Chapter 36
!-Merry Christmas-!
Qin Wanwan took a deep breath, obliterating the previous scene that made her want to blow up Jian Xingzhi’s empty head from her memory.
Her mood calmed down. She set her gaze low on her hands as she washed them, a cold gleam passed by her eyes.
Revenge is a dish best served cold[1]
Sooner or later…
Qin Wanwan’s train of thought halted.
Sooner or later, she would what?
Step on his head?
She had stepped on his head.
Beat him to a pulp?
She had beaten him to a pulp, too.
She beat him so badly that he suffered multiple fractures.
Make him shed tears and apologize to her from the bottom of his heart?
Unlikely to happen. In her dream, perhaps.
What else, then?
Qin Wanwan felt she was out of track but soon admitted that she shouldn’t back down early. She should always give her all to everything. The best attack was to the heart. She now would tolerate him, wait for him, and observe him to gain his trust, and later she would seize his weaknesses, and completely break him, compelling him to apologize to her with tears.
Qin Wanwan got a hint of solace from imagining such a scene.
She washed her hands thoroughly and wiped them with a handkerchief from the shelf, perceiving that she had passed a turbulent psychological crisis. She saw her bright future ahead. With a hit of confidence and arrogance of a noble guest, she flung the handkerchief to the side. She brushed past Jian Xingzhi and sat on the bed.
She glanced at the cultivation time given by the system and began to meditate with her eyes closed.
Learning is a habit. She fumbled around with Jian Xingzhi in the desert day and night for a month, and maybe, because of the effect of the repeated actions, when faced with the abnormal requirement of cultivating 12 hours a day from the system, she actually felt that——
Just twelve hours. Easy!
She practiced her mental skills and fell into concentration. Her divine sense shifted from the outside to the inside, and she began to monitor her entire body. From the muscles, blood vessels, tendons, spiritual roots, and to the Golden Core in her abdomen.
Her Golden Core was shrouded in a faint azure color. Her divine sense enveloped it and she gradually lost consciousness.
When she regained consciousness, she found herself in a dark place.
She seemed to have tubes all around her body, and her blood flowed out of her body along the tubes. She didn’t open her eyes, but she felt like she could see the surroundings.
She seemed to be lying inside a large coffin with a huge karst cave outside. The sound of water droplets could be faintly heard. The tubes on her body were placed through the coffin and were buried all the way into the cave, as if she were continuously feeding her blood to the cave.
And, there was a strange heartbeat that kept ringing in her ears.
Thump, thump.
Loud and clear.
The ground vibrated rhythmically accompanying the heartbeat. Qin Wanwan blankly lay stiff. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or if her soul had left her body. She cautiously surveyed her surroundings. Midway, she heard the chirping of a Qinglong, followed by someone calling out to her, “Gu Beicheng.”
Her head ached with pain and she jerked her eyes open. Jian Xingzhi stood in front of her with one hand pressed on the top of her head. He somehow looked a bit smug. “Some may be unable to stay focused during meditation. If it weren’t for Shifu knocking you awake, your soul would have flown out to god knows where.”
“Oh, really. I can’t thank you enough for that.”
Qin Wanwan’s head was still buzzing from the pain. She suppressed her rage and pushed Jian Xingzhi’s hand away, replacing it with her hand to rest her head.
Jian Xingzhi detected that she had a terrible headache and pondered for a moment. He lifted his hands and placed them on both sides of her head.
A cool spiritual energy flooded Qin Wanwan’s mind and her headache directly got much better.
She felt a bit emotional, just as she was about to gratefully thank him, Jian Xingzhi opened his mouth, “Sure enough I got points! Does Beicheng’s head still hurt? Should I hit your head again?”
The emotion was trampled to dust and only the impulse to burst his head open was left.
Qin Wanwan understood that she shouldn’t be fussy at this time. She clenched her fists and told Jian Xingzhi about her experience just now, “I seem to feel the Linglong Jade.”
