Ch109 - Clarify

Everyone was dumbfounded as the scene fell absolutely silent.

Seeing was believing.

The accusations against Xie Zhiwei were just speculation. Compared to the treasures that Mu He revealed, everyone’s eyes were opened. Most of the people here hadn’t even seen a single lotus in their lives. Only Xie Zhiwei was someone who had seen all three at once, back at Blood River Lake when he went to save Mu He. Mu He had mistaken him for Chi Yan, captured him, and stolen Red Lotus. Xie Zhiwei was too worried about his own safety at the time to consider that the Red Lotus’s negative effects would only aggravate Mu He’s hallucinations. Nor did he think Mu He would reveal his treasures in public before securing his final victory.

All for the sake of protecting him.

Xie Zhiwei stared quietly at Mu He, who gave him a small smile. The residual light from the lotuses shone past his cheeks like the special effects of some time-travel movie. For some reason, Xie Zhiwei remembered his past life.

There was a man there who looked exactly like Mu He. He too, had once smiled at him. But it was after he’d embarrassed himself and fallen from his career to become someone without a drama to act, until he was a corpse to be sent into the cremator.

A smile like that was a hundred thousand times worse than the one on Mu He’s face now.

They’re clearly carved from the same mold, Xie Zhiwei thought, But why does He Zheng disgust me when he smiles? And why does Mu He’s smile look so explosively handsome?

In the silence, Yin Cangshan suddenly walked towards Mu He, only for Yin Wushuang to timidly pull him back. “Father, what are you doing?”

Yin Cangshan turned around in a flash, overwhelmed with praise. “It’s completely unbelievable. They really are rare treasures of this world. Daughter, don’t you think your Mu He gege’s lotuses are very pretty?”

“Yes, they’re very pretty,” Yin Wushuang said before shrinking behind him. “But I’m afraid…”

At last the King of Nine Provinces recovered his wits and raised his voice. “Royal Son, what’s the meaning of this?!” He was so stunned he could barely stand. Gripping the railing for support, his eyebrows creased with anxiety even as subtle joy mixed in his features.

Mu He was still looking at Xie Zhiwei as he replied. “The three treasures are all on my body. Royal Father should be happy instead.”

“But…” the king’s expression was complicated.

Mu He finally turned towards him. “Four years ago, I was a fledgling who had yet to grow my wings. There was no way for me to protect myself, but shizun never forgot to hide my secret even before his death. Instead, it was Royal Father who misunderstood shizun this entire time.”

The King of Nine Provinces could hear the obvious accusation in his words and said in pain, “Royal Son, father was considering everything for your sake! That Xie Zhiwei had no Black Lotus…but he still died and came to life. Whether it was a fradulent death, or…”

Mu He quirked his lips before interrupting somewhat proudly. “Shizun has already reached the realm of ascension.”

Although his words were soft, the inn was quiet enough to hear a needle drop. Thus, everyone heard him. People sucked in breaths one by one before a hubbub rose once more.

Lu Wen couldn’t help exclaiming, “Impossible! There’s nobody in this world that’s ever ascended to immortality. What merits does Xie Zhiwei have to—”

“Second senior brother has reached the peak of cultivation, so why can’t he ascend?” Xia Zhiqi prompted expressionlessly. “Moreover, everyone knows of second senior brother’s moral character. Don’t forget, Manor Lord Lu, that Black Lotus was with Martial Nephew Mu He the entire time.”

“Right, Black Lotus belongs to the Shizi Mu He,” Lu Wen lowered his head, muttering to himself. “In other words, my son Zhanyun’s illness…”

Even the stupidest in the crowd understood his meaning. From a distance, Lu Zhanyun looked at the second floor and kept babbling “Grandpa, grandpa spare me,” without stopping. Only now did they realize he had been staring at Mu He!

Seeing the situation change, the King of Nine Provinces quickly spoke. “Manor Lord Lu, Royal Son was still young and immature back then. He must have been instigated by someone else. How could Royal Son and Young Lord Lu have any problems between them?”

