Chapter 241-244
Ch.241: Humming Smile as Red Robes Fade 2
Xie Lian instantly grabbed hold of him, demanding in alarm, “San Lang?! What’s going on?”
Hua Cheng was still considerably at ease and replied, “It’s nothing. I’ve just overdone it a little.”
Xie Lian was dumbfounded, “...Why didn’t you tell me this sooner, how can this be nothing??”
It’s the spiritual powers, it was all those spiritual powers!
When Hua Cheng transferred spiritual power to Xie Lian, it had always been as if it was an
infinite source, endlessly all for his taking, smiling cheerfully like it was never a burden. But, it
wasn’t like his own spiritual power was a mountain of sand carried in by the rolling waves, so
how could it actually be infinite and endless?
This couldn’t be blamed on Hua Cheng for not saying anything sooner at all, but on Xie Lian
himself who hadn’t realized this sooner. Xie Lian was both panicking and feeling remorseful, “I’ll
return it to you.”
He cupped Hua Cheng’s face and kissed. Feng Xin and Mu Qing had originally planned on
coming over, but when they saw this scene, they instantly pulled back dozens of feet away,
keeping their distance, letting the two of them do what they needed themselves.
The cursed shackles were removed, so he desperately tried to transfer all the spiritual power he
could muster to Hua Cheng, hoping he’d recover soon. But, after kissing him for a good while,
when he let go, the sleeves of Hua Cheng’s red robes and that pair of silver vambraces were
still translucent, half transparent even!
Xie Lian was shaken for a long while, fear overtaking his mind, and he subconsciously reached
for Hua Cheng’s face, cupping it ready to kiss again when Hua Cheng, swift with his hands,
cradled his instead and gave him a small peck, smiling, “Although I’m happy gege is so forward,
but there’s still no need to give me any spiritual powers anymore. But, if gege isn’t just lending
spiritual powers and just simply wanted to kiss me, I don’t mind at all. In fact, the more the
better, I welcome it with open arms.”
“...”
Xie Lian gripped him tightly, on the brink of falling apart, “What’s going on?”
“Just taking a little break, that’s all. Gege, don’t be scared.” Hua Cheng replied,
Xie Lian clutched his head, “How can I not be scared? I’m gonna go crazy!”
By Hua Cheng’s personality, if it wasn’t a severe problem, serious to the point where he could
no longer hide it, why would he allow Xie Lian to see him like this at all?
Spiritual power so abundant it could shatter two cursed shackles, just how much was that
exactly? To say it was as bountiful as the sea wouldn’t be an exaggeration, so how could he not
be affected in the slightest?
They went through so much hardship before all this mess was sorted, and all the knots tied.
Communication was opened between him, Feng Xin and Mu Qing. The cursed shackles that
had bound him for eight hundred some years had also been released. Everything he had always
wanted to confess to Hua Cheng had all been confessed.
Yet when he turned back to run into his arms face full of smiles, what greeted him was a Hua
Cheng who had become like this, so how could he not be frightened? He just might go mad!
Feng Xin and Mu Qing noticed something was wrong, and called out from afar, “Your Highness?
What’s happened?” They jogged a couple steps this way, but then for some reason or another
they paused halfway, feeling like they shouldn’t get close so rashly. In this moment, Xie Lian had
stopped caring for anyone else. He gripped Hua Cheng, his heart almost stopping, looking as if
he was terrified, “WHAT DO I DO?”
Hua Cheng quietly sighed, extended his arms, and once again folded him into his embrace,
“Your Highness, I’ve always watched you.”
This was the second time he said this, but his voice was softer than before. Xie Lian clutched
the red robes at his chest, asking, his mind blank, “I know, I know. But... What should I do
now?”
Hua Cheng’s long and slender fingers gently combed through Xie Lian’s mussed hair, “Then,
Your Highness, do you know why I refuse to leave this world?”
Xie Lian couldn’t understand why Hua Cheng could still be so calm at a time like this, as he was
panicking so hard he was trembling. But while feeling lost, he still simple-mindedly asked,
“Why?”
Hua Cheng replied quietly, “Because I have a beloved who is still in this world.”
Hearing this, Xie Lian was slightly stunned.
He seemed to have heard this somewhere before.
Hua Cheng continued, “My beloved is a brave, noble and gracious special someone. He’s
saved my life, I’ve looked up to him ever since I was young. But, I wanted to catch up to him
more, and become an even stronger person for him. Although, he might not remember me well.
