Ch67 - Memory Rewind VII

Translator: transcendentwings

The new leaves were beginning to bud, a cold breeze was blowing through the window, a spring day in the main demonic sect hall was no less beautiful than any other place.

Jiu Zhideng sat by the window, dressed in Fengling’s robes, the ethereal blue ribbon fluttered in the wind.

He moved his brush with his head buried, writing then stopping in a repeated cycle, as if he were planning on penning a long letter.

The clouds inched across the sky outside as a gust of wind blew past, lifting up the letter in which he had only written the opening, carrying it to the treetops outside.

Jiu Zhideng frowned and was just about to get up when he heard the clear ring of a bell outside followed by a lazy voice: “Xingzhi-xiongzhang, my respects, many days have passed since we last bid farewell, I miss you terribly. Every time a letter arrives from Elder Brother, I read it day and night. Every word and every sentence is engraved in my heart, your words emerge even in my dreams. . .”

Jiu Zhideng scrambled to his feet in joy and didn’t even bother taking the extra step to open the door, instead he just shoved the window that was cracked open all the way.

Xu Xingzhi picked a high branch of the elm tree by the window and sat down on it leisurely. Leaning his head against his right hand, the six-pointed bell looped around his wrist rang with a light tinkle, while the letter was held in his other hand as he recited it out loud.

A faint blush dusted Jiu Zhideng’s cold cheeks: “Shixiong, you. . . stop reading it.”

Xu Xingzhi folded the letter over, holding it with his fingertips, he hopped down from the tree, then swung his long legs over the windowsill, grinning as he announced: “Shixiong came here again to beg you for another drink la.”

Jiu Zhideng took the letter from his hand and answered: “Shixiong can come at any time and I’ll be awaiting your arrival at any time.”

After entering through the window, Xu Xingzhi leaned against the frame and cast his gaze around: “You don’t say, the wine you have here is actually quite good.”

Jiu Zhideng raised his hand to sweep the fallen petals from Xu Xinghzhi’s hair: “Whatever Shixiong wants, you are welcome at any time. As long as Xiao-Deng has it, as long as Shixiong wants it, Xiao-Deng will definitely give it to Shixiong.”

After saying so, the end of his finger seemed to carelessly brush across the attractive mole under Xu Xingzhi’s eye.

Jiu Zhideng had always been cold-hearted, restrained and polite. Even if he made such moves, Xu Xingzhi would never have thought that his motives were of an impure nature.

After completing such an action, Jiu Zhideng turned around and called out: “Liu Yunhe.”

Liu Yunhe pushed the door open and entered. After seeing Xu Xingzhi, his already glacial gaze became even darker, but he still bowed according to etiquette under Jiu Zhideng’s emotionless signal: “This servant pays his respects to Xu-shixiong.”

Although Xu Xingzhi didn’t look kindly upon the other for what he had done when he came to Fengling Mountain with Shi Pingfeng in hand in order to forcibly bring Jiu Zhideng back to the demonic sect, however for Jiu Zhideng’s sake, he still greeted the other calmly and then easily addressed the other with a smile: “I saw Sa Si when I snuck in. But don’t tell him that I’m here, otherwise he will drag me to exchange pointers in swordsmanship with him again for half the day.”

After Liu Yunhe agreed, he retreated of his own prerogative and returned shortly with a jar of wine before finally closing the door and departing.

Jiu Zhideng brought the umeshu in the wine jar to a boil, arranged the wine cups for Xu Xingzhi, then raised the pot to pour the warm wine out for him. The wine drew a clear line in the air as it was poured into the cup until it nearly reached the open surface of the cup. The surface of the wine was just slightly convex of the mouth of the cup, creating a very visually pleasing image.

Xu Xingzhi placed the edge of the cup in his mouth, tilted his neck back and drank it in one shot before letting the wine cup fall back into his palm as he continued to smile brightly at Jiu Zhideng.

Just watching his series of actions filled Jiu Zhideng’s eyes with infinite tenderness. He refilled Xu Xingzhi’s cup with the pot: “Shixiong, why didn’t you bring Meng-shidi with you ne.”

