Chapter 114

Over a thousand years ago, in the middle of the Northern Wei Dynasty, there was a sudden change in the Heavens and the Earth. Day and night turned upside down for nearly half a month. It was only after a colorful rain fell, that everything gradually went back to normal. However, what that seven colored rain brought wasn’t peace, but the turmoil of the entire world. The bones of the ancient Divine Beast, the Taowu, appeared. The world, which wasn’t peaceful at the time, was plunged into complete chaos in an instant.

Come back to life, live forever, and ascend to Immortality.

It was unknown who spread those news, and it was unknown when it spread all over the world. However, to exist as long as Heaven and Earth does, to die as long as the Sun and Moon were no longer there. Who wouldn’t want such a thing?

All those who had held a trace of power, under the banner of bringing peace to the world, set out to find the slightest trace of the Taowu bones. In fact, none of them wanted peace, nor did they think of Cultivating. Because of that, Humanity was submerged in great misery, filling the land with starving people.

Several decades passed in the blink of an eye, and the whereabouts of the Taowu bones were unknown. Still, too many people were killed and injured in the search for the Taowu bones.

“Although the desires of human beings are greedy, in the end, it was the fault of the Heavens that the Taowu bones fell to the Mortal World. How could they not know that such a divine power would only cause disasters in the Earthly World?!” Su Jingmo and Qin Cheng walked out of the coffin chamber side by side. Su Jingmo continued in a deep voice: “There are rumors that in those times, the Gods and Immortals were drunk, living and sleeping a life of leisure, day and night in the Heavenly Palace, so they never realized that the Taowu bones had fallen into the Mortal World. When they woke up, more than half a year later in the Heavens, more than 100 years had passed in the Mortal World. The lives of mortals were already ruined by then.”

After that turmoil, the Su Family was the strongest and had the greatest military power in the world. Su Jingmo remembered that in the records of the Xu Dynasty, it described the events that took place before the Xu Dynasty unified the Central Plains.

An Immortal from the Heavenly Palace made a pact with Su Jingmo’s ancestors. His ancestor promised that no one in the world would touch the Taowu bones again, and therefore, he would be in charge of hiding the existence of such divine power. In exchange, the Immortal promised to help the ancestors of the Su Family conquer the world.

The war lasted for far too long, and the world no longer wanted to continue this endless war. Even after fighting for decades, no one had managed to obtain the Taowu bones. Not to mention that five thirds of humanity had been lost, turning the world into Hell on Earth. Something like this could never be regarded as a gift from the Heavens…..

“When my ancestors saw this, they knew very well that the Taowu bones were the cause of such a disaster taking over the world, so they accepted the Immortal’s request without hesitation. After that, my ancestors took over the disintegrated lands of the Central Plains, as well as the hinterland of the Southern Dynasties.”

Qin Cheng listened carefully to Su Jingmo’s words, and pondered: ‘ The only difference between the story Jingmo is telling me, and what I already knew about, is that colored rain. Before the existence of the Xu Dynasty, and after the Northern Wei Dynasty, there were almost a hundred years of warfare that wasn’t recorded in history. In other words, since the moon and sun changed places in the middle of the Northern Wei Dynasty, what was recorded in history skipped over that event. It went straight to saying that the Northern Wei Dynasty gradually disappeared, giving rise to the Northern Zhou Dynasty, followed by Chen of the Southern Dynasties, all the way to the Sui Dynasty ¹ ….. ’

‘ Over time, not only the existence of the Xu Dynasty was erased, but also the hundred years before the establishment of the Xu Dynasty, and the appearance of the Taowu bones….. ’

“After the world was at peace, the Immortal handed over the Taowu bones to his clan to look after them. His descendants were the Lin family. Lin Qing’s family…..”

‘ Lin Qing…. ’

Suddenly hearing that name, Qin Cheng couldn’t help but look sideways at Su Jingmo’s profile. Qin Cheng asked: “Lin Qing….the reason you married her….was it because you wanted the Taowu bones?”

Su Jingmo glanced at Qin Cheng, with a hint of playfulness shining at the bottom of his eyes. With a smile, Su Jingmo said: “That’s not it. I married her because I liked her.”