Lu Wen was lost for a moment before glaring at Xie Zhiwei again, but Mu He only said firmly to his father, “It was all my idea. Shizun didn’t know at all. If I wasn’t afraid of causing shizun trouble, I would have killed Lu Zhanyun instead.”

Lu Wen’s expression shifted. “You…”

Mu He continued calmly, “Lu Zhanyun cursed this Shizi as a bastard and slandered shizun as a villain. At Ashen Cloud Mountain, he shot the female disciple Yang Zhuer to death. If shizun hadn’t protected me, I would’ve died a tragic death long ago. What qualifications does such a vicious person have to keep living?”

The King of Nine Provinces knitted his brows, eyes narrowing. “He really said such things?”

Yin Cangshan wasted no time to interject. “If he hadn’t gone mad and kept the same attitude, who knows what kinds of things Immeasurable Manor might be implicated in by now…Nephew Mu He was really kindhearted not to kill.”

Xie Zhiwei almost couldn’t resist giving Yin Cangshan a thumbs up. This brother is giving so much help today, ah!

The situation kept shifting back and forth. At first one side was justified, and then the other side gained strength. Lu Wen was shaking with anger and already hated Mu He to the bone, but couldn’t go against the royal father and son pair. He could only turn his sword towards Xie Zhiwei again.

“Xie Zhiwei! You were graced by the kindness of the Bai Clan. My Lu Clan and the Bai Clan are so close, how could you have simply sat by and watched what happened to my son back then?!”

Xie Zhiwei was stunned. Hey, why is it my fault again?

The King of Nine Provinces only said coldly, “Manor Lord Lu, the Bai father and son indeed suffered wrongful deaths. Royal Son only took revenge because of Xie Zhiwei. You should clearly know the difference.”

“Yes!” Lu Wen raised his voice. “Xie Zhiwei, you faked your death and concealed it from the world, but keep prevaricating with excuses. Today you said you only resurrected because you ascended after death. Where’s the evidence?”

Xie Zhiwei looked at Mu He. I said no such thing, all right?!

Mu He guiltily avoided his gaze and told Lu Wen coldly, “That’s enough.”‘

Lu Wen ignored him and chided Xie Zhiwei in front of everyone else. “How about you prove it to us by dying one more time!”

Yan Zhifei creased his brows. “Manor Lord Lu should watch your words.”

“Presumptuous.” Mu He blocked Xie Zhiwei behind him before raising a hand at Lu Wen. Thick red light floated out from below his sleeves like clouds before transforming into illusory snakes that lunged at the man.

Having never seen such tricks before, Lu Wen only stared back with wide eyes. Before he could make a sound, he stumbled and actually knocked a gap into the railing to tumble down from the second floor. He avoided the Red Lotus’s attack by pure chance, but the light chased after him like a living thing. Eyes red, Lu Wen crawled to his feet and rushed into the crowd, throwing someone he caught at the red light as he fled out of the inn. He didn’t even bother about Lu Zhanyun. The person he used as a shield let out a cry of pain as soon as he hit the red light. Mu He’s brows twitched and quickly withdrew his attack.

Meanwhile, the victim hit the ground and thrashed about, his miserable screams already changing in pitch—the bottom half of his body had been corroded away by red light to leave nothing but bone beneath his waist.

“Ahhhh!” Yin Wushuang shrieked before closing her eyes to faint in Yin Cangshan’s arms.

The others were less scared, but not by much. They didn’t even have the energy to gossip right now. As cultivators themselves, they killed their share of evil spirits and saw plenty of blood, flesh, and bone. They didn’t fear the man’s death, but the power of Red Lotus.

Just like how they used to fear Chi Yan.

Yin Cangshan was frightened badly as well as he stammered, “My daughter’s not feeling well…excuse me, excuse me.” As he spoke he pulled himself together and carried Yin Wushuang to dash down the stairs. Nobody stopped him, because many others wanted to run too.