“Pray tell.” Jian Xingzhi immediately became interested, “What do you feel?”
“A coffin and a cave. The cave has a heartbeat.” Qin Wanwan briefly described it, and Jian Xingzhi fell into deep thought, “A cave with a heartbeat… I think I have seen it once.”
“You have seen it before? ” Qin Wanwan was taken aback.
Jian Xingzhi nodded, “There is a demonic beast called Riddle Hide[2]. It can change its appearance at will. It can become a flower or a grass, making it difficult to find it. Its heart is a huge cave that can be entered by cultivators. Plenty of cultivators treat the Riddle Hide as their spiritual beast. When they encounter danger, they will hide in the Riddle Hide’s heart.”
“So, does the illusion imply that Linglong Jade is hidden in the heart of a Riddle Hide?”
“It’s likely.” Jian Xingzhi nodded.
Qin Wanwan frowned, “Then, how to find this Riddle Hide?”
“I once chased a demonic cultivator who hid in a Riddle Hide.”
“How did you track him down?” Qin Wanwan’s curiosity was piqued.
Jian Xingzhi recalled, “This demonic cultivator has committed numerous crimes. He couldn’t win the fight and tried to escape. When he hid in the Riddle Hide, I sealed the mountain where we fought.”
“And then?”
“I directed my Sword Qi and all the trees on the mountain were cut down. He still stood alive. So, I added another Sword Qi. Then, he died.”
Qin Wanwan: “……”
Fine.
She got it.
There’s no clue and nothing could be used as a reference.
Qin Wanwan tapped her finger on the table, “Tomorrow, I’ll go out and inquire which cultivators have Riddle Hide as their spiritual beast in Guicheng.”
“I’ll also ask around.”
After a round of discussion, the two of them rested their way.
The next morning, they discussed the results of last night’s discussion with Xie Gutang.
The four of them decided to split up to inquire about the news.
Jian Xingzhi went to find Cuilu, Xie Gutang chatted with other male pets in the yard, Nanfeng went to find servants, and Qin Wanwan went to the kitchen under the pretext of eating.
Qin Wanwan roughly asked around in the kitchen. There were only ordinary people who had never heard of Riddle Hide. They only replied to her inquiry with advice to eat more and gain more weight so she could be cuter.
Qin Wanwan was somewhat frustrated, but still happily carried a basket of vegetables on her way back. Halfway through, she stumbled on a dilapidated courtyard. She looked around and saw that there was a faint golden light above the courtyard. The golden light was unique to some temples and symbolized the common people’s beliefs or merits. Qin Wanwan was curious about how such a light existed in the dilapidated courtyard. She couldn’t hold back her curiosity and stepped forward into the courtyard.
The courtyard appeared to have been deserted for a long time, it was run down and a bit chilly. Qin Wanwan entered the courtyard and boldly moved forward. Fortunately, the courtyard was not large, so she entered the inner courtyard within a few steps. She quickly noticed that this place was indeed a temple.
There was a statue enshrined in the main hall. Qin Wanwan peeked up and saw that the statue was that of a young man. He held a scroll in one hand, and the other hand was behind his back. His gaze was set into the distance.
There was a sense of scholarly spirit from the statue that pointed out to the mountains and rivers.
Qin Wanwan carefully observed the statue. She inhaled a breath of cold air when she saw the statue’s face. For no other reason than the face carved on the statue was highly similar to that of Jian Xingzhi!
Jian Xingzhi! holding a book!
The image of Jian Xingzhi holding a book was a great visual shock to her.
“This is the statue of Mingjing Shenjun[3].”
A pleasant male voice came from behind, and Qin Wanwan sprang around and saw the man she had encountered when she mistakenly broke into the wrong room yesterday.
