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Ye Bingran held his hands up to his chest. A sickeningly sweet taste filled his mouth and he soon vomited a mouthful of blood.
“Sword Venerable!!!”
The Sword Sect disciples immediately went into an uproar, wanting to step forward and stop Shen Liuxiang.
“Everyone stay,” Ling Mushan said and blocked off their path with his sword brandished. A gentle smile rested upon his face.
“Immortal Shen is currently doling out punishment—no one is to interfere. I hope everyone can act with caution.”
Seeing the situation, the other Qingling Sect disciples also gathered over. The atmosphere immediately turned tense.
Shen Liuxiang didn’t know anything about the commotion below. All of his concentration was on whipping Ye Bingran.
Standing at the edge of the high platform, Ling Dan let out a frightened noise.
“Hey, how much his full strength do you think Immortal Shen used?”
Ling Yue snorted coldly and did not reply.
Ling Hua’s eyelids twitched. He held out both his index fingers and mimed a cross.
“Ten out of ten. He used all his power.”1In chinese people use 分 and 成 to refer to percentages and these are generally counted in the tens (10%, 20%,…80%, 90%). The chinese character for ten is 十 which looks like a cross. So here, his cross means 10 * 10% = 100%
Bringing Ye Bingran to his knee with a single lash was no easy feat and took a good deal of power. However, Shen Liuxiang seemed to be getting increasingly energetic.
The sound of continuous whipping alone was enough to instil great fear upon those listening.
“One hundred lashes!”
Shen Liuxiang let out a long breath. Wrapping the blood-stained divine whip around his wrist, he walked over to Ye Bingran and squatted down.
“Do you need me 2Raws: 本君 (“this gentleman”), used by SLX to refer to himself. People in ancient times would use these in place of “I”. E.g. This disciple, this young lady, this servant etc. I left this out to prevent confusion from readers who skip over/have problems w viewing footnotes, since “this gentleman” might sound like he’s referring to someone else. to help you up?”
Ye Bingran looked up at him with cold eyes. “No need.”
“You’re right,” Shen Liuxiang replied, smiling lightly.
“I’m3Same issue as before, originally read as “this gentleman”. We’ll be seeing this pretty often in future chapters walking on my own two feet despite having been punished in the Sifang Blood Pool. Sword Venerable was subjected to a mere hundred lashes. There’s no way you can’t stand up.”
After saying these words, Shen Liuxiang pressed upon Ye Bingran’s shoulder and got a muffled groan in response.
Shen Liuxiang’s lips curled up slightly.
“Sword Venerable may be covered in whip marks and suffering outwardly, but I’m sure that inwardly, your heart is rejoicing.”4Raws: “your heart is sweet” → sweet because he’ll get sweet sweet attention from Su Baiche
A figure clad in white hurried over in a panic.
Shen Liuxiang got up and looked down at Ye Bingran in condescension.
“In a sense, I’ve aided you in getting one step closer to your wish.5Random but: In MTL this is translated as “I can be considered an adult beauty”. I only have one comment: Google translate, you’ve got the right idea. Keep it up If we meet again, remember to invite me for a drink and a chat as a thank you.”
Ye Bingran stood up with the support from Su Baiche. His frigid gaze stared unmovingly after Shen Liuxiang’s figure until he left the high platform.
Shen Liuxiang, on the other hand, paid him no mind.
“Ah ah ah ah ah!” A blue-robed man rushed over. Shen Liuxiang swiftly ducked to the side. “Don’t touch me, I hurt all over.”
Beating people was a tiring chore.
His hands were sore and his legs were numb. Some of his wounds had torn open.
“You little rascal!” Ling Hua couldn’t control his excitement.
“Being able to treat Ye Bingran ruthlessly—you’ve finally come back to your senses!”
Shen Liuxiang held a hand up to his forehead and sighed. For a moment, he seemed filled with emotion.
“After entering the Sifang Blood Pool, I’ve come to see many things a lot more lightly,” Shen Liuxiang said.
Ling Hua immediately responded. “Had I known that the Sifang Blood Pool would have such a miraculous effect, I’d have tossed you in a long time ago.”
“……”
“I’ve harmed you.”
***
Su Baiche’s eyes were a little red. Supporting Ye Bingran with both hands, he looked ready to cry.
“I should not have been curious. I already knew that with my current physique, even intermediate spells are beyond me, much less forbidden spells.”
Ye Bingran turned his head. His gaze fell upon that pure and lovely face. “It has nothing to do with you.”
The sky was dark and gloomy. Ye Bingran walked forward slowly, his shoes sinking slightly into the thin layer of snow on the ground.
“Although Shen Liuxiang is fully responsible for his punishment in the Sifang Blood Pool, this matter ultimately still has something to do with me. Considering the resentment in his heart, even if this did not happen, he would still find some other way to seek revenge upon me.”
