GB Chapter 39
by VolareQian Ren wasn’t surprised that someone who was so arrogant, believing himself to have some cultivation, and disobeying orders would be eliminated by his own people. He just hadn’t expected the timing of this murder. He guessed that this provocative act of kidnapping Gou Xing right under the eyes of the God of Lamentation was Yu Qing acting on his own, but the reaction of the other party when seeing Zhuge Qingtian couldn’t be faked.
The Demon Lord had gathered many good things when he unified the world. After his death overseas, no one could find his treasure, and the Heavenly Book Pavilion kept Yu Qing around probably for those treasures. Therefore, Zhuge Qingtian, who was able to make the other party give up the Demon Lord’s legacy and kill Yu Qing, must be someone they were extremely wary of. Geographically speaking, if you were to fly directly from the Heavenly Book Pavilion to the Ghost Domain, it was indeed possible to pass by Zhu Jiaji.
The moment this young man appeared, Qian Ren knew he was not the God of Welcoming Joy. It wasn’t because of his age, but because the birth of a Ghost God wouldn’t be so peaceful. Moreover, he knew who this was. The most elite assassins in the martial world were all in the Demonic Cult, so the faces of the high-level figures of various sects were never a secret to them. Qian Ren had even seen this face personally through You Jiang’s description – Zhao Huai’an, the Regent of the Heavenly Book Pavilion.
Zhao Huai’an, the former Prince of the Liang Kingdom, joined the Heavenly Book Pavilion with his younger brother after the fall of the Western Liang Kingdom. He quickly became the Regent of the Heavenly Book Pavilion because he possessed the supreme treasure, the Book of Heaven Without Words. In terms of age, he was probably the same generation as He Huan, but for some reason, he had always maintained a youthful appearance. This one had no small ambition, but unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time. When the Demonic Cult was established, the entire Heavenly Book Pavilion was uprooted by You Jiang, becoming a stepping stone for the Demonic Cult to make a name for itself. Since then, there had been no news of him in the martial world.
While Qian Ren was analyzing the origin of this person in his mind, the blood-clad youth looked at him with an unfriendly gaze as well. Although he was annoyed that Yu Qing had ruined his plan, his expression was calm, with no trace of emotion. Only when he glanced at Zhuge Qingtian did his eyes deepen slightly. Then, he asked, “May I ask what the Great Protector of the Demonic Cult means by killing so wantonly in the Ghost Domain?”
“Personal grudges, revenge in the martial world, that’s all.”
It was a great taboo for the living to enter the Ghost Domain, but the three Ghost Gods had never said that cultivators were not allowed on Huanhun Island, so Qian Ren answered without any fear.
Seeing this, Zhao Huai’an sneered, and was about to say something when he heard a distant voice slowly floating over, “I’d like to ask what you mean by abducting so many infants?”
Wherever the Ghost God passed, it became the Ghost Domain. Although the God of Lamentation did not personally arrive, the moment his voice reached the palace that was originally covered in crimson, it instantly turned into a large patch of ghastly white. The red walls faded, and the lanterns turned as white as snow. Only the main hall still maintained its vibrant red, standing against the spreading paleness.
Although Zhao Huai’an was in charge of the palace, he was not a Ghost God. If he were to go head-to-head against the God of Lamentation, he was simply not qualified. Seeing this scene, he knew that Yu Qing’s actions must have been reported to Wanguishu Academy, attracting the attention of this Ghost God who never bothered with worldly affairs. Recalling that the plan of sending spies into the Palace of Bliss in the past had also been abandoned halfway due to this person’s unauthorized actions, although he wanted to give this useless waste another bolt of lightning, he still responded calmly, “Yu Qing had unauthorizedly mobilized the Yindu guards to cause trouble on Huanhun Island and has now been purged in accordance with the rules. Is the God of Lamentation satisfied with this explanation?”
“Where is the God of Welcoming Joy? Why is it a junior like you who is speaking?”
The Regent of the Heavenly Book Pavilion was indeed an extraordinary figure in the past, but he was nothing compared to a Ghost God who was comparable to a Transcending Tribulation cultivator. Facing the God of Lamentation’s casual question, even though Zhao Huai’an knew that this was just a transmission, he still answered respectfully, “My adoptive father has some matters to attend to in Yindu and needs to stay for a while. Before the Zhong Yuan Festival, I will be handling the affairs of the palace.”
“He trusts you… there seem to be far fewer ghosts coming to Huanhun Island this year compared to previous years. Is that related to you?”
“Oh? This junior is truly unaware of such a thing. Yindu will definitely cooperate fully with the God of Lamentation in the investigation.”
