At first, Xie Lian had missed him dearly, since they haven't seen each other for a long time. Even though this "long time" was nothing more than a few days. Yet who knew that Hua Cheng had always been right by his side, hiding? Suddenly, Xie Lian's mood brightened, all of his previous worries and anxieties completely forgotten. He was laughing so hard he was having trouble getting up.
"Gege, you played me," Hua Cheng accused.
Xie Lian picked up the brush and plank and said, "Don't turn this on me, San Lang played me first. Let me guess…you've been around ever since I broke the stove, right?"
Hua Cheng complimented, "Ah, that's indeed the case. Gege, how did you know? You're so amazing!"
Xie Lian waved his hand. "What, amazing? San Lang, if you want to disguise yourself as someone else, don't be so lazy. It'd be more amazing if I couldn't tell. And here I thought there was a second person who could eat…ahem, but, 'Who's the handsomest? Who's the strongest? Who's the richest? Who do you admire the most?' Hahahaha…"
"…Gege, please forget that ever happened," Hua Cheng said softly.
Xie Lian refused resolutely, "No. I will remember this forever."
Hua Cheng said woefully, "Gege, although I'm happy you're so happy, but, is it really that funny?"
Xie Lian hugged his belly. "Of course! Only after having met you did I rediscover that it's such a simple thing to be happy, hahaha…"
Hearing this, Hua Cheng blinked. Xie Lian's laughter quieted a bit, realizing what he just said was a little too revealing. Now that he'd calmed down, even he thought it was a little sappy. Clearing his throat softly, Xie Lian rubbed at the corner of his eyes and forced himself to school his own expression.
"Alright, enough playing around. Where's the real Lang Ying? Why are you disguised as him? Bring him back now."
Hua Cheng replied languidly, "I've temporarily sent him to the Ghost City as a guest."
Since it was Hua Cheng who took him away, Xie Lian wasn't worried at all. He nodded and was about to speak again when the wooden door creaked open. Ling Wen walked out from within Puqi Shrine with her hands at her sides.
"Your Highness."
Hua Cheng had no intention of revealing his identity, so Xie Lian didn't mention it either, pretending he was still Lang Ying in front of others. Seeing Ling Wen's solemn expression, Xie Lian unconsciously became serious too, his smile completely gone.
"What is it? The Brocade Im…is something wrong with Bai Jing?"
"No. There's nothing wrong with him," Ling Wen said. "It's just, there seems to be a weird smell coming from the kitchen. Is Your Highness cooking something?"
Xie Lian quickly replied, "Oh, I am. I'm cooking."
After some thought, Ling Wen used a courteous tone to say very discourteously, "Please clean it away, Your Highness. Whatever you're cooking, it's probably ruined by now."
"…"
Two hours later, the evening had come.
Inside Puqi Shrine, at the altar table, Hua Cheng, Ling Wen, and Quan Yizhen sat around the little wooden table in a circle. Xie Lian brought out a pot from the kitchen and laid it on the table. The moment he opened the cover, he revealed many snow-white, cute, round and smooth little meatballs, sitting sagely in the pot.
"Didn't you stew with water? Why did it turn into meatballs?" Quan Yizhen demanded.
Xie Lian introduced it thusly, "This dish is called 'Incorruptible Chastity¹ Meatballs'."
"Didn't you stew with water? Why did it turn into meatballs?" Quan Yizhen demanded.
Xie Lian continued his presentation, "Because kneading meatballs requires delicate strength, not too hard, not too light, a lot of time and effort went into this."
"Didn't you stew with water? Why did it turn into meatballs?" Quan Yizhen demanded.
"…"
Since Quan Yizhen really was too relentless, Xie Lian explained warmly, "I did use water to stew, you're right. But because there was a little problem with controlling the fire and time, the entire pot was boiled dry, so I added new seasonings and made meatballs instead."
Hearing this, Ling Wen praised wholeheartedly, "Your Highness truly thinks outside the box, incomparable in all of history; this servant is steeped in deep respect."
"Thank you, thank you, your praise is too high," Xie Lian said.