Su Baiche had a face full of guilt. After a long silence, he softly spoke up.
“I have medicine for treating wounds at my place. Let’s go after you’ve recovered slightly.”
Ye Bingran nodded minutely.
A white crane flew over Dawn Cloud Peak. Pained wailing resounded below.
“Gentler! Gentler! It hurts—”6? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
The black-robed youth had a dark face. His hands moved even faster so that he would not go deaf from all the yelling before he finished applying the medicine.
Shen Liuxiang reclined on the soft brocade couch and unbuttoned one side of his clothes. One of Zhou Xuanlan’s hands grabbed onto that pale thin arm. The other smeared some ointment on.
“Ling Dan deceived me!”
“Zhao Yao is a top-grade artefact. Needless to say, wounds made by it will not heal easily. Jinling ointment is incredible medicine. Nevertheless, when treating a wound, some pain cannot be avoided.”
While speaking, Zhou Xuanlan accidentally applied some force on his fingers in a moment of inattention.
Shen Liuxiang shuddered and groaned once in pain. Then, like a dead fish, he went still. This persisted for a long time.
“…Shizun?”
Shen Liuxiang buried his face in the pillow. A few tears escaped from the corners of his eyes.
A short while later, a muffled voice sounded out, “Continue applying medicine. Once my left side is done, there’s still my right arm.”
If only he’d known earlier…
He should’ve prepared some animal blood beforehand! All he had to do was pour it over himself, and he wouldn’t be in this miserable, wretched state!
“By the way, thank you,” Shen Liuxiang said suddenly. “I would’ve ended up half-dead if not for the Soul Protecting Robe.”
Zhou Xuanlan’s hands paused for a moment. After a long while, he said calmly, “Shizun need not thank me so seriously. After all, you’ve already given this disciple everything you own.”
Shen Liuxiang could hear a tinge of resentment in those words.
He understood what Zhou Xuanlan was trying to say. Turning his head, he explained, “I really didn’t lie to you. All I have apart from Zhao Yao is that piece of spiritual stone… and Dawn Cloud Peak—which is useless even if I gave it to you.”
As an Immortal, Shen Liuxiang was not lacking in artefacts, spiritual pills or spiritual stones. However, even his reserve would run out after years of extravagantly throwing gifts at Ye Bingran.
The current Dawn Cloud Peak did not even have a single stalk of spiritual grass left.
Shen Liuxiang had turned his room upside down earlier today. After finding a spiritual stone under the bed, he’d given it to Zhou Xuanlan together with the storage bag on his waist.
“Feel free to search the room if you don’t believe my words.”
Zhou Xuanlan ignored him. Still holding on to that thin, restless arm, he smeared the last of the Jinling ointment on.
Shen Liuxiang tilted his head and looked at the pile of medicine on the table.
“Is the medicine that Ling Dan gave me particularly precious? How much can it fetch on the market? Look at the china7A type of ceramic on the windowsill. Is it worth a lot?”
Zhou Xuanlan asked, “Shizun, do you really lack money?”
“Of course I do,” Shen Liuxiang replied fervently. His eyes were filled with longing.
“By the way, direct disciples like you get a significant amount of silver taels each month, right?”
A wolf-like gaze landed on the storage bag fastened to Zhou Xuanlan’s waist.
The room was silent for a moment.
Seeing Zhou Xuanlan’s frozen expression, Shen Liuxiang let out a low laugh, got up from the brocade couch, and put on his clothes.
“Don’t worry, your Shizun isn’t that crazy.”
Zhou Xuanlan breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, he heard Shen Liuxiang’s next words. “In the future, just lend me a little. I’ll give you an IOU. I have great credibility.”
“… …”
The dazzling rays of the setting sun were cast into the room, dyeing the table an incandescent golden hue.
Shen Liuxiang took a sip of tea and leaned beside the window. His dark hair, blown by the wind, danced in the air. Black eyelashes were downcast. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Seeing this, Zhou Xuanlan said, “If Shizun has no other matters, this disciple will head back first.”
It was time for him to go. His residence was a considerable distance away from Dawn Cloud Peak and the sky was about to darken.
“There is something.”
The porcelain cup was placed on the tea table with a crisp sound.
Shen Liuxiang pursed his lips. “I’m hungry. Where can I get food? I’m not picky—all I need is chicken, duck and fish for dinner, pastries, dessert, and sweet wine.”
“Shizun is long past the inedia stage.”
“But I’m truly hungry,” Shen Liuxiang said, putting on the soft clothes. He rubbed his stomach. “Listen. Gulu~gulu~gulu~”8To clarify: He’s making these noises with his mouth
The corners of Zhou Xuanlan’s mouth twitched. It was probably beyond his wildest imagination for a dignified immortal to shamelessly pretend that he was hungry.