Qin Wanwan stared at the man, and then subconsciously glanced back at the statue behind her. She ultimately noticed that while the statue was highly similar to Jian Xingzhi, it was pale compared to the man in front of her, because, the statue’s face was the exact mold of the man in front of her.
“Long time no see.”
The man walked up to Qin Wanwan and nodded to her as a greeting.
Qin Wanwan played it cool, “What a coincidence.’
“What brings Guniang here?”
The man looked up at the statue and Qin Wanwan recalled her motive. She sensed that the man in front of her was not without a clue, so she climbed into the conversation, “I was strolling around for fresh air and passed here. Out of curiosity, I entered the courtyard. This is our second meeting right, but I still don’t know Gongzi’s name. If I may?”
“This Humble One[4] is Song Shi.” The man smiled, “And Guniang’s name is?”
“My name is… ” Qin Wanwan contemplated and opted to report her pseudonym, “Gu Beicheng.”
Song Shi nodded along, “It’s quite a heroic name.”
“Did you just say that this is a statue of a Shenjun?” Qin Wanwan didn’t bother to discuss names, instead, she asked, “Why does it look so much like you?”
“Yes, this is the statue of Mingjing Shenjun, the Lord of Guicheng back then. As for why he looks so much like me,” Song Shi gave a helpless smile, “I’m not quite sure. Maybe, it’s destiny.”
“The Guicheng Lord back then?” Qin Wanwan showed some interest. Song Shi nodded with a smile. A flash of nostalgia appeared in his eyes as he gazed at the statue.
“Two hundred years ago, there was no such city as Guicheng, but there was a scholar named Lin Yanzhi, his Daoist name was Mingjing. He was born with a Golden Core and had unparalleled talent. He entered the Tribulation Crossing Realm after a hundred years of overcoming adversity. It could be said that he was unrivaled in the world. He was compassionate and saved countless people. He built a city called Wuguocheng to accommodate people who had nowhere to return.”
“That’s a great merit,” Qin Wanwan let out a sigh, she was unable to control her gaze at the weak golden light on the temple.
Song Shi lowered his gaze, still with a smile, “Yes, therefore, even when he hadn’t crossed the calamity and become an Immortal, he had been regarded as the Shenjun of this small world.”
As he spoke, Song Shi’s gaze was back at the statue with a hint of irony in his smiling eyes, “But, a hundred years ago, this Shenjun went into a demonic state in one night and slaughtered all the people in the city. The current City Lord, Hua Rong, was able to keep the souls of the people in this city from dispersing, allowing these souls to recultivate the immortal path and become Ghost Immortals. From then on, Wugoucheng was renamed to Guicheng.”
Qin Wanwan felt a ‘thump’ in her heart, and she subconsciously blurted, “Is the City Lord Hua Rong so powerful?”
So powerful to be able to preserve the souls of the people in the face of the demonic Shenjun of a small world?
They were attempting to steal the Linglong Jade from such a person…The truth was they were actually trying to sign their death wish, weren’t they?
Song Shi shook his head, “At that time, City Lord Hua Rong was just a child saved and raised by the Mingjing Shenjun. He was only at Nascent Soul. After that battle, he immediately stepped into the Tribulation Crossing Realm and became the Lord of the Guicheng.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Wanwan immediately realized that something was off. She tensed up as she seemed to have learned something she shouldn’t have.
Song Shi noticed Qin Wanwan’s nervousness. He looked up at the sky then turned his head back to Qin Wanwan, “Gu-guniang, the food will be cold soon, shouldn’t you be on your way back?”
“Ah.” Qin Wanwan grabbed the life-saving straw and nodded, “Yes, I probably should be on my way back.”
She hurried out with a vegetable basket in her hand. After taking two steps, she stopped, “Song-gongzi, I have a question.”
“Please go ahead and ask.”
“What kind of Spiritual Beast does City Lord Hua Rong have?”
Song Shi was taken off guard hearing her unexpected question. A trace of surprise appeared on his face. Then, he smiled and gave Qin Wanwan her expected answer, “It’s Riddle Hide.”