"It's not," Ling Wen said. "At least, I believe, there will definitely not be another in history who can create a dish called 'Incorruptible Chastity Meatballs'."
Xie Lian passed the chopsticks around. "Who knows, who knows. Everyone, please."
Ling Wen and Quan Yizhen took the chopsticks with their right hand, and their left reached for the cold buns sitting at the edge of the table at the same time. Only Hua Cheng reached for an Incorruptible Chastity Meatball, delivering it to his own mouth.
After a moment, he remarked, "Pretty good."
Seeing this, Quan Yizhen's eyes widened.
Hua Cheng then added, "The flavour's a bit light."
"Okay. Duly noted," Xie Lian said.
Watching with wide eyes as the boy covered in bandages next to him ate several glowing, smooth-like-cement meatballs and gave such sincere feedback, Quan Yizhen seemed to be completely persuaded. After some thought, he also reached for a meatball.
Xie Lian maintained his smile. He smiled, and watched Quan Yizhen swallow it. He smiled as Quan Yizhen's face turned pale. He smiled as Quan Yizhen fell to the ground, unable to get back up.
Xie Lian continued smiling as he asked, "Is something the matter?"
Hua Cheng answered, "Probably ate too fast and choked."
Ling Wen grinned. Just then, Xie Lian suddenly heard a familiar voice rang in his ear:
"Gege."
It wasn't the mumbling voice of Lang Ying, and it wasn't the crisp and lazy voice of boy Hua Cheng, either, but the voice of the usual Hua Cheng. He was speaking to Xie Lian through their private communication array.
Xie Lian raised his lashes slightly and responded, "What is it?"
"Ling Wen is someone cruel and cunning, heartless and merciless. Now that you've brought her back, things might not end so easily."
This was the first time Xie Lian had ever heard anyone make such comments about Ling Wen. After some pondering, he replied, "It seems to me she harbours some good will towards that Brocade Immortal, that shouldn't be false."
"Harbouring good will and being merciless don't conflict. She's the number one civil god in the heavens, her eyes and ears are everywhere, and her arms are far-reaching. Gege needs to guard against her looking for helpers."
"General Pei?" Xie Lian asked.
"Shouldn't be him," Hua Cheng replied. "If the Water Tyrant was still around, then she would definitely ask for his assistance to suppress the matter, as Shi Wudu always aids based on acquaintance, and not reason. But if it was Pei Ming, as long as you tell him the truth of everything, he might not choose to aid corruption. Gege, be careful."
"Alright, I will be careful," Xie Lian said. "Good thing a day goes by fast."
However, Hua Cheng's voice in his ear was dark. "No. Gege, you've misunderstood. I'm telling you to be careful of something else. Someone's here."
Just then, a series of clinkling, clinkling, crisp sounds of bells entered Xie Lian's ears. Hua Cheng frowned slightly. Xie Lian looked through the cracks of the window and saw a middle-aged cultivator with a bell in his hand, swaying as he approached the entrance to Puqi Village.
That cultivator was wearing a luxurious cultivation robe. A treasure chest was carried on his back, and the chest was covered with yellow charms. That bell rang as he walked. Xie Lian had an eye for these things, and recognized it was a good tool. If there were any normal monsters and demons about, their heads would throb when they heard the sound of that bell, and they would steer clear. Before the cultivator got closer, a few other large, white-browed and yellow-robed monks joined him with staffs in their hands.
Soon, a crowd of fifty to sixty gathered, as if they had all planned this meeting. Unsurprised to see one another present, they surrounded Puqi Shrine.
That crowd wasn't just for show; their bodies were hung with various spiritual tools, their hands and feet steady, very obviously skilled. Heavenly officials took spiritual power from the offerings of their worshippers, and some cultivators and monks could also receive spiritual power from the heavenly officials they worshipped. These monks and cultivators might even possess greater spiritual powers than Xie Lian, a heavenly official. To have so many come all of a sudden, it couldn't herald anything good. Xie Lian knitted his brows slightly, sensing the newcomers didn't come in peace.
Hua Cheng put down his bowl and chopsticks and rose to his feet. Xie Lian heard his humph in the private communication array.
