“Mother, what are you saying?” Wen Jiao, puzzled, widened his eyes. But he had no intention of understanding what Zhu Ji said. The thought of that group of people soon kneeling before him, begging for forgiveness, excited him, and he trembled with excitement. All the grievances and indignation he had accumulated along the way filled his chest.
Wen Jiao tightly grabbed Zhu Ji’s sleeve, excitedly saying, “Mother, go quickly and avenge me! Kill those people for me! I want them to go to hell! They all bullied me!”
The more Wen Jiao spoke, the more aggrieved he became. “They all bullied me! I want them to suffer!”
Upon hearing this, Little Flame immediately approached and comforted him in a childish voice, “Master, don’t be angry! Those who bullied you will receive their karma and go to hell! You are the protagonist!”
Wen Jiao couldn’t be bothered with this incomprehensible chatter and simply looked at Zhu Ji, his eyes now clear and clean, filled only with malice.
Zhu Ji quietly looked at him and said with a smile, “Alright.”
—Ignoring it again.
Little Flame, having tried several times to get Wen Jiao’s attention to no avail, also gave up, shaking its body and floating over to Zhu Ji’s side.
Zhu Ji, still possessing her power, easily killed several mortal cultivators in the tomb. In a good mood, she gently held Wen Jiao’s hand and walked out, seemingly reminiscing about the past as she smiled and said, “Jiao Jiao, do you remember the first time we came to the Liang Kingdom’s Imperial Tomb?”
“Back then, you were so young. I held your hand and led you step by step from the entrance to here. I wanted you to remember the way. If you couldn’t remember, I would take you back and walk with you again, over and over. And you kept crying.”
“How could I possibly forget that?” Wen Jiao pouted with resentment, unable to hide his frustration. “Yes, I walked many times that day, my feet were almost blistered. Mother, you knew I had a bad memory and didn’t like to remember things. Why did you still force me to do this?”
Zhu Ji spoke softly, “Because, if you can’t even remember this, then there is no meaning in being born.”
Wen Jiao’s mind was filled with thoughts of revenge, bewildered. “Mother, why are you saying things I don’t understand again?”
Zhu Ji smiled and didn’t respond further.
The one-year-old Flame, however, froze in place at his master’s words. Even his boiling love-struck brain was doused with cold water, and he couldn’t even muster a sprout of emotion.
What does it mean… no meaning in being born?
In the dark passage of the tomb, countless mermaid candles flickered.
Zhu Ji chuckled, “Alright, let’s not dwell on that. Did you suffer in the Chu Palace?”
Wen Jiao’s eyes reddened. “Yes, I did. Mother, you have no idea how miserable I was in there.”
Zhu Ji asked, “Didn’t Fu Chang Sheng protect you?”
Wen Jiao thought of Fu Chang Sheng and seethed with anger. “No! That ungrateful scumbag Fu Chang Sheng, after entering the palace, never bothered with me! He was enchanted by a bitch and left me behind!”
Wen Jiao suddenly remembered Xia Qing had also entered, also in this tomb. He suppressed a laugh, then couldn’t contain it and burst into laughter. His eyes sparkled with a pure and insane light, his fingers tightly clutching Zhu Ji’s sleeve. “That bitch also entered! Mother, you must avenge me! Torture him slowly, make him suffer worse than death!”
The little flame was utterly dumbfounded—what did the young master just say? “B…? B…bitch?” How could such an innocent protagonist use that word?
But it quickly reassured itself. Perhaps the young master was too traumatized by his experience in the Chu Palace and was now a bit delusional.
The young master was so pitiful. It was understandable, understandable.
Zhu Ji could tell he was lying at a glance. How could Fu Chang Sheng possibly ignore him? But she still smiled, her lips curling seductively. “Alright, not only will I help you get revenge on that person, but I’ll also help you get revenge on Fu Chang Sheng.”
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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Ite Al gfqilfv, “P tjnfc’a vfmlvfv sfa, yea P’ii vfolclafis wjxf tlw qjs.”
“Cigluta.”
Qtfgfnfg Ite Al kfca, atf mjcvifr tecu bc atf kjiir ila eq bcf ys bcf, liiewlcjalcu atf ybcf-ragfkc qjat.
Her black dress brushed against the snowy white skeletons, like a black, bloodthirsty flower blooming on a ruin of bones.
