Ch130 - Raid

Protagonist views records of past noncon somnophilia. NSFW.

—

Tan Daoyao was finally conscious, so Xie Zhiwei all but flew to his quarters. Currently, Du Sheng was cradling a golden light in his hands, the center of which shone a vaguely lotus-shaped flower—this was the Golden Lotus so critical to Mu He’s survival.

He saw Xie Zhiwei enter and said with a bow, “Xie zhenren, this poor monk has already drawn out Golden Lotus. You can take it to save the Shizi now.”

Looks like Tan Daoyao’s recovered. The stone in Xie Zhiwei’s heart settled while he bowed back politely. “After this surnamed Xie rescues him, I will definitely have him come personally to the Buddhist sect’s door to thank them for their kindness.”

Du Sheng only shook his head. “We are all in danger. Helping Shizi is also aiding the Buddhist sect.”

The King of Nine Provinces walked over next and praised those words. “This king is in admiration of Great Master’s understanding of the greater good. Now that we can use Golden Lotus, the troops can be sent to the capital within a few days. Xie Zhiwei, what do you think?”

Of course Xie Zhiwei felt that sooner was better. Right now they still lacked moonlight to suppress the demon world’s hostile qi, but they couldn’t afford to wait. With Golden Lotus in hand, perhaps he could try…even if he didn’t succeed, he would’ve done his best.

And even if he really left by the end, he shouldn’t feel particularly reluctant.

His fingers slowly cured as he spoke. “This surnamed Xie will do his best to cooperate.”

Time Remaining: 1 Day 10 Hours.

—

Tantai Meng was buried on the eve of dispatching troops to the capital. Du Sheng had chosen to place her gravesite at a lofty point in the snow cedar forest behind the Buddhist sect. On a clear day, one could stand here and enjoy a full view of the capital city dozens of li away.

If peace returned in the future, this girl would definitely be pleased by the sights.

Nearly all of the people in the cultivation world with some name to themselves came, tens of thousands strong. Yet the crowd was consciously silent as they sent off the early death of the Buddhist sect’s sole female disciple.

Xie Zhiwei stood at the forefront of the crowd, musing to himself. If Mengmeng is in Heaven, then may she bless us with some moonlight. When all’s done and Mu He returns as a king, I have to make him buy the best clothes in the capital and burn them for her. Or maybe have Mu He scatter his money to all those homeless beggars…whatever Mengmeng likes, we’ll do.

After shoveling in the last bit of yellow earth, Du Sheng said softly, “Meng-er don’t worry, Master will seek justice for you.”

As the burial ceremony was coming to an end, his voice was echoed by the rest of the crowd.

“Yes, seek justice for Miss Tantai!”

“We’ll definitely bring Yin Cangshan to justice!”

“Eradicate the evil demon!”

Amidst the clamor, the King of Nine Provinces stepped forward. “This king thanks you all on behalf of the imperial court. Right now, that traitor Yin has besieged the palace and His Imperial Majesty is in danger. As the imperial court and cultivation world are interdependent, we need to rely on your assistance.”

By his side, the leading figure of the cultivation world, Yan Zhifei, added, “We will give our full support.”

Another burst of noise came from the crowd below.

Looking grateful, the King of Nine Provinces cupped his hands. “Miss Tantai has now been laid to rest, so it’s improper for us to disturb her here. I ask that every faction’s leader move with this king into Mahavira Hall to discuss details of the deployment.”

As expected of a major figure. No matter his private affairs, he was very proper onstage and great at rallying others. As the crowd petered out from the rear mountains behind the King of Nine Provinces, Xie Zhiwei noticed Du Sheng still hadn’t budged from the grave. He walked over and asked, “Does Great Master still have words to tell Miss Tantai?”

Du Sheng looked at him. “This poor monk only has something to tell Meng-er in front of Xie zhenren.”

Xie Zhiwei was brushing paper ashes off the tombstone when he stopped at the words. “Great Master, please speak.”

“There’s no need to return Golden Lotus.”

Xie Zhiwei was slightly stunned. “Great Master doesn’t want it anymore?”

Du Sheng sighed. “Chi Yan’s attack came first, Yin Cangshan’s offensive next. The Buddhist sect was razed twice because of this object. Why should we keep it? Better not to have it.”