"Old monks and foul cultivators dare chase me all the way here. I'm sorry to have brought troubles to your door, gege, I'll go divert them away."
Xie Lian grabbed him. "Don't move."
Ling Wen was bewildered. "What's going on?"
Xie Lian spoke to Hua Cheng through the private communication array, "Don't go. Tell me honestly, is the reopening of Mount Tong'lu really affecting you?"
"No," Hua Cheng replied.
Xie Lian stared at the eyes behind the bandages intently. "Stop lying. You're a Supreme Ghost King. You previously had no need to be afraid of mortals like them; why wouldn't you just beat them down and chase them away directly, and would rather divert them away? You weren't playing a prank in changing to this form, am I right?"
With the reopening of Mount Tong'lu, the stronger the ghost or demon, the more they felt the effects. The first time the ghosts were aroused, Xie Lian had witnessed with his own eyes just how much misery Hua Cheng suffered. And as the date to the reopening of the gates approached, the tremors would only grow. Under these circumstances, if it was Xie Lian himself, he would choose to temporarily seal his own true form and transform into a small creature, store his spiritual powers, and avoid going berserk, waiting for it all to be over before removing the seal.
Thus, although this could avoid the torment of aggravation, because his powers were sealed, this gave others the opportunity to ambush him.
Xie Lian cussed, "Qi Rong, you…"
That night, Qi Rong had threatened that he was going to bring forth all the cultivators and monks that were aggrieved against Hua Cheng, but he hadn't imagined it wasn't just a bluff. Hua Cheng shook his head lightly.
"Gege, they're only here for me. It'll be fine once I'm gone. Although in my current form I can't kill them with just a wave of my hand, I can at least still make them get lost."
However, Xie Lian threatened, "If you leave now, don't ever come back to see me again."
"…"
"Your Highness!" Hua Cheng cried.
Hua Cheng had always been carefree, but meticulously mindful. In the past, he had helped Xie Lian multiple times, and now that Xie Lian finally had the chance to help him, how could he possibly allow Hua Cheng to leave by himself?
Xie Lian said darkly, "Sit down. I'll go meet with them."
Quan Yizhen opened his eyes with great difficulty, and asked while in a haze, "Did…someone come? Do you…need me to beat them down?"
"…"
His voice was hoarse. Xie Lian helped close his eyes. "Qi Ying, just keep lying there. Also, you can't beat mortals like that, it'll cost you merits."
Xie Lian pressed himself against the wooden door to listen for any movement outside. Some villagers who only just finished their work for the day were still out and about, and hadn't yet gone home for dinner, and were surprised to see so many cultivators and monks so suddenly.
They asked, "What're all the masters doing gathering here? Are you all here for Xie Daozhang?"
A monk filled with murderous intent clapped his hands together in prayer. "Amitabha Buddha. Dear donor, did you all know that this place has been invaded by wicked creatures?"
"What?!" the villagers were shocked. "WICKED CREATURES??? WHAT KIND OF WICKED CREATURES?"
Another monk replied mysteriously, "A one-of-a-kind Ghost King who brings chaos to the world!"
"W-what should we do?!" the villagers exclaimed.
The cultivator dressed in luxurious robes, who was the first to arrive, said, "Leave it to us! Today, all of us who walk the same path are gathered here for this very reason: the chance of a lifetime to capture that evil thing!"
Then, he was about to walk up when the village head pushed him back. That cultivator glared.
"Who are you? What are you doing?"
The village head said, "Um, masters. I'm the head of this village. We're very thankful you're all here, but, hehe, to tell the truth, you all look very expensive…"
"…" That luxuriously-dressed cultivator said, "We've come to defeat evil, did you think we're here for rewards?!"
Then he was about to charge ahead again, but the villagers all stopped them again. The monks and cultivators were growing irritated, but they couldn't forcefully break people up either, so they demanded impatiently.
"What now?!"
The village head rubbed his hands. "If it's free, then that's great, thank the masters for coming here to defeat evil with benevolent hearts. But…it's just, work here in this village is all taken care of by Xie Daozhang. It's hard on me as the village head if the masters are here to rob Xie Daozhang's work."
