love beyond compare.”
“I let you live until now, innocent yet malicious, pure yet selfish.”
Zhu Ji bent down, still smiling.
“Now, it’s time for you to repay your mother, my Jiao Jiao.”
Please can anyone reading this just remind me who Wei Lui Guang is?
Thank you for the chapter
😘💕
The guy who fought with Yan Mu (Queen Mother’s nephew ) because of Xuan Jia
Ohh okay thankss
AHHHHHHHHHHH OH MY GOSH FULL CONFESSION???? IM SO HAPPY!!!!! even whatever bs the snake and dog is spewing can’t deter me from the revolutionary and profound moment 😍 okay now when’s the wedding? Thank you for the chapters translator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
yo how foolish zhu ji seems also not the system ignoring every red flag bro
Turns out wen jiao is not the protagonist, just a pitiful canon fodder
Glad xia qing figured it out in just one chapter XD and uh yeah, wen jiao, bet your mama gonna ask you to repay her back with your life. Good luck with that
I know that Wen Jia is a b**** but being brought up by such a mother…its pitiful. Ofcourse all his actions are his own choice- but despite being the protagonist I wonder why he isnt at all virtuous haha
And here I thought- even with sob stories protagonists have it all (i make 0 sense lmao)