Xie Zhiwei couldn’t refute him.

The four lotuses represented “creation, statis, destruction, and emptiness.” The “creation” powers of Golden Lotus made it first of the Five Treasures including Qingping Sword. It had no killing powers and could only protect someone from dying. Furthermore, it was enshrined in the world’s foremost Buddhist sect, Aureate Sect, so few people had designs on it. They preferred to vie over the other four treasures instead.

Golden Lotus and Aureate Sect were alike in name and had nearly become a symbol of the Buddhist sect itself. Even the robes of their high monks were embroidered with gold lotuses.

Yet was a treasure still a treasure after it brought catastrophe over your head?

Du Sheng’s eyes shone with the vicissitudes of life. “It will be impossible to separate the Five Treasures after they combine, nor will anyone be able to take them away. That’s why so many people with ulterior motives will spare no effort to collect them all. This poor monk only hopes that the Shizi can combine all five treasures and truly end the world’s struggles…may the calamity that befell the Buddhist sect be the last of its kind in this world.”

Xie Zhiwei’s lips curved into a faint arc. “It definitely will.”

Du Sheng bowed as he spoke, which Xie Zhiwei returned politely. The two of them reached a tacit agreement on the matter and prepared to leave when they heard the sound of sobbing from the woods. Both stopped in dismay before Xie Zhiwei softly called out, “Daoyao?”

Tan Daoyao was originally lying in bed, but ran out dressed in thin inner robes. His exposed wrists and ankles were frozen pink, but his face was even redder and covered in a mix of tears and chapped skin in the wake of dried tear tracks.

Du Sheng stepped forward. “Child, why did you come here? It’s far too cold.”

Tan Daoyao looked fixedly at the tombstone and sobbed, “I came to send off big sis…Great Master, I want to avenge my big sis! Aren’t you all going to the capital city? Take me along too!”

Du Sheng took off his robe to drape it over him with a sigh. “How can you avenge her? Weren’t you beaten up by a mere unarmed adult in the past?”

Tan Daoyao sniffled before he burst into wails and ran in front of Tantai Meng’s tomb. “But big sis can’t just die like that.”

Xie Zhiwei walked to him and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll take revenge for her.”

Tan Daoyao looked up in a daze. “Then, what can I do for big sis?”

“She wanted to save you and Golden Lotus even at the cost of death,” Xie Zhiwei looked at him, words firm. “What you need to do is to live well. Live as the best version of yourself.”

—

For the latter half of the night, Faceless had Qiu Chongyun pass on a message that Yin Cangshan had rampaged again tonight and nearly killed Yin Wushuang by mistake. Currently his spiritual power had been weakened, so he was hiding in his rooms and drew a boundary field to enclose himself.

This was prime time for a surprise attack.

The King of Nine Provinces gave an order before the crusade against Yin Cangshan divided between horses and men to head for the capital. As Yin Cangshan had also deployed troops of his own, they met with a few ambush attacks along the way. Yet the cultivation world was very capable and left a few groups to deal with them while the rest continued to advance. When the main force of the sects settled the attackers and followed the army, they were still a huge group upon reaching the capital.

The city gates were tightly shut and there was nothing but dead silence on the walls. The gate guards stared nervously at the countless crowd beneath, never expecting these immortal-like cultivators would actually congregate and follow behind the King of Nine Provinces’ army as if descending from the Heavens.

They were very shocked. Wasn’t the King of Nine Provinces…locked up in the Yin Estate?

Both sides faced off in a wordless stalemate. For a while, only torches were lit.

Time Remaining: 18 Hours.

An impatient Xie Zhiwei simply rode his sword atop the city tower. Dark clouds covered the skies behind him, the same hue as his crow-gray robes. Qingping Sword shone in his grip as he said, “Swords have no eyes. I hope that you will spare your lives by opening the city gates, please.”

These weren’t all mortal guards but also included cultivators arranged among their ranks by Yin Cangshan. Although most of them didn’t recognize Xie Zhiwei, they knew his sword. At once someone exclaimed, “Qingping Sword! Bixu zhenren Xie Zhiwei?”

Xie Zhiwei nodded. “It is precisely this surnamed Xie.”

He only realized after he spoke that he was putting on a show again. It was too late in the plot to pose when time was so urgent, which was a pity.