There was nothing wrong with Zhao Huai’an’s reply. The God of Lamentation wasn’t going to turn against the God of Welcoming Joy for the sake of a single bird, and ultimately didn’t say anything more. He only sent a message, “The Great Protector of the Demonic Cult is my guest.”
This meant he was protecting them. Although Zhao Huai’an was weighing whether he could handle Qian Ren with the palace’s power, he knew that all the fierce ghosts on Huanhun Island were no match for the God of Lamentation. He could only suppress his unwillingness and respond as usual, “The God of Lamentation won the competition last year, so naturally, the affairs of this Ghost Domain are up to the senior to decide.”
No one knew the feud between the Heavenly Book Pavilion and the Demonic Cult better than Qian Ren. Seeing that this person, who carried such a life-and-death grudge, could show such perfect respect on the surface, he became wary. He subtly probed, “I didn’t expect the Regent of the Heavenly Book Pavilion to become a Ghost God’s adopted son. There are indeed many old acquaintances in this Ghost Domain.”
On the way, they had heard Lüling mention that the God of Welcoming Joy had recently taken in an adopted son, but they hadn’t expected this adopted son to be a former enemy, and that his appearance was so similar to Zhuge Qingtian. As soon as he saw Zhao Huai’an’s face, Zhuge Qingtian fell completely silent. He, on the other hand, didn’t show any other reaction besides a deep glance at the beginning. Facing Qian Ren’s mockery of him for randomly acknowledging a father, he still replied with a light smile, “It is also because the Demonic Cult has made so many good connections that we have this result today. I must thank the Great Protector for eliminating Yu Qing, that disobedient old senior, for me. I will surely repay today’s matter.”
Zhao Huai’an still looked like a refined and noble young man from a prestigious family. Anyone who saw him would think that this kind of person should be holding classics and brushes, not getting involved in the bloody conflicts of the martial world. It would be a waste. Unfortunately, this seemingly harmless man was the one who most wanted to stir up chaos in the world. It was truly a case of judging a book by its cover.
The most terrifying opponents were those who could smile even at their enemies. Knowing that this person was much more troublesome than Yu Qing, Qian Ren was wary but not afraid. Facing his provocation, he still remained composed and pulled Zhuge Qingtian away. He left only one sentence behind, “If you can do it, feel free to try.”
With the God of Lamentation’s protection, the guards did not stop them from leaving. Looking back at the palace, which was slowly returning to its crimson color, Qian Ren knew that Zhao Huai’an would never give up on seeking revenge against the Demonic Cult. But that was fine. They would never allow their enemies to control the forces of the Ghost Domain either. Zhao Huai’an had the God of Welcoming Joy above him and couldn’t act rashly. Although he could mobilize most of the Demonic Cult’s forces, he couldn’t make such an overstepping command while the Cult Leader was in seclusion. Now that both sides were restricted, the victory would depend on their own abilities.
Unexpectedly, such a great enemy was secretly developing overseas. Qian Ren was somewhat grateful to Yu Qing for his recklessness, which had exposed this person. It was true that if you encountered a madman, you should let him get mixed up with your enemy. That way, even the most precise plans would be ruined by him. However, Zhao Huai’an had been in hiding for so long, but he was willing to let his past endurance fall short just to stop Yu Qing from revealing Zhuge Qingtian’s identity. What was his true identity…?
With this thought in mind, he glanced at the young man who was walking ahead with his head lowered. Qian Ren saw that he was unusually quiet and suddenly remembered what this person had said before, so he didn’t question it. He just gave a soft reminder, “Be careful of this person. He is more difficult to deal with than Yu Qing.”
As if his words had startled him from a nightmare, Zhuge Qingtian finally raised his head. However, his expression was not as lively as usual, and even his voice became gloomy, “Master, I’m scared…”
Although this situation was somewhat grand, in terms of strength, it shouldn’t pose a threat to Zhuge Qingtian, a Ghost God. After thinking about it for a moment, Qian Ren understood. He was afraid not of the enemy but of his own identity. Although he didn’t know Zhao Huai’an’s identity, the similarity in their appearances was obviously not a coincidence. Zhuge Qingtian knew that the other person was hostile to Qian Ren. He was afraid that the person who felt like he was suffocating as soon as he saw the young man was also an enemy of Qian Ren.
He was afraid that Qian Ren would hate him because of this, and he was also afraid that once he regained his memory, he would no longer be the Zhuge Qingtian who simply loved his master.
