It felt like the memories were being nourished somehow, the visuals affected by these streams of light grew steadily clearer.
Mountain peaks lost in the clouds, a river under the moonlight, a dazzling figure in red, as brilliant as flames. Every scene was distinct, every image unique.
From some particularly vivid images, a familiar voice began to echo.
‘A bunch of losers who only know how to bully ordinary folks! You got the guts to chase after yours truly?’
‘Deceive? Look at this handsome face of mine. Why would I need to lie to losers like you? Had he not knelt and begged for marriage, saying he wouldn’t stand until I agreed, I wouldn’t have given him the time of day.’
‘Uh… heh, well… hello there. The weather today is quite nice, huh? Let’s arrange a time in the future to get to know each other better… Oh crap!!’
‘You twisted freak! Chasing me for three whole years and six months! Just for using your name once? Aren’t you a bit too petty? Now look where it got us. Stuck in this godforsaken place. Happy now?’
‘Your life’s a real bore. Today, let me show you how to truly enjoy life.’
‘Shameless? Yeah, in the eyes of high and mighty folks like you, the red-light district must be the filthiest place. But you know… what? That’s where I grew up.’
‘In a turbulent era, my helpless mother had two choices: either watch her newborn starve or… do what people like you deem the most shameless. The beautifully dressed women in the district were kind to me—buying me candy, getting me clothes. Even in their final moments, they protected me, ensuring I had a way out. To me… they were the purest souls in the world.’
‘So, is this your way of apologizing? If you really want to soothe my wounded heart, then do something concrete… Like, give me a kiss.’
…
After a half-hour of nourishing, the silver aura enveloping the Cold Sword diminished. While its original seven-foot phantom shadow had waned by nearly half, the entire space felt as refreshing as flowers drenched with rain.
But that wasn’t all. Some of the satiated phantom shadows, emboldened by their newfound energy, began to haphazardly collide with one another, yearning to leave, to break through the large door and return to their original domain—the Sea of Consciousness.
However, every time they approached within ten feet of the shut door, the Cold Sword at the center would radiate a silver glow, gently pulling back the wayward phantoms.
Its tender actions stood in stark contrast to the unsettling chill it usually emanated. It resembled a helpless parent trying to soothe their rebellious child.
Time and time again, the attempts to break through the encirclement in wave after wave of obstructions, tirelessly played out in this space, unseen by anyone.
…
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.
Xe Qflhtbe’r fsfr oilmxfgfv jcv tf bqfcfv tlr fsfr jujlc, tf obecv tlwrfio lc jc fifujcais jggjcufv mbegasjgv.
Rba ojg jkjs, qjif sfiibk keabcu yibrrbwr kfgf lc oeii yibbw. C ufcaif ygffhf geraifv atgbeut atf agff ygjcmtfr, oliilcu atf sjgv klat j vfilmjaf ogjugjcmf.
Obbxlcu vbkc, Xe Qflhtbe rqbaafv j yeaafgois-rasif hlatfg yfobgf tlw. Par olcf kbbv afzaegf kjr vfilmjaf jcv gfrlilfca, klat lar akfcas-bcf raglcur qfgofmais jilucfv.
Seeing this familiar zither, Gu Weizhou felt a hint of understanding.
Under the wutong tree, a striking man with fingers as elegant as jade began to play the zither. The plucking of the strings released a melody clear and crisp, echoing like a stream in the woods, flowing effortlessly through the air.
In this world, the role Gu Weizhou portrayed was Su Qingli, the ‘most cherished’ prince of an average-sized nation—Yunzhan.
Su Qingli, born to a deposed empress, was initially doomed to be an abandoned son. However, at his birth, heavenly signs appeared. In Yunzhan, where it had been snowing for twelve months, flowers bloomed all at once, and birds of all species came in droves, crowding the palace corridors.
The royal astrologers divined Su Qingli’s fate then and there, proclaiming his destiny would be to save Yunzhan from peril.
Ancient emperors were often superstitious, and because of that those with the gift of heavens held revered positions. Because of this prophecy, the deposed empress was taken out of the cold palace and reinstated, and Su Qingli was doted on by the emperor of Yunzhan, with hopes he would one day save the kingdom.
Eighteen years later, Su Qingli transformed from a crying baby into a cold beauty whose name was on everyone’s lips. Following this, Yunzhan nearly faced annihilation due to a diplomatic blunder.
Indeed, they were on the brink of being wiped out. But, as if it were destined, Su Qingli emerged as the critical figure to save Yunzhan from peril.
The superpower responsible for Yunzhan’s near downfall was the mighty Da Ao. Yunzhan was destined for ruin, yet due to Su Qingli’s eloquent diplomacy, it narrowly survived.
After the war was preserved, Su Qingli transitioned from the prince of one nation to a political hostage of another, ending up confined within the remote palace grounds of Da Ao.
When Gu Weizhou first arrived, Yunzhan was still at war with Da Ao. Ideally, having been familiar with the art of war, he should’ve been the mastermind to turn the tide. However, due to certain constraints, he helplessly watched as Yunzhan’s inept generals led them to their doom.
Following that, Gu Weizhou saw himself being handed over by Yunzhan’s emperor — his very own father — with a look akin to Buddhas giving blessings. The joy in the emperor’s demeanor was so evident, that it felt like he would burst into laughter at any moment. The decision he had made back then was truly ingenious.
Originally, Su Qingli was a somewhat aloof character. After he was delivered to Da Ao as a pawn, he could have lived a quiet life and died in old age. But Su Qingli was also a passionate patriot.