Shock yielded shock, but the men only obeyed Yin Cangshan’s orders and wouldn’t retreat for the sake of  single Xie Zhiwei. The leader cried, “Stop them!”

But it was already too late. Yan Zhifei had led the other cultivators to fly up as well while the guards used all their strength to resist. Instantly, arrows and streams of fire rose in all directions as spiritual sword qi filled the air.

Outside the gates, the King of Nine Provinces shouted, “Xie Zhiwei, don’t worry about this place! Head for the Yin Estate to investigate Royal Son’s situation first!”

Xie Zhiwei nodded as he stood on the frozen city walls and planned to open the gates to let them in when he realized someone had beat him to it. He gave a start and looked again, only to see…

Xie Zhiwei flew down and strode forward quickly, grabbing that person by the lapels. “Youngest junior brother, why did you come too?!”

Chu Zhishi was dressed in a wide cloak that covered his entire body and half-missing arm. He yanked off his mask and arched his eyebrows. “My hand got itchy seeing you guys come killing and fighting here, so I snuck in to join the fun. Second senior brother, don’t you tell eldest senior brother, ah.”

“I already know!” a voice boomed from behind them.

Chu Zhishi shivered before he was all smiles. “Eldest senior brother.”

Yan Zhifei walked over with a sullen face. “What did I tell you before I left? You’ve just started walking and now you’ve run here to mess around. Zhiqi, take care of him.”

Xia Zhiqi waved her sword to extinguish some streams of fire before she said coldly without looking away, “You’re just adding to the chaos.”

Chu Zhishi only pursed his lips and picked up Lingkong with his hand while channeling spiritual energy into it to support his drooping shoulder on the other side. He said to Xie Zhiwei, “Second senior brother, do what you have to do. I’d like to show her whether I’m making a mess or helping out.”

Xie Zhiwei made a noise of assent and prepared to go when he suddenly reached out to tug at him with a small voice. “Youngest junior brother, thank you.”

Chu Zhishi just waved a hand. “Don’t don’t don’t, I’m not doing this for that disciple of yours.” He mustered up a serious, dignified expression and put up a front. “It’s the daoist sect’s duty to eliminate demons and defend the Way, so I’m just acting as I ought.”

From a distance, Chen Daoyuan’s voice rose in a shout of admiration. “Shizun is wise and brilliant!”

Chu Zhishi laughed out loud. More and more guards rushed out from the city, so he waved his sword and rushed forward without looking back, using both weapons in tandem as if invincible.

Xie Zhiwei seemed infected by his spirits and also grinned. He stepped onto Qingping Sword and flew into the city. The entire way, he saw people below him fleeing for their lives. As he approached the city center, more and more fugitives appeared. All of the people seemed to be avoiding the heart of the city where the Yin Estate stood.

The air above that area was illuminated by fire that dyed the skies red. Xie Zhiwei’s heart lurched as he flew even higher until he saw the entire scene below him. All of Yin Estate had been enveloped in dark red light and a fire was burning outward with it in the center. The formerly prosperous marketplace had already been reduced to ashes or was blazing away. People’s wails converged as they panicked and scattered in all directions.

How can this be?

Xie Zhiwei landed amidst the crowds and grabbed a fleeing man to ask, “Dare I ask what happened?”

“I don’t know, ah. I was sleeping in the middle of the night when a fire broke out. Don’t hold onto me, so many people burned to death, hurry and run.” The man pried off Xie Zhiwei’s fingers and continued fleeing with the rest of the crowd towards the exit.

Everyone was anxious and in a hurry. Many of their faces were blackened by soot. Some fled with families, others alone, as the most prestigious location in the dynasty turned into a living purgatory. Xie Zhiwei kept moving forward and soon reached the outskirts of the fire, which was currently burning through everything in sight. This was supposed to be a No Man’s land, but he still saw three figures here.

Yin Wushang’s face was full of tears as she blocked in front of Faceless dressed as the King of Nine Provinces. Meanwhile, Yin Cangshan was aggressively approaching the pair.

“Daughter, make way,” Yin Cangshan said. “After killing him, the world will be ours.” He had lost all traces of humanity, his eyes blood-red in a similar state as Mu He when he was suffering the negative effects of his hallucinations. The hostile qi in his body had been aroused by Red Lotus to explode outwards, flowing and exploding into flames around him with every step he took.