“There are no mortal dishes in Qingling Sect. We only have fruit.”
After hearing these words, despair was written all over Shen Liuxiang’s face. His enthusiasm cooled.
He’d been in the entertainment industry for many years. To maintain Shen Liuxiang’s figure and appearance, his agent had imposed many dietary restrictions. He wasn’t even allowed a single bite from a chicken drumstick on usual days.
He still remembered it as if it were yesterday—all he got on his birthday were two extra shrimps…
Now, he could finally eat his fill. Yet he was told that there was nothing! To! Eat!
After being depressed for a while, Shen Liu sighed and retrieved three sticks of incense from under the table. He stared at them reverently.
“Shizun, that’s not something you can eat!” The youth said anxiously.
Shen Liuxiang turned back to look at him, blinking incredulously.
Had his image in his disciple’s heart turned into a fool?
“What are you thinking! I’m going to return the Soul Protecting Robe!”
The location of the Soul Protecting Robe was truly unexpected.
There was a barren tomb in the back mountain of Qingling Sect that had never seen any visitors. When Shen Liuxiang went over during the day, there was a dusty coffin cover blocking the road.
The Soul Protecting Robe, thin as a cicada’s wings, was placed in a half-open tomb. Surrounding the tomb were overgrown weeds that formed a natural barrier.
The brilliant moon hung high in the sky. Unidentifiable insect chirps could be heard from the depths of the forest.
“Sending me to here is more than enough,” Ye Bingran said. He paused in his steps and turned around. That normally stern face contained a hint of gentleness.
“It’s cold at night. Go back early and rest.”
Su Baiche handed over a jade bottle and hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something.
“There’s no need to worry about me. The medicine you prepared is very good,” Ye Bingran assured.
Though Ye Bingran’s complexion was still abnormally pale, his body exuded a cold and sharp aura that could not be ignored, akin to that of an unsheathed blade.
“They’re just whip marks. It’s not very serious.”
Su Baiche looked up. Dyed with moonlight, his pure-looking features made him look as beautiful as a fairy.9Previously translated to “as beautiful as an immortal”. As “immortal” is being used in multiple other ways, I’ve changed it to “fairy”. Meaning is still the same: “very beautiful”. Anyone who laid eyes upon him would be enchanted.
Yet now, that lovely man was in a state of self-blame. “I’m the one who caused you to get such injuries…”
Ye Bingran’s heart shook a little and he couldn’t help but reach out, wanting to touch the cheek of the person in front of him.
However, the moment he tried to move his arm, searing pain was felt at the back of his shoulder. It felt as if something was tearing.
Cold sweat immediately formed. Having been shocked out of his daze, Ye Bingran immediately withdrew his hand and left without a word.
Su Baiche stared at the figure that was getting farther and farther away. His eyes flickered and an irate look appeared on his face.
After a hundred steps or so, the evening wind brought the faint smell of incense to Ye Bingran’s nose. Frowning slightly, he turned a corner and headed towards a dark patch of forest.
“This disciple10SLX referring to himself as a disciple because the tomb (probably) houses an ancestor from Qingling Sect borrowed the Soul Protecting Robe earlier today and has come to return it.”
Shen Liuxiang placed the Soul Protecting Robe back and arranged the surrounding greenery back into their original appearance.
“I had good reason for borrowing the Soul Protecting Robe. I hope that Senior does not blame me for this.”
After saying these words, Shen Liuxiang lit the three sticks of incense and placed them in front of a stone.
“I am ashamed to have disturbed Senior’s rest. I’ve specifically found three good incense sticks to offer to you. I hope you can forgive this disciple’s rude behaviour.”
Having finished the ceremony, Shen Liuxiang, according to his original plan, tried to find a place to sit down and wait for Zhou Xuanlan.
However, at the edge of his vision, he saw a withered stalk of grass that was as tall as a person swaying in the wind. The shadow it cast looked like the dancing of ghosts and devils.
Only then did Shen Liuxiang realize that the surroundings were terrifyingly quiet.
All around, only the rustling of the wind through the woods could be heard.
“…”
Shen Liuxiang swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
If he’d known something like this would happen, he would’ve asked Zhou Xuanlan to accompany him here instead of asking him to pick fruit.
A long period of silence passed.
Shen Liuxiang shuffled his feet and slowly approached the burning incense. Staring at the three glowing sparks, he opened his mouth.
“Senior must have been a generous person during his lifetime. If you accept these three incense sticks, this disciple will assume that he has gained your full forgiveness!”
However, as soon as Shen Liuxiang finished speaking, the glowing incense sticks that were burnt halfway abruptly went out.
“?!”