‘ However, that kind of ¨love¨ was more like I appreciated her. It’s ridiculous that I died thinking that I was actually in love with her…. Simply because there was no one I could fall in love with back then. Someone who would make me understand the difference between true love and simple appreciation for another….. ’

Hearing Su Jingmo’s words, Qin Cheng choked up and didn’t know what to say. ‘ About this ¨love rival¨ who has been dead for a long time now, it would be a lie to say that I don’t care. After all, Jingmo still has her in his heart. However, to say that I do care would be a bit melodramatic….. ’

The only thing Qin Cheng could do was hold the hand next to his, and tightly interlock their fingers together .

“So, the thing that made the Immortals and Gods angry, was because you touched the Taowu bones? Which only resulted in the Xu Dynasty disappearing from the records of history?” At that moment, Qin Cheng thought about what Su Weiran had told him before. That the cause of the extermination of the Xu Dynasty was due to Su Jingmo’s greed for the Taowu bones. By taking them for himself, Su Jingmo violated the agreement his ancestors had made with that Immortal, which only led to the downfall of his Dynasty. Due to the turmoil these bones had caused in the world, the Immortals had to erase that period of history to prevent the mistakes of the past from being made again…. However, Qin Cheng never thought that Su Jingmo would truly be such a person….

Although Qin Cheng spoke with euphemisms, Su Jingmo was able to understand the deep meaning behind them: “Su Weiran should have told you a lot, right? For example, I’m the great sinner of the Xu Dynasty, the one who broke his ancestors’ agreement with the great Immortal that led to the destruction of the Great Xu. Am I correct?”

“….Uhm…. Even if he did say that, I never really thought you would be such a person…..” After taking a pause, Qin Cheng said: “I always felt that something was strange when I talked to him, but I just can’t figure out what it is. What he said doesn’t seem to have any loopholes, but….”

Qin Cheng’s words actually made Su Jingmo laugh: “I’m afraid you’re the only one in this world that would believe me.”

“……Me?”

“Qin Cheng.” This time, Su Jingmo spoke with more seriousness: “Tell me, what do you think was the Immortal’s purpose in not taking away the Taowu bones that fell from the sky, which wreaked havoc upon the Mortal World, and instead, letting them remain on earth?”

As soon as Su Jingmo mentioned this, Qin Cheng suddenly thought: ‘ It’s indeed quite strange. Why did that Immortal not take the Taowu bones back to the Heavenly Palace? Why did he let the bones remain on earth? And lastly, why did he make such a deal with Jingmo’s ancestors…..? ’

“By hiding the existence of the Taowu Bones from the world, and swearing not to touch them, the Immortal would help my ancestors not only conquer the world, but also leave the Taowu bones under their noses….. How can something like that be so simple?”

After saying that, Su Jingmo snorted: “The Immortals and Gods in the Heavenly Palace made a mistake, which only made the whole world know about the existence of the Taowu bones. For hundreds of years, thousands of lives were destroyed because of it! I fear that, from the very beginning, they wanted to annihilate all of us. From the very beginning, the existence of the Xu Dynasty was nothing else than a transition to slowly erase the events that made thousands of people to die, as well as erasing all traces of evidence that the Taowu Bones had ever existed!”

Su Jingmo’s suppressed anger caused his voice to tremble slightly: “We, of the Xu Dynasty, have always been condemned to be pawns abandoned throughout history. The mistakes those Immortals made were the cause of great changes taking place in the world. When the Xu Dynasty arose, it was said that it was for the sake of world peace, but in reality, it has always been to cover up their own mistakes! As for the agreement that was made with my ancestors, it was nothing more than an excuse. The Xu Dynasty would disappear anyways! It didn’t matter if we never touched the Taowu bones or not, the Xu Dynasty had been destined to be exterminated since before it was established.”

Qin Cheng’s hand was tightly squeezed by Su Jingmo, without Su Jingmo realizing he was doing it. This was the first time Qin Cheng had seen Su Jingmo this angry. Su Jingmo was already a ghost, and submerged into such anger, his entire body felt even more gloomy than usual.

However, Qin Cheng didn’t feel afraid. He only felt distressed.

Su Jingmo’s words solved some of Qin Cheng’s doubts. ‘ If the Xu Dynasty betrayed the agreement, it would make sense why it was destroyed. However, the hundred years of war before the Xu Dynasty has also been erased. In other words, the ‘Immortals’, who were in charge of the Mortal World, have always planned to erase all history related to the appearance and existence of the Taowu Bones…..’