We never really talked. I want to protect him.”
He gazed at Xie Lian, “If your dream is to save the common people, then, my dream, is only
you.”
“...”
Relying on his memory, Xie Lian asked with a trembling voice, “...But.... You won’t, be able to
rest in peace.... Like this...?”
Hua Cheng answered, “I pray to never rest in peace.”
In that instant, all of Xie Lian’s breathing stopped, frozen in this moment. He could faintly hear
two voices, one questioning the other answering.
“If your beloved knew you couldn’t rest in peace because of him, he might feel guilty and
troubled.”
“Then I just won’t let him know why I haven’t gone.”
“After having seen so much, it’d be known sooner or later.” Xie Lian said.
“Then I won’t let him find out I’m protecting him either.”
That ball of ghost fire. In that lantern night, that weak little ghost fire he bought with a few
pennies. That ghost fire who wanted to pull him up from the burial graves in a frozen winter
night. That ghost fire who blocked in front of him before White No-Face and wouldn’t let him go
near danger. That ghost fire who had screamed in torment for him during the time when a
hundred swords pierced his heart!
Hua Cheng said quietly, “Your Highness, I understand your everything.”
“Your courage, your despair; your kindness, your pain; your resentment, your hate; your
intelligence, your foolishness.”
“If I could, I would have you use me as your stepping stone, the bridge you take apart after
crossing, the corpse bones you need to trample to climb up, the sinner who deserved the
butchering of a million knives. But I know you wouldn’t allow it.”
He said as the maple red of his robes slowly faded away.
Xie Lian’s shaking hands tried to grab hold of him, and he never stopped transferring spiritual
powers, but even then he couldn’t prevent Hua Cheng’s form from fading slowly.
His eyes were going blurry, his speech staggered, and he stammered, “...Alright don’t say
anymore, I get it... but, but don’t be like this, alright? San Lang? I... I’ve borrowed so much
spiritual powers from you that I haven’t returned yet. And, I’m actually not done saying all that I
wanted to say earlier, there’s still so much. It’s been so long since anyone listened to me talk,
won’t you stay? Don’t... actually do this. I won’t be able to take it. Twice, it’s been twice already!
I really don’t want there to be a third time!!!”
Hua Cheng had already vanished from this world twice because of him!
However, Hua Cheng only replied, “To die in battle for you is my greatest honour.”
“...”
Those words were like a fatal blow. The tears in Xie Lian’s eyes could no longer be restrained,
and they came pouring out.
Like he was hanging on to the last straw of his life, he pleaded, “You said you would never leave
me.”
However, Hua Cheng replied, “There is no banquet in this world that doesn’t come to an end.”
Xie Lian bowed his head and buried it deep into his chest, his heart and throat in constricted
agony, unable to speak.
Yet soon after, he heard Hua Cheng say above him, “But I will never leave you.”
Hearing this, Xie Lian’s head shot up.
Hua Cheng said to him, “I will come back. Your highness, believe me.”
Although his voice was firm, still his pale face was dimming, becoming transparent. Xie Lian
reached out, wanting to touch his face, but his fingertips went through air. He was startled, then
looked up.
Hua Cheng’s eyes were gentle and blazing, that remaining eye was filled with love, and it gazed
at him silently. He seemed to have said something, but there was no sound. Xie Lian wouldn’t
give up, reaching out with both hands, trying to snatch him deeper into his arms, wanting to hear
better.
But before he could exert force, the one he was holding, and the one holding him, had
disappeared.
In an instant, before him, Hua Cheng shattered into thousands of silver butterflies, transforming
into a breeze of twinkling stars he could neither embrace nor hold.
Xie Lian’s arms came empty, still maintaining an hugging position, moving not a limb. He
couldn’t tell if it was because he hadn’t yet come to his senses or because he couldn’t move at
all, and he knelt there within that dream-like array of butterflies, his eyes widening.
Further down, Feng Xin and Mu Qing had never imagined a scene like this would play out, and
both their faces paled, rushing forward, “YOUR HIGHNESS!”
Feng Xin was the first to charge over, “HOW DID IT SUDDENLY BECOME LIKE THIS?!
WASN’T HE FINE JUST NOW? WAS IT BECAUSE OF THE CURSED SHACKLES??”
Mu Qing hopped and hobbled over, but he couldn’t jump up, so he looked up, yelling at those
silver butterflies, “CRIMSON RAIN SOUGHT FLOWER! DON’T BE JOKING AROUND, IF
YOU’RE NOT DEAD THEN COME THE HELL OUT!”