The moment Meng Chongguang was mentioned, Xu Xingzhi just wanted to laugh.

Recently there have been more phantasmal activity at the Nan Mountain col. Xu Xingzhi wanted to train him a bit so he requested Guangfu-jun to have the other lead several Fengling disciples and handle the matter of exterminating the undead and ghosts this time on his behalf.

No matter how weak Meng Chongguang was, with the support of those precious heavenly artifacts, and with his cultivation at the third level of the Golden Core, he was already at a higher level than most of the other disciples in Fengling Mountain. He was also a disciple officially accepted by Qingjing-jun so what’s up with the other always following him around and acting precociously like a baby chick all the time?

Yesterday, before that little rascal reluctantly left, he repeatedly emphasized for him not to go look for Jiu Zhideng while he, himself, was away and that he should just wait and see what would happen if he were to be caught doing so.

. . . The other was just a little brat, what could he do?

However, he still had to report it to the other. Before he went out today, he sent Meng Chongguang a letter with spiritual energy informing the other that he would be going to the demonic sects for a drink. The other should’ve almost received that letter by now.

. . . Magnificently done little rogue, he’s become more capable hasn’t he, daring to threaten him.

Just watch if he planned to listen to his nonsense.

Conjuring up the image of the other’s infuriated grin with his teeth bared made Xu Xingzhi cheerfully take another shot as he replied casually: “He’s busy ne.”

Jiu Zhideng looked into Xu Xingzhi’s eyes: “Shixiong, have you notified Qingjing-jun that you and he plan to become cultivation partners?”

Xu Xingzhi touched his nose, narrowed his eyes, and chuckled: “Don’t tell Chongguang ah. . . . If I can win the top spot during the Heavenly Ranking competition this time, when I’m victorious I’ll declare that Meng Chongguang is my, Xu Xingzhi’s, cultivation partner and that he is the partner that I formally want to get married with.”

After announcing that, he held up his cup and brought it to Jiu Zhideng’s lightly: “Celebrating this in advance.”

The wine sloshed and a few drops of wine from Xu Xingzhi’s cup splashed into Jiu Zhideng’s cup, causing the wine he had poured to a perfectly measured level to overflow.

Jiu Zhideng’s Adam’s apple rolled up and down hard. He placed his cup down, retrieved a brocade handkerchief, and slowly cleaned his hands. There was no emotion or anger in his voice: “Shixiong is really brave. I’m afraid that the disciples of the four sects would become frightened by Shixiong.”

Xu Xingzhi chirped joyfully: “The way their mouths would be hanging open is exactly the scene I want to see. Especially Beinan, just thinking about his face makes me feel delighted.”

“As long as Shixiong is happy.”

Xu Xingzhi topped up his cup with more wine from the jug: “Speaking of, the wedding ceremony that Xuechen arranged last time was really lively. It made my eyes heat up just from watching, I also have to hold such a wedding when the time comes.”

Jiu Zhideng felt as if his insides were aching and was astonished that he was still able to speak despite the severe pain: “if Shixiong married a woman, it would be publicized all over the world, but to become a cultivation partner with a fellow cultivator of the same sex, is usually done so quietly. . . As for making a big fanfare of it and entertaining guests, the cultivation sects have never had such a precedent.”

Today’s drinks were particularly intoxicating. Within two hours, Jiu Zhideng and Xu Xingzhi were already somewhat tipsy.

Xu Xingzhi squinted and looked up at the sky outside.

Jiu Zhideng asked: “Shixiong, are you going back now?”

Xu Xingzhi stood up: “About time.”

Jiu Zhideng raised his voice and summoned: “Liu Yunhe.”

Liu Yunhe reappeared at the doorway like a phantom, a jar of wine in his arms. After placing it down, he swiveled around and made his exit without saying a word.

Xu Xingzhi pointed out: “Has he always been this stuffy?”

Jiu Zhideng answered calmly: “It’s better to speak less.”

Xu Xingzhi: “. . . Does he dare give you a hard time?”

Jiu Zhideng explained: “I already possess the Nascent Soul physique, who in this main sect dares to oppress me?”

