Ch88 - Clouded doubts

At that time, he’d infused spiritual power into this willow branch and tied it to the hero’s wrist so it’d be easier to track him down anytime. After he died, the spiritual power dissipated and the willow lost its vitality, thus withering and drying up. Thinking back to these four years, Mu He had changed a lot. He also accomplished many things on his path to growth. But very little of his matters related to Xie Zhiwei except two things: kill the Bai duo and Chi Yan as revenge, and collect the different lotuses.

The rest of his goals were still the same as four years ago.

Summit City’s dwellings were empty, but his compound still maintained the appearance of the past. Mu He’s right hand had been healed by Xie Zhiwei out of curiosity, but who knew how long he’d leave it crippled otherwise? Then there was this willow branch. It still had the same few leaves as four years ago.

Does he think everything can go back to four years ago if he keeps things unchanged?

Obsession, sensitivity, and extreme insecurity weren’t the traits of a stallion novel protagonist, but Mu He had these traits all magnified.

…an outsider might even think this is the hero of an re-educational film who got the wrong script

Xie Zhiwei felt too powerless to rant.

A drop of something warm landed on the back of his hand. He looked down and saw that it was a teardrop. Some of it wet the willow strand as well. Looking up, he spotted Mu He’s red and swollen eyes. Tears dangled from his eyelashes and flowed down his face and chin to drip downwards.

Xie Zhiwei sighed and patted his head. “Go ahead and cry. As long as it makes you feel better, Master doesn’t mind.”

Mu He’s eyelashes trembled before two more drops of tears dripped down from them.

Spiritual power entered ceaselessly into his body. Although the various energies within him still refused to meld, his body temperature had balanced out. His forehead was no longer so hot, nor his palms so cold. More importantly, he had quieted down and stopped rambling nonsense. He seemed to be in the throes of a long and pleasant dream, his slightly furrowed brows finally relaxing.

Xie Zhiwei thought back to that night years ago when he tucked Mu He into bed from the windowpane. At that time Mu He had no worries and was carefree enough to fall asleep holding a book. In a flash, he’d become an adult with such heavy burdens.

At this moment, someone knocked on the door. “Shizi, Xie zhenren.”

Xie Zhiwei recognized the little maid’s voice and asked, “It’s so late, is something wrong?”

“Reporting to Shizi and Xie zhenren, someone’s broken in.”

Xie Zhiwei was currently calming Mu He down with spiritual power, so he couldn’t sense anything. But he was puzzled: how could Mu He’s boundary field be broken through just like that?

“Where are they?”

The maid’s voice shook. “Right, right next to this servant.”

Xie Zhiwei immediately rose to his feet while Mu He swayed and fell into his arms. He hastily caught him and heard someone speak.

“Shizi, this commoner has a request. I don’t know if I can meet you?”

Xie Zhiwei gave a start. Tantai Meng? Interesting. So she can come in with Golden Lotus?

Did she run here all by herself?

The little maid’s teeth chattered as she stood by the door, a slender jade-like finger pressed on the fatal acupoint of her neck. She looked up sadly at Tantai Meng and said, “Big sister, I did everything I needed to. Please let me go.”

Tantai Meng soothed, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you. I’ll let you go as soon as I see them.” Her words were gentle but her finger was firm, as if she could snap the neck at any second. The maid’s hairs stood on end as tears welled up in her eyes. Before them, the door opened a crack and revealed half of Xie Zhiwei’s body.

Seeing this, the maid exclaimed, “Xie—”

“Shhh,” Xie Zhiwei shushed. “Don’t alert others for such a minor thing.”

The maid was about to cry. Her life was at stake, so how could it be just a “minor thing?”

Tantai Meng looked guarded at Xie Zhiwei before her gaze drifted behind him. “I heard her say you’re someone very important to the Shizi. So he’s really here?” When Xie Zhiwei nodded, she pulled the maid closer until tears were streaming down the girl’s face.

“It’s indeed a minor matter for the Shizi. But if I can’t find a solution, I don’t mind making a mountain out of a molehill.”

Xie Zhiwei’s expression sank. “There’s nothing wrong with you liking the Shizi, but it’s indecent to make such a scene.”

Tantai Meng was completely confused. “What are you saying? I, I like the Shizi?”

Xie Zhiwei cleared his throat. “See, you can even move against a little girl, but now you’re afraid to act capricious in front of the Shizi?”

The maid seemed to understand something and began to wept. “Big sister doesn’t need to vent on this servant if she’s unhappy, ah. You’re so pretty the Shizi wouldn’t ever want someone else…”

Tantai Meng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I really haven’t…”

Xie Zhiwei went on, “See, see, she understands the principle better than you. Hurry and release her.”

When Tantai Meng tried to speak again, Xie Zhiwei suddenly grabbed her hand on the servant girl and forcibly separated them with ease.

“Little girl, hurry back and rest. Don’t say anything about this farce.”

The maid exhaled, gave her thanks, and massaged her neck as she ran off with a pounding heart.