Naturally, those silver butterflies did not answer him, and they fluttered erratically, flapping their
wings flying towards the sky. Feng Xin reached out to pull Xie Lian up, but Xie Lian remained
sitting on the ground like a stone. Feng Xin didn’t know what to do either anymore, “Is there
something we can do to help? Do you need spiritual power? Can he be saved? Just what
should we do???”
Mu Qing however, had already figured things out by watching, “Drop it, just shut your mouth! –
Nothing could be done now.”
Shimmering, twinkling glow enveloped the air, the wings of the butterflies sparkling, just like their
very first reunion after eight hundred years.
A silver butterfly flew over errantly, lightly brushing the back of his hand, his cheek, his forehead,
full of affectionate longing, as if it was whispering goodbyes. Xie Lian extended a hand numbly,
and let it rest on his hand.
That silver butterfly seemed to be delighted, flapping its wings, and sure enough it stayed for
him. But it couldn’t last, and it wasn’t long before it scattered with the wind.
However, where it had perched, on Xie Lian’s third finger, that red string was still bright and
vivid.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“And then?”
“It’s done.”
“It’s done?”
“It’s done.”
Pei Ming finally couldn’t hold back any longer, “That’s not possible. How can that be it? Even an
amateur like me can tell it’s not done?”
Mu Qing dropped that heavy, bookkeeping report journal on the table and said cooly, “That’s
what I’ve calculated, and it’s done. I can calculate again on the spot right here, will General Pei
please listen well: Take away eight million, eight hundred and eighty thousand merits, then add
six million, six hundred and sixty million merits, plus another seventeen hundred million and two
hundred thousand merits, then minus...”
Feng Xin spoke up, “Alright, that’s enough, you don’t need to count anymore. The numbers are
right, but there must’ve been quite a bit left out. Because if that’s not the case, none of the
numbers add up!”
Mu Qing countered, “Then that’s not my problem, either way I didn’t figure wrong. Maybe if
everyone finds someone else to do the accounting? If I had known things were gonna be like
this I would’ve minded my own business.”
After the Heavenly Capital was destroyed, the scattered, jumbled up heavenly officials finally
regathered, and set up a ward at the summit of Mount TaiCang, a place where no mortals cared
for, establishing a temporary Upper Court. Currently, the heavenly officials were in the heat of
discussing the rebuilding of a new Heavenly Capital.
However, the unfortunate thing was, not only did that major fire scorched all the glorious and
exuberant golden palaces of all the heavenly officials, forcing them to squeeze together and
erect tents temporarily to discuss and rest, all the scrolls and reports were lost in great numbers.
They bickered and dragged, going on for many days, and even now they still couldn’t straighten
any accounts!
One of Pei Ming’s arms was hung in a sling as the other hand rubbed his chin, “Is it my
imagination, or is Xuan Zhen more and more sarcastic these days?”
Feng Xin responded, “Hasn’t he always been this sarcastic? He’s just too lazy to hide it now.”
Mu Qing rolled his eyes and everyone pointed their fingers at him, “DECORUM!”
Mu Qing turned away to leave. Quan Yi Zhen was wrapped completely in bandages, a
humanoid sticky rice wrapped in leaves, exposing only a head full of messy curly hair, and his
words were mumbled and unclear, “Well what do we do now? Who’s going to do the accounting
then?”
Everyone looked to each other, each clearing their throats, and quietly backed away. No one
wanted to take on this task that was hard labour with little returns. Seeing this, Pei Ming sighed,
“Sigh, if only Ling Wen was here. No matter what, no one can complain with the way she
managed things. All this mess of reports are all imprinted in her mind, even if the Palace of Ling
Wen is burnt down there’d be nothing to be afraid of. She would’ve definitely shown results
within a day.”
After having struggled on this godforsaken mountain for so long, most already thought that deep
in their minds, they just didn’t dare say it out loud. However, now that there’s someone taking
the lead, they all agreed, “Yeah!”
“I’ll never say the Palace of Ling Wen is inefficient again!”
“I’ve already not said that in a long time...”
Right then, someone outside came to announce, “Everyone, Lord Rain Master has come!”
Hearing this, all the heavenly officials looked cheered, and immediately went out to greet her
without prompting, only Pei Ming’s expression looked unreadable. He seemed to hesitate for a
moment, but in the end still chose not to go out. Just then, another voice came, “Your Highness!
You’ve come too!”