With that said, Jiu Zhideng picked up the small wine jar and handed it to Xu Xingzhi: “Bring some wine back to Shifu ba.”

Xu Xingzhi reached out his hand to receive it, but when four hands were clasped on the jade jar, Jiu Zhideng didn’t let go.

He widened his narrowed eyes a little, which seemed to be filled with a drunken haze and watery light, creating a tiny, imperceptible gap in his usually cold and self-possessed shell.

Xu Xingzhi thought the other was inebriated and joked: “What, are you reluctant to give it away ah.”

Jiu Zhideng murmured softly: “Shixiong give me a kiss ba.”

Xu Xingzhi was amused and freed up a hand to nudge the other’s forehead: “Are you actually drunk la?”

Jiu Zhideng handed over the wine jar, the mist in his eyes dissipating slightly as his hazy expression returned to clarity.

He responded freely: “. . . I seem to be somewhat intoxicated.”

Jiu Zhideng escorted Xu Xingzhi out, the two walked a hundred feet side by side, chatting along the way.

Xu Xingzhi asked: “This time the Heavenly Ranking competition is hosted by Fengling. Will you come?”

Jiu Zhideng mulled it over carefully: “There are many matters within the sect, it’s hard to say. However, whether or not I go, I will definitely send someone to notify Shixiong.”

“Why send someone to inform me?” Xu Xingzhi stretched out his slender arms carelessly and looped his arms around Jiu Zhideng’s shoulders. “Complete the letter you left unfinished, and then send someone to deliver it. I’ve written several letters to you and in which way have you replied each time? All official and overly polite, none of them were as decent as the one you penned today.”

Jiu Zhideng lowered his head: “Okay.”

Xu Xingzhi tapped on his forehead with “Xianbi”, “Okay what? You always answer that everything is going smoothly and just up and endured the lightning tribulation silently. You’ve forgotten everything I’ve relayed to you haven’t you? If it weren’t because I had seen the tribulation clouds, I wouldn’t have known that you passed through the Nascent Soul tribulation without a word. Then when I sought you out, you had even set up a barrier to prevent anyone from entering?”

Jiu Zhideng muttered softly: “I just didn’t want Shixiong to get hurt.”

Xu Xingzhi reprimanded him, but ultimately relented and reached out to cup the back of the other’s neck: “Fortunately, you survived, and I didn’t stay at the foot of the mountain guarding you all night in vain.”

Jiu Zhideng abruptly lifted his head: “Shixiong, that night. . .”

Xu Xingzhi scratched the side of his cheek nonchalantly: “. . . Oh, I never told you ah. I was at the base of the mountain that night.”

Jiu Zhideng’s throat tightened: “Shixiong. . .”

Xu Xingzhi continued: “I’m physically at Fengling, but the moment I imagined you suffering, I couldn’t  fall asleep at all. At that point, I might as well go somewhere closer to you for peace of mind.”

After exchanging a few more words, Xu Xingzhi departed.

When Jiu Zhideng heard Xu Xingzhi say that the other had “guarded him all night”, his heart ached and throbbed terribly. Even when he returned to his room and sat down at his desk again, his heart still jerked about like a rabbit struggling in the frying pan.

There was nothing special about those four words ne, but his heart was so battered by the twists and turns of those four words that it seemed to be covered in blood, but it also made him happy beyond belief.

The more he wanted to give Xu Xingzhi up, the more he became obsessed with the other’s every word and every action.

Probably because he was now cultivating the demonic arts, now if he were to look at Shixiong for an extended period of time, he couldn’t help but want to devour the other, observing as the other’s proud face revealed an expression of horror or pleasure beneath him.

During the drinking session just now, Jiu Zhideng resisted the urge to tear his façade of a disciplined, prim and proper, and gentlemanly manner into pieces multiple times.

. . . Yet, how much longer could he endure it?

With this thought in mind, he pulled out a blue and white scroll cylinder from underneath his desk.

Inside were letters written by Jiu Zhideng to Xu Xingzhi, letter after letter, one after another. If one were to open them, the contents would make people flush to the base of their ears.