He had witnessed his own people being massacred by Da Ao’s soldiers and bore intense hatred for the emperor of Da Ao. So, this burning hatred naturally became a part of Gu Weizhou.
Outside, Su Qingli was renowned for his talents in music, medicine, and his unmatched strategic mind. Yet within the cold confines of this palace, none of those skills mattered.
His musical talents? He could only play for himself.
Medicine? Even the courageous emperor of Da Ao wouldn’t dare let him heal him.
Strategy? To prevent him from causing any trouble, he was confined to the most secluded side hall, almost completely cut off from the world.
With escape, not an option, he thought martial arts might be the most practical skill, especially when plotting to assassinate the emperor. Sadly, his combat skills were mediocre at best.
Just when Su Qingli thought he was doomed to a lifetime of confinement, a new neighbor moved in next door — the legitimate son of King Shun.
Though Su Qingli was aloof and loathed the people of Da Ao, he knew he couldn’t take down the emperor alone. So, he needed allies.
With his perpetual expression that seemed to say, “You owe me two million,” Gu Weizhou recruited Jiang Jingyue, his new neighbor, the loyal son of Jiang Lianbi, who was a powerful figure in Da Ao before being assassinated due to political jealousy.
Their goal was straightforward and brutal: Assassinate the Emperor of Da Ao and avenge the countless innocent citizens of Yunzhan.
Upon first meeting, the innocent Jiang Jingyue, Gu Weizhou had a sinking feeling that his life was about to get a lot more complicated.
Because…
『Ding– Detecting the attack, activating mission: “Let the top abuse me a thousand times, I will still treat the top as my first love”』
Numerous facts from the past seem to make, Gu Weizhou realize that even if Jiang Jingyue appeared as naive as a blossoming white flower now, he would inevitably become his tormentor in the future.
Every day, with the mindset of digging his own grave, Gu Weizhou secretly taught Jiang Jingyue everything he knew. Most importantly, he told him all about his hatred for Da Ao and Jiang Lianbi.
As for why he despised Jiang Lianbi? Because back then, the Yunzhan Kingdom almost got obliterated by the army led by Jiang Lianbi. If not for Su Qingli’s eloquent persuasiveness, Yunzhan would have perished long ago. Hence, it’s not wrong to say those from Yunzhan were killed by Jiang Lianbi.
Unfortunately, Jiang Jingyue idolized his towering father, Jiang Lianbi, and saw him as a superhero. Thus, hearing Gu Weizhou badmouth his deceased father every day he felt disgusted.
Initially, their covert actions were discovered by a prince loyal to the Emperor. To prevent any backlash, Jiang Jingyue, without a second thought, threw Gu Weizhou as a scapegoat, presenting him to the prince…
The prince, a lover of beauty, seeing the good-looking Su Qingli, was charmed by him. Witnessing this, Jiang Jingyue felt Su Qingli was shameless, leading to intense disgust. Already lacking fondness for others, his goodwill toward Su Qingli plummeted to an all-time low.
In response, all Gu Weizhou wanted to do was pick up a stool and give the bratty Jiang a lesson in humility. But in reality, he couldn’t do a thing. Instead, he followed him around like a lovesick fool every day.
What followed were the Emperor’s suspicions, daily palace intrigues, and a chaotic power struggle. Years later, when the influential ‘little radish head’ returned after completing his studies, Gu Weizhou thought he could retire with honor. However, to his dismay, the bedridden emperor ordered him to be quartered.
Quartered, as in chopped to four pieces.
And the irony? The act of being quartered wasn’t even a recognized punishment in Da Ao. The idea was actually spread by the very mouth of the irreverent Gu Weizhou. Only one person in all of Da Ao was aware of it.
After recalling all the details, Gu Weizhou, feeling his intact limbs and head, remarked, [When I shared that method with him, suggesting he use it on the Emperor of Da Ao, I never thought he’d use it on me first. Had I known, I wouldn’t have shared such an insane method.]
[Isn’t this what you asked for?]
[It was a casual comment made out of boredom. Who knew he’d take it to heart and actually use it?] he lamented, voice filled with sorrow.
[…You brought this upon yourself.]
Looking around at the freshly renovated palace, with wutong flowers blooming brilliantly in the courtyard, Gu Weizhou deduced he’d been sent to Da Ao by his father not too long ago. That meant he hadn’t yet started mentoring Jiang Jingyue, nor had he berated Jiang Lianbi in his presence.
Stroking his chin, Gu Wuzhou mused, [Even though I can’t become a god of war and unify the world, I’m still early in this timeline. There’s hope for redemption.]
[So, you want to…?]
With a sly grin, he responded, [Take a guess.]
001, dominating the screen, snickered, No matter how noble and cold skin you wear, it can’t hide the fact how restless your heart gets if you’re not being flirtatious.
T/N: Hello! Before people get confused by the first paragraph let me explain… so the first part of the chapter is the continuation of the previous chapter…the sword in GWZ’s conscious was nourishing his hidden memories with its aura and the dialogues we saw were some of those memories…after the memories were nourished, they were kind of revitalized and tried to break out of behind the door and reach GWZ’s sea of conscious but the cold sword restrained them, not letting them out of the door.
Now Gwz has entered a new arc, here the ML is Jiang Jingyue, son of Jiang Lianbi. Jiang Lianbi is the Emperor’s brother, so in a way is a prince, and his title is King Shun, so don’t get confused if I use them alternatively. Well, that’s about it, thank you for reading!!!
Ouch… His limbs… Sigh* I can’t wait for the scum abuse in this chapter.
this scum seems fun to bully! thank you for the update <333