—————
Ch.242: Atop Mount TaiCang; Thousands of Kinds of Dust Settle
All of a sudden, all the heavenly official’s expressions became even more unreadable than that
of Pei Ming’s.
A white-clad cultivator acknowledged the address, his expression calm and peaceful, his
manners easy and elegant. It was Xie Lian. The group all greeted him, “Your Royal Highness”,
“Your Highness.”
Their expressions and words were all very careful, polite and courteous. Xie Lian also politely
greeted everyone, and went forth in a welcoming gesture, “Lord Rain Master.”
The Rain Master had come before that temporarily built hut, holding the reins of that big,
guardian steed black ox, and she inclined her head over this way in greeting.
On the back of that black ox were giant boxes upon boxes of produce, the reason she had
come, and apparently there was the incredible effect of nurturing spiritual powers after eating
them, so when the heavenly officials heard, a group excitedly went over to divide their shares.
There was also a group that didn’t move. Xie Lian was one of them. Lord Rain Master spoke up,
“I’ve brought something else for Your Highness.”
Xie Lian smiled, “Ah, thank you in advance! What is it?”
The Rain Master took out from within her sleeve something wrapped with a small band of white
cloth, and when she opened it, Xie Lian’s eyes brightened instantly, “Thank you so much, Lord
Rain Master! I’ve been looking everywhere for this!”
Feng Xin came over to take a look too, and also commented, “Rare fantastic silk! This is great!
Now you can finally fix that toy of yours!”
Xie Lian rummaged around his sleeve, and fumbled out a white silk band that was torn in half,
and said joyously, “Yea, finally, the material to fix RuoYe is found! I’ll go patch it up right now!”
However, Feng Xin stopped him, “Patch it up? You?! Forget it, what can you patch? Ask
someone else to help you.” Then he turned his head and shouted, “MU QING! COME GET TO
WORK!”
Mu Qing walked over lazily, replying cooly, “What? What are you trying to say? Tell me to sew
it?”
“Isn’t that your expertise?” Feng Xin said.
Mu Qing humphed, “Aren’t you two too good at using people? Taking me for a servant you can
order around again, tomorrow you’ll probably tell me to sweep the floor.”
Xie Lian laughed, “Nevermind, nevermind. I’ll do it myself.”
But Mu Qing had already taken the white silk bands from his hands, rolling his eyes as he went
to search for needles and threads. After that, Pei Ming came over to give a greeting too, and
was thinking of patting the black ox, but that ox chomped down his teeth loudly, almost breaking
Pei Ming’s fingers. Seeing he wasn’t welcomed, he left in a hurry. Lord Rain Master inquired, “Is
General Pei’s arm still not recovered?”
“Not yet.” Xie Lian replied, “At the time he made an agreement with Rong Guang to use the
sword Ming Guang, and other than his apology, he also had to pay up an arm as the price.
Although in the end Rong Guang’s resentment has dispersed, leaving him some face and didn’t
ask for his arm, it was still heavily injured.”
“I see.” Rain Master said, “No wonder General Pei’s expression was so peculiar.”
Xie Lian muttered inwardly, ‘His peculiar expression was definitely not for this reason.’
Turns out, Pei Ming could not get over the fact that the Rain Master had saved him time and
time again at Mount TongLu and in the great fires of the Heavenly Capital. He was a big man, a
good man who thought himself domineering the heavens and the earth, so he could not
withstand losing a teeny bit of face in front of a woman at all, especially a woman he had past
grievances with. Compared to the Rain Master, he could probably accept the behaviours of
Xuan Ji more. In any case, he couldn’t let it go no matter what, and whenever he saw the Rain
Master he’d feel turbulent, which was why his expression was peculiar.
However, the Rain Master didn’t understand at all what he was feeling turbulent over, so she
had always smiled politely in greeting, the two on two completely different wavelengths, truly
inexplicably absurd.
Rain Master spoke up, “Oh that’s right, Your Highness, how is Xuan Ji?”
“Xuan Ji’s been locked up at the foot of the mountain,” Xie Lian replied, “Did you want to go see
her?”
.
After the great battle, all the monsters and demons that had escaped their seals from all over at
the beginning were temporarily detained in a dungeon at the foot of Mount TaiCang that was
temporarily set up. Xie Lian led the way, but before they reached the dungeon they heard a
series of rough voices swearing. Pei Su and Ban Yue sat at the entrance, both of their
expressions blank.