He had never sent these letters, including the one he had written today, he had never intended to send them out. He would only occasionally take them out to read them at night.

This was the darkest secret in Jiu Zhideng’s heart that he would never lay bare to another soul.

Liu Yunhe pushed the door open and entered at this time.

Jiu Zhideng covered the scroll in his hand, but didn’t deign to lift his head to acknowledge the other: “What’s the matter?”

Liu Yunhe stood there like a cold blade unsheathed: “Seeing that you were drinking with Xu Xingzhi earlier, I couldn’t tell you. . . Heishui Castle is rebelling.”

Jiu Zhideng pursed his thin lips slightly without raising his head: “Suppress it.”

“In addition to ‘quelling’ and ‘pacifying’ the dissatisfaction of the various branches, do you have any other orders?” Liu Yunhe commented sarcastically, “. . . You know very well what they want.”

Jiu Zhideng declared bluntly: “I can’t give them what they want and I don’t want to give it to them.”

Liu Yunhe continued: “Then there will be too many branches of the demonic sects that you would want to ‘subdue’. They will not accept a lord who has already obtained the physique of a Nascent Soul cultivator who doesn’t want to expand the territory of the demonic sects, nor willing to take revenge on the righteous sects for the deaths of General Xi Nian and Sa Luo. Especially. . . due to the fact that this same lord grew up in the righteous sects.”

At this point, his tone became more annoyed and arrogant: “. . . Dare I ask you, is your heart siding with the demonic sects or Fengling?”

Jiu Zhideng didn’t want to argue with him and merely repeated his order: “Repress Heishui Castle. Regardless of life or death, bring the Lord of Heishui Castle before me. Do you hear me?”

Liu Yunhe sneered, cupped his fist and took his leave.

The moment he closed the door, a vicious look flashed in his eyes and it wasn’t until he fixed his gaze at the place where Xu Xingzhi departed that a sinister and deep smile spread across his face.

. . . No rush, we have plenty of time.

After Liu Yunhe left, Jiu Zhideng took out yet another scroll vat from beneath the table.

It contained a large number of letters, nine out of ten of which came from various branches of the demonic sects. They started flying toward him like snowflakes six months ago. On the surface, they congratulated him on successfully obtaining the physique of a Nascent Soul cultivator, yet between the lines, they were hinting at him to rectify the demonic path and attack the four sects.

All of this was because he possessed the physique of a Nascent Soul practitioner.

The last Nascent Soul elder in the demonic sects was his bloodthirsty uncle Sa Luo.

To the four sects, Sa Luo was a brutal and cannibalistic homicidal murderer, yet to the demonic sects, he was a tragic and fallen hero.

But now, a new Sa Luo has appeared, though he didn’t intend to exact revenge on the four sects. How was this possible? How could this happen?

—Back then, he was sent to the four sects, the four sects doubted him and assumed that he definitely harbored a different heart.

—Now that he has returned to the demonic sects, the demonic sects also suspected him and thought that his heart was also not aligned with theirs.

Jiu Zhideng leaned tiredly against the back of the chair, thinking darkly as he scoffed in a self-deprecating manner: How many hearts do I, Jiu Zhideng, have in the end, and how many do I have for people to trample all over and abuse ne.

The moment Xu Xingzhi returned to Fengling, he was blocked by Guangfu-jun as expected.

He very much suspected that among the various affairs of the sect that Guangfu-jun took care of, he also regarded “catching Xu Xingzhi’s pigtails” as one of the important tasks to handle as a part of those matters.

Kneeling at the door of Qingzhu Hall, Guangfu-jun’s face was dark. He ignored the attention of the disciples coming and going and scolded sternly: “Where did you run off to this time that you carry the stench of alcohol?!”

Xu Xingzhi touched his nose: “You’ve already mentioned that I’m covered in the smell of alcohol, would you still believe me if I told you that I went to listen to the lectures at Shuilu Sect at the foot of the mountain, would you believe me?”

The palm of Guangfu-jun’s hand suddenly struck the crown of his head: “You’re still talking back!”