Yin Wushuang was sobbing. “Father, it’s not like that! He’s not Uncle King…stop!”

Yin Cangshan stared with his eyes blinded by blood, voice morose. “He’s a fake? Then you’re not real either, right?”

His body full of hostile qi exploded once again. A few sparks landed at Yin Wushuang’s feet, making her shriek before Faceless pulled her aside. The corner of his mouth was covered in blood, a sign of serious injuries. He told Yin Wushuang, “Commandery princess, he’s already lost all reason. Hurry and run out of the city, the king and the rest are already here.”

“What about you?”

“I can’t run anymore,” Faceless replied. “I’ll stay here to block him.”

“Just you?” Yin Cangshan instantly flickered behind him to cut off all retreat. “Not a single one will leave. All of you can die.”

He backhanded his palm towards the pair. Faceless pushed Yin Wushuang aside before decisively closing his eyes, but the expected hostile qi never hit him. He heard Yin Wushuang exclaim in a stunned voice, “It’s you? Mu He gege’s shizun?”

Faceless opened his eyes. Sure enough, there was that cultivated, bamboo-like back blocking in front of him. He said hastily, “This humble one is grateful for Xie zhenre’s lifesaving grace.”

The sparks on Qingping Sword’s blade died out while Xie Zhiwei raised his hand. “No need for formalities. Take Commandery Princess Yin away first.”

“Xie Zhiwei Xie zhenren?” Yin Cangshan suddenly laughed as his expression turned utterly gruesome. “Are you real or fake?”

…did everyone who hallucinated like to ask this question? What’s the difference between this and a psychotic episode?

If he’d known this earlier, he might as well have asked Mu He to give him Red Lotus back at Mahavira Hall. Then things would be less troublesome later.

Xie Zhiwei intentionally provoked him. “This surnamed Xie is fake. Your hallucinations are getting more serious.”

Yin Cangshan stiffened before veins popped out on his forehead. “No!” he seethed, “How can this be? Nothing can happen to me!”

“But it’s already out of your control,” Xie Zhiwei said. “What can you do?”

Yin Cangshan suddenly let out a harsh roar as the hostile qi in his body raged again. He tried to restrain himself by force but spat out a mouthful of blood instead.

Yin Wushuang shrank back with dripping tears. “You’re Mu He gege’s shizun, so you must be more powerful than him, right? You have a way to save my father, right?”

Xie Zhiwei gazed at her teary face and felt a bit reluctant, but still gritted his teeth in the end to say, “That’s right. But the commandery princess must listen to my words, or else it won’t work.”

Yin Wushuang nodded furiously. “Hurry and speak, I’ll listen to anything!”

“Commandery princess should lend me the hairpin in your hair and then leave this place with Faceless.”

Yin Wushuang half trusted, half doubted his words as she removed her hairpin and asked in a daze, “But father gave me this hairpin…you’re really not lying to me?”

Xie Zhiwei nodded, but he was apologizing in his heart. Sorry ah, sister. I really have no other way.

Yin Wushuang bit her lip before she placed her gold hairpin in Xie Zhiwei’s palm. She gave Yin Cangshan a teary look. “Father, I’ll be back very soon.”

“You can’t leave!” Yin Cangshan’s face changed from anger to sorrow. “Daughter, don’t go!”

He wanted to chase back Yin Wushuang, but Xie Zhiwei blocked his way, giving Faceless the chance to whisk Yin Wushuang away.

Yin Cangshan flew into a rage. “Courting death!”

He raised his hand to aim another palm strike at Xie Zhiwei, but the latter only said lightly, “You want to find your daughter? But she’s already been killed by you.”

Yin Cangshan’s eyes widened, the pupils bloodshot. “What did you say?”

“I said, when you went on a rampage just then, you killed her by mistake.”

“I don’t believe it!” Yin Cangshan howled. “You’re lying to me!”

Xie Zhiwei waved the hairpin in front of his face. “Take a look at this?”

The words “Wushuang” were inscribed on the hairpin and flickered in the fire light.

Yin Cangshan stiffened up and stared at Xie Zhiwei’s hand like a corpse. “No…impossible!”

Xie Zhiwei endured the pain to pierce himself with the hairpin and went on to say, “See, this is her blood. She’s really dead, or else why would she throw away the hairpin she loves so much?”