Right now they lacked serious helping hands, so the two of them were sent over to help the
Upper Court guard the dungeon. Within the dungeon locked Ke Mo, and when he saw his
enemies his eyes turned especially red, and he spent his days yelling and cursing up and down
the heavens nonstop at those two. The two of them pretended they couldn’t understand his
words, and sat together in a row like wooden dolls. When Xie Lian and Rain Master entered,
they rose to their feet, “Your Highness, Lord Rain Master.”
The Rain Master passed a box of produce to them, and Xie Lian said, “Thank you two for your
hard work. Lord Rain Master wants to see Xuan Ji.”
However, Pei Su hesitated for a moment, “Xuan Ji...”
Xie Lian noticed something was wrong and asked, “Is something the matter?”
The two entered the dungeon and found where Xuan Ji was detained, and they were both taken
aback. Within the cell, there was nothing, and all that remained was a set of ragged, torn, red
bridal robe.
Pei Su explained, “Xuan Ji had already dissipated last night.”
Xuan Ji’s resentment actually dispersed, how incredible. It wasn’t that long ago when this
woman’s obsession was still so deep, choking Pei Ming in a deadly hold refusing to let go. Xie
Lian remarked, “Perhaps she finally thought things through.”
Thought through just how in the past hundreds of years she had become such an insane,
despicable grudging woman from a heroic general, a dignified lady of a prestigious house.
Thought through of what she had lost and what she had gained, and in such shame and
embarrassment, she probably didn’t have the face to look back.
She had hoped all this time that she could change the heart of the man who deserted her, either
by moving his heart or with threats, but then violently realized that there was never the chance
to turn things around from the very beginning, and so she finally understood.
But, she was relying on her turbulent feelings, her refusal to yield towards Pei Ming in order to
remain in this world. The moment she thought things through, there was no more reason to stay.
Even thinking about it was a little absurd.
The Rain Master sat down on the spot, looking like she was going to perform a passings service
for her. After all, Xuan Ji was the only one left of the Kingdom of YuShi besides herself. It’d be
impolite of Xie Lian to disturb her, so he stood down and left.
.
After exiting, he saw Pei Su and Ban Yue were munching on the fruits the Rain Master brought
them, so Xie Lian went over and picked one up, ready to crouch down to munch with them. Yet
unexpectedly, he suddenly sensed something, and whipped his head around to look, and saw
not far in the distance in the bushes that were as tall as half a man, something had blitzed by.
Xie Lian instantly tossed the fruit and only said, “Watch over things here!” Before dashing over.
The thing in the bushes noticed it was discovered, and fled even faster. Xie Lian could’ve caught
up in eight steps at first, but he had only taken four steps before he discovered who it was.
Changing his mind, he slowed his pace.
He waited until that creature had fled for a stretch before he suddenly broke in from the side,
blocking the other’s path, “Lady Jian Lan, do you plan on leaving without bidding farewells?”
The other party was indeed Jian Lan who was sneaking around with that fetus spirit cradling in
her arms, and she jumped in surprise by Xie Lian who appeared out of nowhere, “YOU!”
That blanched fetus spirit was baring its teeth in her arms, looking like it wanted to attack but
Jian Lan held it down, “Are you here to stop me?”
Xie Lian didn’t want her to be too alarmed, and said, “Don’t be nervous, I just wanted to give you
something.”
Then, he took out an item, “Your son Cuo Cuo’s grudge is rather strong, it needs to be
restrained. Although it’s already undergoing purification, your cultivation isn’t as high as his, so
it’d be hard to guarantee zero accidents. You’ll need this to assist you.”
The item was a protection charm Xie Lian made himself, and he even demonstrated how to use
it, to prove there was no tricks embedded. Jian Lan watched, and her tension indeed relaxed.
After all, this thing was useful. After some hesitation, she took it, “Thanks.”
“No need.” Xie Lian said, “As long as when you use it, shout three times ‘Your Highness Please
Bless Me’ it’ll do. That way this will be marked under the name of my palace.”
“...”
Jian Lan took a few steps, paused for a moment, but in the end she still couldn’t hold it in and
turned her head around, “You’re not stopping me? Why?”
Xie Lian was waiting for her to look back, and asked her instead of answering, “Then Lady Jian
Lan, why must you go? Feng Xin said he would take care of you both, he will keep his word.”
Jian Lan’s expression flickered, but in the end, she sighed, “I know he will. But, forget it, it’s for
the best. I don’t want to be with him anymore.”
Xie Lian was a little taken aback, “Do you... not love him at all anymore?”