Qin Wanwan slightly bowed and thanked him. She forced herself to calmly take her steps and walked out.
The very moment she stepped out of the courtyard, she burst out sprinting back to their courtyard where Jian Xingzhi had just finished sparring with Xie Gutang while Nanfeng sat on the side eating melon seeds.
Xie Gutang lost to Jian Xingzhi and was quite excited to discuss their recent match.
At the same time, Qin Wanwan stumbled in.
Jian Xingzhi, dressed in a single white shirt and holding his sword behind him, sent an inquisitive look at Qin Wanwan who was running in a panic. “Why are you running? Someone is after you?”
Qin Wanwan swallowed hard and pecked her head like a chicken.
“What’s going on?” Xie Gutang went on alert.
Jian Xingzhi poured a glass of water. He pinched Qin Wanwan’s chin and fed her the water: “Here, sip it slowly and calm down. Bestow me some points.”
“Stop making trouble!”
Qin Wanwan slapped Jian Xingzhi’s hand. She had regained her senses when Jian Xingzhi pestered her. She paused for a moment and mysteriously approached the two of them, “I know a big secret.”
She pulled Xie Gutang with her left hand and Jian Xingzhi with her right hand, tugging them inside.
Jian Xingzhi instinctively glanced at Qin Wanwan’s grasp on Xie Gutang’s hand and silently withdrew his gaze.
When he entered the room, he casually shook off his hand and walked over to Qin Wanwan. He pushed Xie Gutang out of the way and sat down in a chair, “Alright, the barrier is set. Speak.”
Xie Gutang sat next to Jian Xingzhi, while Qin Wanwan sat on the other side. She excitedly approached Jian Xingzhi, “I just went to inquire about Hua Rong’s past and found out that two hundred years ago, Hua Rong was adopted by a person named Lin Yanzhi. Lin Yanzhi built this Guicheng and became a pseudo-immortal in this world. But later, he fell into the demonic way and slaughtered the people of Guicheng. Hua Rong managed to protect the Guicheng and its people and he became the new City Lord.”
“Master, I also found that secret, “Nanfeng voiced, “And, I have heard that Hua Rong’s criteria for finding a male pet is that the person must be similar to Mingjing Shenjun. For example, Xie Daoujin has a similar temperament; Jian Daojun has a similar face. There are also a bunch of men in the backyard, some with similar noses and some with similar eyes.”
“According to those male pets, although he summoned them into the mansion, none truly have seen him in person.”
Xie Gutang also pitched in. Qin Wanwan was astonished. She risked her life to snoop around, but unexpectedly, these people had more information than her.
She proceed to take in the news, “So, a hundred years ago, Hua Rong was in the Golden Core realm, but after Lin Yanzhi fell into a demon, he reached Tribulation Crossing. Now, he spends his life trying to find a man similar to Lin Yanzhi. What has he done and what is his plan? Have you guys thought about it?”
“What does Qin-guniang mean?” Xie Gutang went into thinking mode.
Nanfeng was stunned, then muttered, “I think I know.”
“That’s right.” Qin Wanwan traded glances with Nanfeng. They spoke at the same time, “He is trying to find a substitute!”
“Back then, for righteousness, he killed Lin Yanzhi, and his cultivation advanced by a lot.” Qin Wanwan clenched her fist.
“But, after losing Lin Yanzhi, he realized that the world without Lin Yanzhi was meaningless!” Nanfeng followed up excitedly.
“He searched for substitutes one after another, hoping to find the past love from these men! Even if it’s illusory, even if it’s not real, as long as there is a trace!”
Qin Wanwan was fired up, and Nanfeng nodded heavily. They shared the same sympathetic expression: “But in the end, a substitute is a substitute, and it still hurts!”