Yin Cangshan couldn’t stop rambling. “Impossible…how could this be…”

“King Yin, you know this hairpin best. When you met this surnamed Xie beneath the bed last time, it was because you went into Shizi Mu He’s rooms to look for it. Your daughter’s name is carved on it, there’s no fake.” Xie Zhiwei said before tossing the hairpin at Yin Cangshan.

He caught it in a panic and carefully touched it a few times before picking violently at the words with his nails. At last he broke into uncontrollable wailing. “Daughter…father did all this for you, ah! But father actually…father’s let you down…”

“For your daughter’s sake?” Xie Zhiwei had no sympathy. “For your daughter’s sake, you made the entire world your enemy? Your daughter is innocent!”

“I didn’t want to make the world my enemy,” Yin Cangshan murmured, then laughed maniacally. “I only wanted the world for my own so I could give its best to my daughter! Mortals have limited lifespans. I can only plan everything for her in advance!”

Xie Zhiwei was curious. “She’ll eventually marry someone else. Do you think you can look after her for the rest of her life?”

Yin Cangshan scoffed. “My daughter is innocent by nature, willful, and stubborn. How could I bear to see her bow her head to others after marriage? She can only have her pick of suitors after becoming the most noble woman in the world!”

Another f**king twisted father…

Xie Zhiwei had no strength to mock him, so he provoked him instead. “Isn’t it you who spoiled her into that kind of personality? You ruined her! You’ve already isolated yourself by betraying everyone; now that she’s dead, your plans have gone up in smoke.”

“No!” Yin Cangshan bowed his head. The blood on the hairpin stained his hands and caused him to fall apart. “I’m not listening! She’s not dead!”

Xie Zhiwei seized a chance during his breakdown to slash forward with Qingping Sword. Yin Cangshan gave a wretched scream and fell into the blazing fires. Xie Zhiwei was thrilled and wanted to see if he was dead, but the flames were full of hostile qi and he couldn’t approach at all. He looked up at the skies—still gloomy with no signs of clearing.

Beneath the dark clouds was a line of fish white on the horizon.

Time Remaining: 16 Hours.

Would there be a moon? How was Mu He doing now?

Xie Zhiwei suddenly wanted to sleep and meet him, but he couldn’t enter the spell formation and was afraid that Mu He wouldn’t last if he used more spiritual energy for the dreamscape. He went around in circles, afraid that Yin Cangshan would be fine and run back out of the flames. In the end he could only bolster his spirits and keep circling around the blazing Yin Estate while sweeping for any movement with his divine sense.

Calm down, calm down. It’s no use panicking now. I’ll guard here until the King of Nine Provinces arrives with the rest to discuss countermeasures.

Xie Zhiwei tried not to think about how much time was left. For the sake of distracting himself, he opened up Gallant Outlaw’s TXT file again. Not longer after reading, there was a plot twist. The disciple leveled up after fighting monsters with his master and obtained the secret treasure that everyone was fighting for. However, the villain got wind of the fact and came to question them. In order to conceal the truth for his disciple’s sake, the master claimed that the treasure was in his body. The unrelenting villain fought him using underhanded tricks and caused the master’s tragic death.

Xie Zhiwei guessed that the disciple would blacken after this. Sure enough, it’s Gallant Outlaw’s usual trope.

Indeed, the disciple grew and blackened, but he had no idea his master had long cultivated to immortality and resurrected four years later. But then his master went incognito with a different name to silently guard his disciple from the shadows and clear invisible obstacles in his way.

Xie Zhiwei was amused. What’s this? Sneaking around to help? It’s like the silent repayment of the little mermaid. People might even think the master has a crush on his disciple.

As he read on, the disciple thought his cultivation had reached a high realm and slacked off slightly, spending his days wallowing in obsession about his master’s death. For the sake of inspiring him, the master pretended to be the villain after killing the man and provoked the disciple. But then he was captured and his identity exposed. The disciple was pleasantly surprised and brought him back to lock him up.

Actually, Xie Zhiwei felt something was wrong by the time he read about the disciple “wallowing in the master’s death.” He gave a violent jolt when the master pretended to be the villain, but couldn’t stop himself from reading on. Sure enough, after the disciple locked up his master, he confessed his feelings.