Jian Lan was probably tired from running, and sat down on the roadside, “This has nothing to do
with love anymore. I don’t want him to force himself to tie us to him.”
Xie Lian also sat down by her side, and contemplated for a moment, “He must really love you.
Back then, he was so completely spent, but he still refused to let you go.”
Hearing this, Jian Lan looked as if she remembered things from a faraway past, and laughed,
“Since you mentioned it, I remember now. Back then, he was still a little dumb, spending long
hours to make money, and after he made money he’d buy me for an entire night, but all he did
was bring over a stool to sit with me all night, doing nothing but chatting. Everyone took him for
a joke, what a laugh!”
Xie Lian also smiled, “You see, I told you he really loves you.”
However, Jian Lan withdrew her smile, “What you’ve said are all things of the past. What was
love once doesn’t mean it’ll last. I’m not interested in being a charity case and a nuisance.”
“Why would he think you both a nuisance?” Xie Lian asked, “Don’t you know the kind of person
Feng Xin is?”
“You, His Highness the Crown Prince, you have never lived the common life, so of course you’d
think things are that simple. He won’t now, and he won’t on the surface either. But once time
gets dragged out, then nothing could be sure. If I wanted to seek him out, I would’ve done so a
long time ago. It’s not like the Temple of Nan Yang is hard to find. There was a period of time
where they were everywhere, but I still didn’t want to.”
“He’s ascended, he’s got everything, looking glorious and impressive, but we’ve already turned
into ghosts, so what am I doing seeking him out? A heavenly official carrying two ghosts, isn’t
that just trouble for him?”
“I kicked him away when I looked my best, I think that’s quite good, all proud and dignified. That
way, I would always look that way to him in his heart, and not like this, heavy in makeup and
tacky, crows feet around my eyes.”
She pinched at her own face, “If he really recognized us, and everyday he had to look at this
face of mine and Cuo Cuo’s form like this, with us dragging him down, he would only become
more and more tired, annoyed, and one day we will become a nuisance. So why bother? Isn’t
that too tragic?”
While she was speaking, the fetus spirit was using its wet, slithering tongue to lick her face,
looking inexplicably disgusting but mischievously endearing. But to typical others, this was
probably only disgusting, and couldn’t be accepted.
Jian Lan also petted the bare head of her son, “Anyway, having Cuo Cuo is enough for me. Who
hasn’t made promises or swore to the mountains and the seas when they were young? Talking
of affection, of love, of forevers. But, the longer I hung around in the world, the more I
understand, something like ‘forever’ is impossible. It’s never going to be possible. Having it once
was already good enough. No one can truly achieve it. I don’t believe in it anymore.”
She said with a helpless voice, “Feng Xin is a good man. It’s just... it’s really been too long.
Everything’s changed, so it’s best to let it go.”
Xie Lian listened silently, not speaking a word, but in his heart, he said, ‘No.’
A voice in his heart said, ‘’Forever’ exists. There’s one person who can truly achieve it. I
believe.’
.
Jian Lan still took Cuo Cuo and left.
Xie Lian went back and sent away Rain Master who finished the passings service for Xuan Ji,
and returned to Mount TaiCang. He was thinking of telling Feng Xin that Jian Lan had left, but
he didn’t see him. Just as he was looking for him among the rowdy crowd, someone suddenly
shouted, “Great timing, Tai Hua! Are you free? Come help figure this out!”
They were still grabbing anyone to do accounting, and Lang Qian Qiu was desperate to get
away, responding from afar, “DON’T BRING THE STACK HERE, I’VE GOT THINGS TO DO,
GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE!”
Xie Lian sighed, wondering if he should go and give all those books a try when unexpectedly, he
had only taken a few steps before he heard a voice from behind, “Mas... Hea.... Your Highness.”
Xie Lian looked back and Lang Qian Qiu was standing right behind him. “Do you have a
moment to step aside and speak?”
“Of course.” Xie Lian replied.
Thus, he and Lang Qian Qiu walked together outside that sad, giant hut of a palace. As they
walked, Xie Lian inquired, “How’s Gu Zi doing? Is he alright?”
Lang Qing Qiu chuckled helplessly, a little bitter, “I don’t know if it’s considered alright. That child
asks me for his dad everyday, rather pitiful, so I could only... gather a bit of the soul particles of
the Green Goblin and keep them in a lamp. Now he shows up in front of me everyday hugging
that lamp asking when the soul within the lamp will grow