A few steps after Yin Cangshan left the inn, the person on the ground stopped struggling and died.

Yan Zhifei’s expression was grave. “We shouldn’t stay long here, let’s leave as well.”

Xia Zhiwei and Xie Zhiwei exchanged looks and nodded. The King of Nine Provinces wanted to stop them, but saw Mu He’s indifferent gaze and took a deep breath. He slowly backed away and turned his head aside, though his eyes flashed with momentary killing intent.

Xie Zhiwei could finally exhale in relief. He was about to leave with Yan Zhifei when he saw Mu He following him. Looking back, he advised, “Comfort your father first, no need to worry about Master.”

Mu He had been powerful and dominating, but only looked sorry in front of Xie Zhiwei. “But shizun is leaving…”

Xie Zhiwei saw him like this and couldn’t help sighing. “Give me your hand.”

Mu He did and gave him a questioning look. Xie Zhiwei took out something from his sleeve and channeled in some spiritual energy, restoring the withered willow branch in his hand to luxuriant greeness once more.

Mu He felt his nose stuff up at the sight. This was the same willow branch that Xie Zhiwei had given him before he died. Then he had an attack of illusions and woke up to find both Xie Zhiwei and the box holding the willow gone.

So shizun had taken it and…held onto it all this time?

Once more, Xie Zhiwei wound the willow branch around his wrist and lowered his voice as much as possible. “When these waves calm, I’ll find you again. But you can also meet me in the dreamscape, right?”

Mu He nodded vigorously and suppressed the moisture in his eyes. “Disciple obeys.”

Xie Zhiwei smiled at him before joining the crowd from the daoist sect. Mu He sent them off with his gaze before reluctantly turning back. His expression was now extremely cold as he spoke to the rest of the inn. “All of you get lost.”

That was exactly what the crowd wanted. They half stumbled, half crawled their way out and soon left only father and son behind. Mu He gave a slight flick of his sleeves before the doors shut and White Lotus bloomed into a boundary field that sealed off the premises.

He faced the King of Nine Provinces and said, “There are some things I have to clarify with Royal Father today.”

—

Translator’s Note: Ok but you know that jerk He Zheng? Someone drew fanart of him too. I found this in one of those Chinese This Daoist is Just an Actor Super Topic Weibo chatboards. It was posted by the author, who credited the artist as 铮铮私藏的谢真人的内裤 (that translates to… “Zhengzheng secretly hides away Xie zhenren’s underpants”) aHEM.

Here’s real life He Zheng in all his smug bastard glory:

There’s also this shizun and Mu He piece by 子夜寒露!

And our favorite -怀倥偬- from the last few chapters also drew Xie Zhi (now Xie Zhiwei in this story) in his special Chinese-themed, crow-gray colored, bamboo patterned “suit” for red carpet night! Apparently his own suit was ruined and nobody thought he’d get a big foreign name brand to sponsor him for the event. Instead, a huge domestic creator into traditional Chinese fashion sponsored him instead. Xie Zhiwei (as Xie Zhi) even designed it himself with traditional stitching methods (because of course he knows how to sew):

The Chinese profile translation is below (I assume the artist made this up, however):

Name: Xie Zhi (Xie Zhiwei)

Age: 30 (193)

Height: 180cm

Birthday: August 16th

Horoscope: Leo

Likes: Writing secret manuals

Strengths: Everything (except acting)

Biography: Xie Zhiwei lived his last life in the novel Return of the Immortal Emperor as the strongest existence in the book besides the protagonist. He didn’t like causing trouble for himself and enjoyed closing himself from the world to write his secret manuals. A thrifty type who thinks of others, a rarely-seen decent good guy. Chance had him transmigrating to the modern world and into the body of the actor Xie Zhi who looked exactly like him. From then on, his life underwent massive changes.

(The outfit below is inspired by ballerina dancers because the artist thinks he could totally do ballet with his proportions!)

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