‘ How difficult is it to erase a period of history? The world has always been filled with historians who record important events, which means that there must have been records regarding the Taowu bones. This is why the Xu Dynasty was allowed to emerge, to slowly change the war-torn world, and gradually erase the fact that the Taowu bones ever existed from everyone’s memory. Once the world returns to normal, and the population returns to the number the Northern Wei Dynasty had when it ended, it would be the perfect time to get rid of the Xu Dynasty, and erase it completely from history records….. ’

‘ If Jingmo really wanted to leave traces of the existence of the Xu Dynasty, I guess it makes sense for him to put a formation inside his tomb. One in which neither Gods nor Immortals can enter, but ghosts cannot leave as well. He has been trapped in solitude for more than 1600 years, because of this….. ’

‘ When you fight against the Heavens….it’s impossible to have a happy end…. ’

‘ The man in front of me, how many sacrifices he must have made….? ’

Still holding Su Jingmo’s hand, Qin Cheng pulled him and brought Su Jingmo into his arms. Qin Cheng was deeply distressed. After taking a deep breath, Qin Cheng said in a low but firm voice: “The Xu Dynasty existed once, it really did. Even the Heavens cannot change this fact…. No matter how well they cover it, there will always be someone out there who can find traces of it. It doesn’t matter if it takes a thousand or ten thousand more years, it will be uncovered.”

“When we study archeological history, there’s a saying that’s taught to us: History is inevitable, and it cannot be changed. What exists, exists. Even if it’s something unknown, it cannot be denied that it existed in this land once. We just don’t know much about it yet.”

“For 5000 years, China has respected its history the most. Even the Heavens cannot erase this fact with childish plays.”

“Moreover….moreover, they can’t erase the traces of your existence….”

Qin Cheng’s words were gentle, but firm. Like a promise. Hearing these words, Su Jingmo kept them inside his heart. ‘ There will always be someone out there who can find traces of it. It doesn’t matter if it takes a thousand or ten thousand more years….. ’

Somehow, this conversation soothed Su Jingmo’s anger. ‘ In the same way as my Grand Tutor in my youth…. Qin Cheng can be rather convincing when he speaks. ’

“Hmm…. You sure know a lot, right?” Su Jingmo faintly sighed: “I didn’t expect you would say such things…. If you didn’t say them, I would have already forgotten that you’re, indeed, a Scholar.”

‘ Qin Cheng, you will certainly achieve great achievements in this field in the future. ’

“I…. I’m good at studying history…. Those in this field say things like these all the time, I simply took them and said them.” Qin Cheng didn’t expect to be praised by Su Jingmo, so he felt a bit embarrassed.

Su Jingmo smiled and didn’t reply to that. He simply said: “What I just told you is what I know. As for what happened to the Xu Dynasty after my death, I really don’t know….”

“It’s alright, in the future….” Qin Cheng was about to say that he would find out the reason and tell Su Jingmo about it. But when Qin Cheng thought that he was going to die soon and remain in the tomb, he realized that he wouldn’t be able to discover it. After pondering about it, Qin Cheng finally said: “In the future, there will be someone who will discover it….”

Su Jingmo stared at Qin Cheng for what felt like a long time, and then said with a shallow smile: “Yes, there will be one.”

Looking at Su Jingmo, Qin Cheng always felt that Su Jingmo hid an even deeper meaning in his words and gaze. But Qin Cheng wasn’t sure what it was. When Qin Cheng was ready to speak, he noticed that Su Jingmo had turned around and was walking towards the tunnel to get out of the tomb. Thus, Qin Cheng hurried after him.

Su Jingmo heard Qin Cheng’s hurried footsteps behind him, echoing across the floor of the empty tomb. In contrast, Su Jingmo’s footsteps didn’t produce any sound. The sound of footsteps got closer and closer until it reached Su Jingmo’s side. At that moment, Su Jingmo felt the person next to him slowly grab his hand…..

The owner of the rumbling footsteps has been in poor health for a long time, so he started panting after taking a few hurried steps. In this state, it was imminent that Qin Cheng’s days were numbered.

‘ It’s good that he’s still alive. After all, Qin Cheng has infinite possibilities in his future. ’ The words that Qin Cheng had said just now had made Su Jingmo truly feel the love and reverence that Qin Cheng has for history. ‘ Those who can achieve such a fascination for history, will become a formidable talent…. ’

The corridor connecting to the Underground Palace wasn’t long, so they soon reached the open space of the main chamber. In that place, the archaeological team had excavated a tunnel that was now immersed in darkness. As long as they walked a few steps through the tunnel, they could get out of the tomb that has been dark and lonely for thousands of years…..