“Mother, where are you taking me?”
“To see how those people suffer and despair.”
She was the saintess of the merfolk, the closest being to a god a hundred years ago. A mere illusion of a heart demon couldn’t stop her.
Wen Jiao got what he wanted. He, in his lofty position, witnessed the most suppressed and profound hatred, love, fear, and regrets within a group of cultivators, and he took pleasure in it, especially enjoying their expressions when they broke down.
They were in disarray, utterly pathetic, crying and begging for his forgiveness, their faces filled with regret.
What Wen Jiao wanted was their regret. He felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction all over his body, his excitement contorting his expression. “Mother, take me to find that despicable person,” he urged eagerly.
The little flame flickered gloomily, quietly watching from the side, feeling increasingly unable to understand the young master.
It floated behind Zhu Ji, unable to help but think back to the various scenes it witnessed in the Liang Kingdom Palace when it was still hidden within the pearl.
At that time, the young master was the carefree Ninth Prince, pampered and indulged, doing as he pleased.
With a domineering temperament, the young master could sentence a palace maid to death over a trivial matter when he was in a bad mood. But when he was in a good mood, he would go outside the palace to help many impoverished people, earning himself a reputation for being “tolerant and kind.”
Just like that night in the Zhangtai Hall, when the master bent down to admire the flowers, smilingly uttering those words to the Grand General.
“Some may hate while others may love. Just like some love flowers and some love grass, everyone deserves to be loved. Love, this kind of thing, is the most incompatible yet the most compatible. I believe that someone as lovely as Jiao Jiao will always have someone willing to give everything for him. Don’t you agree, General Fu?”
Jiao Jiao is so cute, there will be countless people willing to sacrifice everything for him.
The little flame deeply agreed with this statement.
The young master is outstanding in appearance and born noble. Although he has selfishly and maliciously killed many people, there are still many who are willing to pamper and love him, indulging him in all his faults.
Others can only hate him with no way to change things.
After all, this is a gift from heaven.
From birth to death, heaven has given him everything without him needing to do anything; he should just receive endless love and adoration.
“Mother, where are you taking me?” Wen Jiao avenged himself and felt refreshed, continuing to follow his mother.
Zhu Ji: “Shh, just follow me quietly.”
Wen Jiao: “Mother, when will you take me to find Xia Qing?”
Zhu Ji said: “Jiao Jiao, don’t you trust your mother?”
Wen Jiao felt extremely annoyed in his heart, thinking that it was precisely because he trusted her that he ended up in this situation.
Zhu Ji, who had personally given birth to him by cutting open her abdomen, shared the same bloodline, so naturally she knew all his emotions. Sensing his hatred, she smiled but said nothing.
They passed through the White Bone Path, through the erected coffins of the tomb.
She walked to the deepest part of the Chunshang Cave.
There lay a pool of blood.
Before Zhu Ji had taken Wen Jiao to the White Bone Path, some people had already broken free from the illusion of their inner demons and walked out. They were mostly young cultivators, including Kou Xinghua and the person who had been blinded by bats.
The secret passages were as labyrinthine as a maze, and the group blindly chose a path and continued forward, only to find that the further they went, the more humid it became, and the strong smell of blood lingered persistently.
When Xia Qing woke up, he was still in Lou Guan Xue’s arms. Blood-red flowers bloomed along the way. He remembered the last words he had said before closing his eyes, “let it be an irreversible mistake”. He remained silent for a while, then lowered his head and said softly, “Put me down.”
Lou Guan Xue’s voice came faintly from above, “First, explain clearly what that last sentence means.”
Xia Qing was confused, asking dazedly, “Which sentence?”
Lou Guan Xue repeated, “That phrase ‘let it be an irreversible mistake,’ right?”
Xia Qing’s body instantly stiffened, his ears starting to burn. Facing the words he had said when he was sober was truly tormenting. Does it still need to be explained? Isn’t the meaning clear enough?
“Just put me down first.” He loosened his arms, weakly pushing Lou Guan Xue’s shoulder. “…How should I even say it?”
Lou Guan Xue didn’t directly respond to him but chose to first use divine power to check his body, ensuring he was unharmed before letting him go.
The dark tide silently flowed through the pitch-black corridor, the gentle current making no sound.