Xu Xingzhi had already anticipated what the other would scold next.

Guangfu-jun snapped sternly: “Scram and return to copy texts!”

Xu Xingzhi displayed an expression of surprise and distress at the right time: “Shishu. . .”

Sure enough, seeing the bitter look on his face, Guangfu-jun’s expression softened slightly: “There is no room for discussion. Go transcribe The Historical Records of Fengling three times today. Hand it to me tomorrow morning.”

Xu Xingzhi hung his head in resignation, mumbling: “. . . And Shifu?”

“Shifu is feeling unwell and is resting in the palace.”

The moment Qingjing-jun was mentioned, Guangfu-jun’s rigid face softened more, “Don’t even think about asking Shifu to plead for mercy on your behalf ah.”

Xu Xingzhi frowned slightly: “Shifu seems to have been in poor health since he removed himself from seclusion last time, always sickly, he couldn’t have strayed from his cultivation path ba.”

Guangfu-jun denied: “Shixiong wouldn’t be unable to have a firm hold on his limits. . . . If you want to be truly considerate and filial, you should be more concerned with the affairs of the sect and share your Shifu’s burdens, don’t. . .”

“. . . Xiyun.”

Upon hearing his name, Guangfu-jun stopped his lecture and turned back.

Qingjing-jun stood on the steps draped in his robes, with slightly pale lips, his sleeves fluttered in the wind, the lines of his garments somewhat messy, giving Xu Xingzhi the illusion that he had no flesh nor bones under his skin and would be carried away by a single gust.

Qingjing-jun explained gently: “I asked Xingzhi to go out and purchase some wine. Don’t punish him.”

Guangfu-jun: “. . . Shixiong, he already admitted that he went out to drink.”

Qingjing-jun exclaimed softly with an ah dumbly and directed his gaze at Xu Xingzhi.

Xu Xingzhi used a somewhat aggrieved gaze to express, Shifu, you’ve come a little too late, we hadn’t had a chance to match our testimonies ah.

Qingjing-jun rubbed his nose, his dark eyes shifting slightly as he stubbornly continued to force an excuse: “. . . He went out to buy drinks for me and took the opportunity to have a few sips as well, this isn’t delaying anything is it ba.”

Guangfu-jun: “Shixiong, Fengling’s rules are as such, we can’t give in just because it’s Xu Xingzhi! Letting him transcribe The Historical Records of Fengling three times is already considered being quite merciful!”

Qingjing-jun bargained with Guangfu-jun: “How about, one time?”

Guangfu-jun harshly shut the other down: “No!”

Qingjing-jun called softly: “. . . Xiyun.”

Guangfu-jun: “. . .”

Qingjing-jun’s clear eyes were fixed on Guangfu-jun: “. . . Xiyun.”

Guangfu-jun held his forehead briefly, then flicked his sleeves in a fluster, breaking off his line of sight from Qingjing-jun: “Fine, once it is. Count it out of respect for Shixiong.”

Qingjing-jun winked mischievously at Xu Xingzhi behind Guangfu-jun.

Guangfu-jun had his back turned towards him and naturally wasn’t aware of what the Shixiong who made him so fretful was doing now.

He secretly told Xu Xingzhi: “This time the Heavenly Ranking Competition will be held at our Fengling, the affairs are more complicated and numerous. As the chief disciple of Fengling, you must assist me on matters no matter big or small, and arrange everything properly. You must not go out to fool around again, do you understand?”

The author has something to say:

Guangfu-jun: . . . There’s no discussion!

Qingjing-jun (makes puppy dog eyes): Xiyun. . .

Guangfu-jun: . . . Why don’t we talk about this further?

At the same time, the straight Shixiong whose butt was stared at by two wolfhounds yet he, himself, was completely unaware, expresses one second of sympathy and his condolences

Author’s Chapter Summary:

Begging for a drink, letters, how many hearts

The translator has something to say: Fengling seems to specialize and pass down this type of gentle shixiong and helpless shidi dynamic, it is very soothing and a spring breeze compared to all the dark elements being thrown at the readers, abilities aside, this is why XXZ is head disciple at Fengling

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