Confessed, fessed, ed….

Xie Zhiwei cursed but was compelled to keep reading.

Later on the master couldn’t accept it at all while the disciple kept pursuing him. After a series of indescribable behaviors, the master was moved. And then he skimmed a dozen more sentences to the end, where the latest update had the disciple in trouble and the master facing a rescue plan with a 90 percent chance of death. Unable to face his heart, the master was left entangled with his inner feelings…

Xie Zhiwei took a deep breath before opening up the System. “Gallant Outlaw you grandpa, are you sick of living?!”

Gallant Outlaw seemed to anticipate his reaction and only chuckled shamelessly. “How can that be when we’re both ghosts? I’m not sick of living, but sick of death. Idol, you finished reading it?”

Xie Zhiwei forced a smile. “Good job ah. Ready-made subject matter, is it?”

“Heheheheh, I was curious about what kind of ending this story would give me, and now it’s clear.” Gallant Outlaw rubbed his hands. “This is my first time trying danmei and I think it’s not bad, heheheheheh.”

“Beautiful your grandpa!” Xie Zhiwei blew up. “After all the extra descriptions you added, my image has been completely changed okay?!”

Gallant Outlaw gave a start before he explained, “I did gloss over some details and fine-tuned others, but I never added extra descriptions, ah. It’s easy for people to misunderstand you when you treat the hero so well…”

“I’m not talking about that!” Xie Zhiwei couldn’t stand it. “Touch your f**king conscience and tell me, did the hero ever run into my rooms and night and use my hand to jerk him…so helpless! My high and lofty image ruined to be completely at the mercy of others. Am I that weak?”

Gallant Outlaw gave a dry cough and actually patted his chest soundly. “I’ll touch my conscience and spill. Cough…this has happened before. Idol you were knocked out by Black Lotus so you didn’t feel a thing ah, but I saw it very clearly in the plot.”

Xie Zhiwei sucked in a cold breath. He wasn’t someone easily embarrassed. Even when Mu He was with him for three days and three nights, he could speak of it without blushing or struggling for breath, but this time his face burned up to the roots of his ears.

After a while, he stammered, “This…I, can I see it?”

Gallant Outlaw was first surprised, then sucked in a cold breath himself. “Idol, you want to watch?”

Xie Zhiwei cleared his throat.” Not really…I’m just curious.”

“True. Something so sensational made me curious too. I felt the whole sky light up when I was done: so you could do it that way too. The hero really knows how to play.”

Xie Zhiwei silently rolled his eyes.

Then he heard a beep before an image appeared before him. Mu He was hugging his unconscious body while stroking his collarbone. Xie Zhiwei’s clothes were messy and obviously ripped.

That was during that night in the side compound.

Xie Zhiwei’s first reaction upon seeing Mu He was a subtle jolt in his heart. When he saw himself, he wanted to explode again. But he couldn’t help holding his breath and carefully watching on, because Mu He had lifted his hand for a light kiss on the back of his palm. Xie Zhiwei immediately felt the same spot on his hand begin to burn as if Mu He was kissing him right now. He couldn’t believe his own reaction and gulped to continue watching. Then he saw Mu He tremble and take his hand to place it between his legs, holding it firmly.

He saw Mu He swell and grow in his hands, his face flushed with excitement as he murmured by his ear, “I like shizun,” kissing him deeply as the fluids in their mouths mixed… Xie Zhiwei tried his best to restrain his breathing until the Mu He in the image released cathartically in his hand.

Xie Zhiwei exhaled heavily and prepared to close the screen. The blood in his veins was boiling, but he saw Mu He topple on top of his body and nuzzled repeatedly against his neck. Although he was smiling, whatever he was thinking about made large drops of tears fall from his eyes to dampen the crow-gray robes.

Mu He said, “For disciple to meet shizun in this life…is truly wonderful.”

—

The author has something to say: Ah, I glimpse the shadow of the ending.

Translator’s Note: Man, remember when Xie Zhiwei mentioned that all his sect siblings died in the original story except for Chu Zhishi? Look at them all gathered in the same convenient location to be picked off one by one—just kidding, just kidding.

The Chinese commenters:

(I believe in previous chapters Chu Zhishi had Lingkong flying in front of him while holding Thunderstrike with one hand, so this is fully plausible!)