The band of monks and cultivators looked at each other. "Xie Daozhang?"
Thus, they gathered around to discuss.
"Was there any well-known, capable cultivation house with the name Xie in this trade?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
"Either way, I've never heard of him. Probably some nobody."
"If we haven't, then he's not well-known. Forget it."
After their discussion, that luxuriously- dressed cultivator turned back around. "The Xie Daozhang you speak of, is he the one living in this place?"
The villagers answered, "Yeah."
Then they shouted, "Xie Daozhang! Xie Daozhang! Your fellow tradesmen are here! There's so many of them! Are you home?"
A yellow-robed old monk put his hands together in prayer. "Amitabha Buddha. It doesn't matter if that Xie Daozhang isn't here. That wicked creature is hiding in this house right now!"
The villagers were stunned. "HUH???!"
Just then, Xie Lian pushed the door out and came out leisurely. "I'm here. What's going on, everyone?"
The villagers immediately exclaimed, "Daozhang, these eminent monks and cultivators all say that in your house, there's a…a…ghost…"
Xie Lian smiled. "Eh? You all can tell?"
"What a fast admittance!"
Xie Lian threw out a pot. "That's right, there really is a ghost!"
That luxuriously-dressed cultivator caught the pot and was delighted at first, but when he opened it, his smile collapsed.
"A Half-Maquillage Woman?"
Then he tossed the pot back, looking very obviously displeased.
"Don't play pretend, my friend. A vulgar monster like this can't even be considered a Malice! You know exactly what we're referring to."
Xie Lian caught the pot and felt the strength of this man's throw wasn't weak; definitely someone who had cultivated arduously for years, and someone considerable.
A number of monks said to the luxuriously-dressed cultivator, "Dao-xiong, this cultivator looks to be bursting with the essence of evil from his body, could he maybe be…"
That luxuriously-dressed cultivator said, "Whether he is or not, I, Heaven's Eye, can tell with but a look!"
Then, he gave a loud shout, bit his finger, and drew a line on his forehead; a seeming third eye grew on his face. Seeing his skill, Xie Lian also praised mentally, and he leaned against the door, admiring his performance. That luxuriously-dressed cultivator glared, and stared at him intently for a moment.
"I knew it…there's essence of evil! SUCH A HEAVY ESSENCE OF EVIL!!! GHOST KING! YOU DID CHANGE FACE AFTER ALL!"
Xie Lian was stunned.
How could he, an esteemed, titled heavenly official, have essence of evil on him? He was just thinking this man might have some skill, but how did he turn around and start spewing nonsense so quickly?
Hearing him, the fifty to sixty masters in the gathering all looked like they were about to face a great enemy, and each of them struck their fighting stance.
Hua Cheng said to Xie Lian in the private communication array, "Those people are so annoying."
"It's fine. It's alright. You just sit," Xie Lian replied.
A moment later, that luxuriously-dressed cultivator spoke up again, but in a confused tone, "…That's not right?"
The monks next to him asked, "What's not right?"
That luxuriously-dressed cultivator rubbed that blood mark on his forehead. "This is weird. I'm looking at this man, but he's sometimes covered in the essence of evil, sometimes glowing with spiritual light, and sometimes dim and listless…this is really weird."
"Huh? How can that be? Dao-xiong, can you really do this? If you can't, let us handle this."
"Yeah, how can he be that strange?"
That luxuriously-dressed cultivator said angrily, "What? Think I can't do this? If I can't, you think you can? I, Heaven's Eye, have been running in the trade for so many years, and I've rarely gotten anything wrong!"
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead, shook his head, and asked gently, "Then, why don't you take a look and tell me which part of me has the strongest essence of evil?"
Heaven's Eye rubbed his forehead hard, and after looking again for a moment, he exclaimed firmly, "YOUR LIPS!"
"…."
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Translator Notes:
¹"Clean as Jade; Clear like Ice" is an idiom that means Incorruptible Chastity. It's usually an idiom used to describe girls. Xie Lian is using the idiom's imagery to describe his cute little meatballs