Shen Liuxiang’s dry laugh broke the dead silence. Lighting the incense sticks up one by one again, he remarked, “The wind is very strong tonight. Senior, please be careful not to catch a cold.”
Tsss…
The sparks of flame went out again.
Only dead silence remained. Even the sound of wind had disappeared without a trace.
Shen Liuxiang almost couldn’t laugh anymore.
He carefully relit the three incense sticks. Squatting in front of them, he raised his hands to protect the glowing embers.
Shakily, he said, “Senior must be testing the sincerity of this disciple. It’s okay, this disciple’s heart is…”
The glowing incense sticks were extinguished again!!
Shen Liuxiang’s mind had gone completely blank. He felt a chill against his back.
Scrambling back, Shen Liuxiang held his hands together and raised them well above his head. With tightly shut eyes, he shouted, “It seems that this incense isn’t to Senior’s taste. That’s okay! This disciple’s disciple is out picking fruits and will be back soon. I’ll offer a few apples to Senior… plus a sweet pear!”
“A bunch of grapes!”
“A banana!”
……
Leaning against the tree, Ye Bingran couldn’t resist laughing.
When he finished, he was taken aback by himself.
He now understood why Shen Liuxiang was still full of energy after entering the Sifang Blood Pool—he had the Soul Protecting Robe on him.
However, at this moment, Ye Bingran strangely did not feel any annoyance.
Shen Liuxiang had indeed changed a lot. It was almost as if he’d turned into an entirely different person… Afraid of deities and ghosts? Who would believe that?
Besides, the Soul Protecting Robe was a priceless artefact, yet Shen Liuxiang did not take it for himself. Instead, he had come over to return it in the middle of the night.
Ye Bingran couldn’t figure it out.
At this moment, a young man appeared with an armful of various fruits.
Shen Liuxiang was so excited that he lunged towards Zhou Xuanlan.
Zhou Xuanlan, on the other hand, tilted his body a little, protecting the fruits.
“No need to be anxious, Shizun, you’ll be able to satisfy your cravings soon.”
“No no no,” Shen Liuxiang replied, pointing at the extinguished incense sticks. “This place is haunted!”
Zhou Xuanlan frowned, then his eyes turned cold. With a whoosh, he kicked a pebble towards a certain direction in the forest. “Who’s there?”
The only response he received was falling leaves. Nobody could be seen on the tree branch.
“Shizun, did you notice anything strange?”
“I didn’t.”
Shen Liuxiang had fully relaxed after Zhou Xuanlan’s return. He was even leisurely picking out fruits.
Picking up a mandarin orange, Shen Liuxiang took a bite and his eyes immediately lit up.
The golden mandarin orange had a mellow, sweet taste to it. It was unprecedentedly delicious.
“How was this grown? It’s way too delicious.”
Zhou Xuanlan had a hesitant look on his face and vaguely felt as if someone was hiding close by.
However, his Shizun’s cultivation was already at the Nascent Soul stage while he was only at the Foundation Building stage. It was impossible for him to detect someone who could escape from Shen Liuxiang’s notice.
“Did Shizun’s spiritual consciousness not catch any sign of movement?”
Shen Liuxiang was squatting on the ground and eating mandarin oranges. His fingers, pale as jade, were stained with some juice. Hearing these words, he replied, “What’s spiritual consciousness?”
Zhou Xuanlan: “…”
He needed some time alone.
TN: Google translate was the true MVP here!
I can be considered an adult beauty → Aided you in achieving your wish
He gave his whole body to his disciples → You’ve already given this disciple everything you own
If only I could keep the MTL statements instead…
1
In chinese people use 分 and 成 to refer to percentages and these are generally counted in the tens (10%, 20%,…80%, 90%). The chinese character for ten is 十 which looks like a cross. So here, his cross means 10 * 10% = 100%
2
Raws: 本君 (“this gentleman”), used by SLX to refer to himself. People in ancient times would use these in place of “I”. E.g. This disciple, this young lady, this servant etc. I left this out to prevent confusion from readers who skip over/have problems w viewing footnotes, since “this gentleman” might sound like he’s referring to someone else.
3
Same issue as before, originally read as “this gentleman”. We’ll be seeing this pretty often in future chapters
4
Raws: “your heart is sweet” → sweet because he’ll get sweet sweet attention from Su Baiche
5
Random but: In MTL this is translated as “I can be considered an adult beauty”. I only have one comment: Google translate, you’ve got the right idea. Keep it up
6
? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
7
A type of ceramic
8
To clarify: He’s making these noises with his mouth
9
Previously translated to “as beautiful as an immortal”. As “immortal” is being used in multiple other ways, I’ve changed it to “fairy”. Meaning is still the same: “very beautiful”.
10
SLX referring to himself as a disciple because the tomb (probably) houses an ancestor from Qingling Sect