Tantai Meng had expended massive effort to break through with Golden Lotus, so now she was all out of strength. When Xie Zhiwei shoved her aside, she had to lean against the veranda pillar to catch her breath, unable to respond.

Xie Zhiwei was puzzled. “Why is your spiritual energy so weak right now?”

Tantai Meng held onto the pillar and struggled to stand up. “Who is this Excellency? Have we met somewhere before?”

Xie Zhiwei finally remembered that Mengmeng had never seen him like this. He pulled up his sleeves and covered his face, only revealing a pair of eyes. “How’s this? Do you recognize me now?”

Tantai Meng was stunned for a moment before her eyes lit up. “Benefactor, it’s actually you!”

“Quiet,” Xie Zhiwei glanced inside the room and saw that Mu He was still sleeping heavily before tiptoeing to shut the door. “This is no place to talk.” He saw that Tantai Meng looked a little frail and pulled her behind a nearby flower stand.

As soon as she got her bearings, Tantai Meng couldn’t resist asking, “Benefactor, you really were captured back to the King of Nine Provinces’ estate. But…the people here all seem to respect you very much. Shizi didn’t make things hard for you, right? Does he know you were pretending to be Chi Yan?”

“He knows, I’m fine,” Xie Zhiwei’s heart was clouded with doubts as he replied vaguely. “And why did you come here?”

Beneath the moon and starlight, Tantai Meng’s eyes glimmered with moisture. “I came for the sake of rescuing Benefactor. Last time I failed at the compound, but it was already empty by the time I returned. I could only track down the king’s manor instead. It’s so wonderful to see that Benefactor’s unharmed.”

Xie Zhiwei felt abashed. He already harbored goodwill towards the heroine even though her personality had changed dramatically. There was nothing wrong with loving the people and she was very good at knowing how to return favors. Even now, she still called him “Benefactor” and risked her life to find him.

“You’ve suffered,” he sighed, “I should truly thank you.”

Tantai Meng bit her lip before forcing down her tears. She suddenly bowed deeply towards Xie Zhiwei. “Benefactor, I beg you to rescue a person.”

Xie Zhiwei quickly helped her up, stunned. “You don’t have to do this. I’ll definitely do my best to save whoever needs saving.”

Tantai Meng bowed again and pled, “I’ve yet to repay Benefactor for your kindness and virtue, so I shouldn’t come finding you trouble. But there’s no other way. That senior’s been tortured too much and he has no way to escape…”

Xie Zhiwei felt that this was too much information at once and couldn’t help saying, “Don’t rush, tell me slowly. Which senior?”

—

Translator’s Note: I have a bad premonition in my heart…

The Chinese commenters:

No. 12 晓月晨曦w (long review):

This is my own unofficial analysis about Wood Box and Teacher Xie’s love line.

Teacher Xie truly views this world as just a novel, an idea that’s persisted to the present. That’s why his attitude towards Wood Box has always been hugging the hero’s thigh to prevent getting hurt after the hero blackens, or coaxing the hero like one would a child. Before [Xie Zhiwei’s] rebirth, he probably had a lot of thoughts about completing tasks and progressing the plot. But! But! He’s already started subconsciously caring about Wood Box. Personally, I think you can tell through certain small actions how Teacher Xie dotes on Wood Box, but he himself doesn’t realize it yet. I think he wouldn’t need to do those things if it was purely for the sake of the plot.

After getting reborn, Teacher Xie gradually realized that the characters in this world are flesh and blood people. In other words, he’s going to switch from third person omniscient POV to first person POV very soon! And gradually discover Wood Box’s sincerity towards him! Because he used to think Wood Box was faking everything! And then he’ll discover his own feelings and fall in love, over.

As for Wood Box, he saw Teacher Xie as a celestial daoist type before [XZW’s] rebirth. They say you shouldn’t meet people who are too outstanding when you’re young but that’s what happened to him. His feelings quietly sprouted and Wood Box tried to hide them. But after Teacher Xie was reborn, Wood Box didn’t want to lose his shizun again and didn’t care what [XZW] thought. So he treated Teacher Xie like that…perhaps, so that Teacher Xie could discover his feelings too.

Right now, Teacher Xie doesn’t mind his image all the time anymore because his three views are already wrecked. In Wood Box’s eyes, this just means he feels closer/more familiar than before. After all, a perfect immortal will always give people a sense of distance. Thus, Wood Box’s feelings soared to the next level! The comments are always saying Teacher Xie is so slow, so dense, but he’s like that for a reason. He’s a straight man who’s never experienced these things in his past life, “I took you as my disciple but you actually want to top me” kind of guy. So he’ll naturally feel confused for a while before gradually responding to reality.

I’ve also had a few guesses about the purpose of He Zheng. Personally, I think he’s there to act as a foil to Wood Box’s sincerity, thus pushing Teacher Xie to fall [in love]. I think that’s more or less correct.

Also, I really want Gallant Outlaw’s POV ah…

And! Finally! This is my first long review! But it feels like I’ve written a bunch of nonsense! Yet I hope Author can see me! Author, I give you my heart!