“His spiritual beast is Riddle Hide, and according to my dream last night, Linglong Jade must be in his hand, or in the Riddle Hide’s body. So, the million-dollar question is, how do we approach him?”
Qin Wanwan scanned their faces, expecting an answer.
Jian Xingzhi furrowed his brow. He hesitated to speak.
“I went to Cuilu today to inquire about the news. She told me that Hua Rong would appear every other month and choose a man he liked to sleep with. There are still seven days left,” Jian Xingzhi glanced around and said, “We can prepare for it.”
“What is Hua Rong’s type?” Nanfeng wemt to look at Qin Wanwan, who had seen Lin Yanzhi’s statue.
Qin Wanwan stressed her answer, “He likes cultured people.”
Jian Xingzhi’s face changed greatly, and Qin Wanwan abruptly became enlightened. She raised her eyes at Jian Xingzhi with an enthusiastic smile, “Shifu, we need to work hard these seven days.”
“No, I…” Jian Xingzhi tensed up, “It doesn’t need to be me, right? How about we depend on Xie Daojun for it?”
“Shifu, as you said, one must not give up. Recall how many times my ribs have been broken by you. There’s no harm with reading compared to that, how could you give up just like this?”
Qin Wanwan perked up and ruffled her sleeves, “In this way, I will go and search for mountains of books for you. Cultivating is an effort, and so is reading. Shifu, just wait for me.”
Qin Wanwan swiftly stood up and called Nanfeng.
She happily went to Cuilu to apply for an exit token and headed straight to the bookstore.
She arrived at the largest bookstore in Guichend. She marveled at the vast sea of books as it filled her with a thrill of revenge.
“Boss,” Qin Wanwan blurted and smashed out all her belongings, “Bring me all the collections of literature and poetry from the cultivation world which have been around for thousands of years!”
————·————·————
Author’s Note
Qin Wanwan: “You taught me how to fight, and I taught you how to read. Isn’t this the most beautiful teacher-disciple relationship? A rib for a poetry collection spanning 5000 years. Shifu, come on. Memorize it,”
【Mini Theater】
Qin Wanwan: Shifu said that he is an independent fighter and likes to fight alone. He doesn’t need protection!
Jian Xingzhi: I never said that! Don’t slander me!
Qin Wanwan: Shifu said that he is going to memorize a poetry collection spanning tens of thousands of years for the greater good!
Jian Xingzhi: I never said that!! Shut up!!
Qin Wanwan: Shifu said that he dares to challenge the renowned literary genius for a poetry match. If he loses, he will unalive himself!
Jian Xingzhi: I never said that!!! And I dare not!!!
Qin Wanwan: Shifu said, he wants to marry me.
Jian Xingzhi: I never一! Oh wait, this one, I have said it.
Let me check on the plot so I can get another laugh.
“Do not support theft: Please read the original translation at Elysian Pit WordPress (elysianpit.com)“
Footnotes
[1] 君子报仇，十年不晚 – jūnzibàochóu, shíniánbùwǎ. Lit. for a gentleman to take revenge, ten years is never too late. ↵
[2] 谜藏 – mícáng. Can be read as Riddle Hide, I believe. ↵
[3] 明净神君. míngjìng shénjūn ↵
明净 – míngjìng. Bright and Pure; Peace and Clarity; Luminous.
神君 – shénjūn. A title for someone hailed as a deity/god, Divine Sovereign; Divine Lord; Lord God. ↵
[4] 在下 – zàixià. Referring to I (myself). Under; in the lower place. ↵
Lei’s Corner
These days, whenever I touch my laptop, I get a flurry of questions. It’s so bothersome that I decided not to touch my laptop at all.
Merry Christmas, though.
It starts to get serious from this Arc, good luck catching all the clues~
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Likes and comments are very much appreciated because the notifications remind me that I still have ongoing translations in hands (and someone does read my translations). ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
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Words count (excluding title, footnotes, TL’s corner): 3658
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