The remaining hand of Su Jingmo was tightly squeezed by Qin Cheng. The heat coming from Qin Cheng’s palm made Su Jingmo stop his footsteps and stop going forward.

“I’m a little scared.” Qin Cheng said.

“What are you scared of?” Su Jingmo asked.

Qin Cheng anxiously clasped Su Jignmo’s hand and said: “Didn’t you say that your ‘friend’ was waiting for you outside the tomb?”

Qin Cheng didn’t know who that person really was, or how to comfort Su Jingmo. So he could only say: “I will always be by your side.”

Su Jingmo suddenly smiled and nodded: “Hm, let’s go.”

The tunnel wasn’t that long either, so in less than two minutes, the two men walked out of the tunnel connecting to the tomb. Once there, they realized that Qu Zhiwen and Tang Jiaming had been waiting for them.

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“Qin Cheng, step back and make sure to stay away from me.”

Although Qin Cheng didn’t know why he had to step back, in the end, that was the only thing he could do right now.

As soon as Qin Cheng walked away from Su Jingmo, Su Jingmo looked at the two men standing outside the tunnel. They both looked tense and ready to attack. Su Jingmo sneered: “You guys too, get away from me. Don’t block my way out of the tomb.”

As soon as Su Jingmo said these words, Qu Zhiwen and Tang Jiaming’s faces twisted in surprise. Qu Zhiwen looked at the ghost in front of him with complicated eyes: “You….”

“Didn’t you just hear what I said? Well, if you get hurt, I will not care.” Having said this with a cold voice, Su Jingmo took a step forward.

However, after that single step, Su Jingmo stopped moving altogether, and the calm expression of his face suddenly changed. It was because the tomb had emitted a loud roar!

Noticing this, Tang Jiaming hurried to pull at Qu Zhiwen and jumped a long distance away. Qin Cheng didn’t know what was going on. He was only able to perceive that the ground beneath his feet had begun to tremble. The trembling was so strong that Qin Cheng almost lost his footing. It was as if the entire mountain was roaring and buzzing!

‘ No, no! Jingmo hasn’t stepped out of the tomb yet….why?! ’

A wave of uneasiness hit Qin Cheng’s heart, making him have no time to stabilize his body. In that instant, he saw a black qi surrounding Su Jingmo’s back. In the next moment, the black qi hit against a golden barrier at the tunnel exit. At that moment, black qi piled up around the eight trigrams, as if it wanted to devour the Yin and Yang formation!

That was the great formation inside the tomb….

‘ Do you really think I would want to leave the tomb, if I were to turn into ashes by stepping foot outside? I believe I wouldn’t bother to lie to you about this. ’

At that instant, the words Su Jingmo said to him not long ago resounded inside Qin Cheng’s ears….

But Qin Cheng was able to understand the situation in an instant: “Su! Jing! Mo! You….you lied to me!!”

“I won’t have another life, or another chance, after this one…..” Before the great formation completely shattered, Su Jingmo replied with a soft chuckle.

[The author has something to say]

Ah! My Momo! Oh!!!!! (sobbing)

Remember! This novel has a happy ending! ٩(｡•́‿•̀｡)۶

It’s just gonna get worse before it gets better haha (´･ᴗ･ ` )💧

So, prepare those tissues😭

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Ko-fi goal for extra chapies~ (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧~

Footnotes

<ol><b>北魏</b> <b>běi wèi</b> ; Wei of the Northern Dynasties [386-534]. <b>北周</b> <b>běi zhōu</b> ; The Northern Zhou Dynasty [557-581]. <b>南朝陈</b> <b>nán cháo chén</b> ; Chen of the Southern dynasties [557-589]. <b>隋</b> <b>suí</b> ; The Sui Dynasty [581-617]. In Chapter 30, Su Jingmo said that he doesn’t recognize the Zhou, Chen and Sui Dynasties, so in this fictional world we can assume that the Xu Dynasty took place in the corresponding period between these three Dynasties. To add a bit more information, the Sui Dynasty is known for unifying the Northern and Southern Dynasties, after which came the Tang Dynasty [618-907].</ol>