Lou Guan Xue didn’t leave after setting him down.
Even though the next step was supposed to be the last in the plan, Xia Qing didn’t know what mood he was in. He stopped in this quiet corridor with stagnant water, waiting for a word.
After Xia Qing’s feet touched the ground, he reached up and grabbed his hair, feeling for the first time like he had lost the ability to speak.
The dimly lit lamps on both sides cast a murky light. Lou Guan Xue, dressed in white, appeared as pristine as the first night they met. His features remained exquisite even in the dim shadows, his pale hands holding a bone flute, his gaze coolly fixed on Xia Qing.
Xia Qing felt increasingly embarrassed under his gaze.
“Let’s talk as we walk.”
Lou Guan Xue remained silent for a moment before agreeing, “Alright.”
It was so strange, they had never had such a strange moment between them before.
Xia Qing paused and said, “Do you know that I cultivate the Supreme Path of Forgetting Emotions?”
This time, Lou Guan Xue was considerate, allowing him to change the subject. “Hmm.”
Xia Qing stared at the dark water, sounding bewildered as he said, “My master taught me to be unburdened, because the Supreme Path of Forgetting Emotions emphasizes being free from emotional attachments. In theory, one can indulge in emotions, but it’s incredibly difficult to do so without being entangled by them. I didn’t have that much confidence. I was always afraid before, because I didn’t dare to think deeply. But then I realized, what am I…?”
His voice was soft and subdued, “I’m afraid that once I’m emotionally involved, I won’t be able to extricate myself… but this fear itself is already a form of entanglement.”
“My Dao heart was shattered long ago; this isn’t something I can choose.”
“So I thought, ‘If it’s irreparable calamity, then let it be.'”
In the darkness, Lou Guan Xue remained silent, fingers tightly gripping the bone flute.
Listening to the youth’s words, his thoughts seemed to scatter for a moment.
The burning chains that once shackled his heart now turned into gentle vines, silently and unrestrainedly spreading, gradually entwining and imprisoning.
He had always lived with great clarity from childhood to adulthood, rarely experiencing such moments.
Xia Qing had called him crazy many times, but in reality, his madness was within reason. Disregard for the world and indifference to life and death were nothing but a kind of arrogance ingrained in his blood.
Only this time, things were heading towards chaos.
Perhaps he was truly losing his mind.
“Xia Qing, it’s not just you facing an irreparable calamity,” Lou Guan Xue said.
Xia Qing froze, and in that moment, a look appeared in Lou Guan Xue’s pitch-black eyes that he had never seen before.
“I never expected that you would accompany me through one worldly obstacle, only to pull me back into it again.”
Lou Guan Xue’s lips curled up slightly as he chuckled softly.
“You still haven’t answered. What did that sentence mean?”
“Lou Guan Xue, I…” Xia Qing’s face turned pale, the light brown pupils filled with a mist of confusion. He subconsciously opened his mouth but found that he couldn’t speak at all.
Emerging from the illusion of the heart demon, he had been enveloped in an indescribable sadness.
Lou Guan Xue watched him quietly. “Don’t be afraid. Speak up, I’m listening.”
Xia Qing’s eyes grew even more bewildered. Admitting the moment his heart broke, he felt like someone had shattered him from the inside out, leaving his emotions and rationality in disarray. “I, I…”
After waiting for a while without getting an answer, Lou Guan Xue sighed inwardly, reached out ambiguously to cup his face, and gently finished his sentence for him with a tender smile. “You like me.”
Xia Qing was suddenly speechless.
Lou Guan Xue lowered his gaze, his expression almost tender in the half-light, as he teased, “In that case, we can consider ourselves mutually enamored.”
This time, he willingly embraces the worldly obstacles.
Indeed, he has gone mad.
oh ! my ! god !!!!!!!! AAAAAAHADIAIDJSIDISIDJSJKFODKDJDNDJS
thank you for the chapter!
precisely my thought process LMAO
This is me every confession time 😂
Holy molly!!! A confession!!! Horray!!!
Thank you so much for the wonderful chapter.
They are in love, your Highness!!!
Thank heavens for lou guan xue’s straightforwardness or we’ll never get to see xia qing confessing in this lifetime fjhfhf
this is the kind of love, the kind of confession, that is truly one that goes with the flow (can’t describe it very clearly hehe)