Seeing his expression becoming more and more unpleasant, Qian Ren lowered his eyes, and in the end, he simply patted his disciple’s back, “What’s there to be afraid of? Even if you regain your memories, you can’t kill me.”
What terrifying future was this man talking about with such a calm expression? Didn’t he know that he was about to tremble?
Startled by these words, Zhuge Qingtian glared at his master for the first time, “You successfully turned my fear into panic!”
So, what exactly did he want to get from him for comfort? To tell him that it was impossible? Even a silly disciple should know that the best solution was to face reality, right?
Helplessly looking at his disciple, who was emitting an aura of “wanting to be comforted and stroked,” Qian Ren, although single, had some understanding of why the married male cultivators in the Demonic Cult often gathered to complain about their partners. It was truly difficult for people with different ways of thinking to understand each other, let alone that he and Zhuge Qingtian’s thinking were almost in two different worlds.
So, how should he solve this situation? He was certainly going to reject the best solution summarized by his seniors: fighting at the head of the bed, making up at the foot of the bed. But if it was the next best thing…
Seeing that the young man was really about to panic, the extremely active Great Protector of the Demonic Cult slapped a spirit communication talisman on him and resolutely reached out to pull him into his arms. Looking at his disciple, who had instantly stiffened, he asked in a low voice, “Are you still afraid like this?”
The reason why Zhuge Qingtian could maintain his reason no matter how he was touched before was because he had no sensation. Although he could clearly see each other’s intimate contact, his soul had no feeling at all. It was like he was controlling a puppet to approach Qian Ren. Although he was happy because of it, he did not have the real feeling of being in the other party’s arms.
It wasn’t until this moment, when a cold and soft touch washed over him, that he seemed to be suddenly pulled into reality. Under a mix of emotions, he could only murmur, “So my body is this cold, I really don’t have any body temperature at all…”
Seeing him calm down, Qian Ren also breathed a sigh of relief. His reply was as flat as usual, “At least it feels good.”
“Master, I’m already dead. If becoming a cultivation partner won’t let me reincarnate like the old Taoist priest tricked me, what should I do? Will I be like the God of Lamentation, forever like this, unable to feel anything? Even if I’m embraced, I won’t feel anything real. The person I like is clearly by my side, but in the end, we’re still separated by life and death.”
Reality was always cruel, so Zhuge Qingtian had never wanted to face it seriously. However, when he felt his own cold temperature at this moment, he realized that it didn’t seem that difficult after all. He wrapped his arms around the man’s waist to give himself the illusion of being tightly embraced. This gave him the courage to express all the worries in his heart.
“The future is already so bad, and there has never been anything good in the past. Come to think of it, the only thing in my life that’s worth being happy about is meeting you. I don’t want even this one good thing to be ruined by memories and become a bad thing.”
“Save me, Master.”
When the young man’s final cry for help came out, Qian Ren’s heart beat faster. This was the first time that Zhuge Qingtian had learned of the other’s reaction when he spoke to him. It turned out that a man’s emotions would also be affected by him. All of this was not his wishful thinking.
That was enough. As long as he knew that, he could stand on his own feet. He was originally very good at healing himself. He couldn’t be depressed anymore. After counting to three, he had to return to his normal self.
One, two, three…
As if he had already gotten used to it, he raised his face from the man’s chest, naturally revealing a cheerful smile. Even his voice was as lively as ever, “You were tricked, weren’t you? You’ve already hugged me anyway, Master. You should take advantage of the talisman’s effect and kiss me again.”
“The Demon Lord once imitated Nuwa to create people with soil in order to prove that he was an existence beyond the Heavenly Dao. There are records of this matter in the demonic scriptures. It wouldn’t be difficult to find the location. Anyway, I’ve done many things that violate the Heavenly Dao. It’s not like doing one more thing will make a difference.”
Zhuge Qingtian’s self-adjustment was very effective. However, what he didn’t know was that the spirit communication talisman not only transmitted a person’s perceptions to a ghost, but also transmitted the ghost’s emotions to the person. Looking at the young man, who was smiling happily but whose heart wasn’t really feeling much, Qian Ren didn’t expose him. He just spoke out words that shocked his disciple, and then took that cold hand and led the sensitive and fragile young man who always tried to become optimistic forward. Finally, after thinking about it, he spoke out the hidden thoughts in his heart,
“It’s been a long time since anyone liked me, so I’m very happy that you like me. We demonic cultivators do things that defy the Heavenly Dao when we’re in a good mood, that’s all.”
This time, genuine joy finally filled Zhuge Qingtian’s mind, not only because of the hope of having a body, but even more so because of the person leading him towards that hope. It was strange. It turned out that having your feelings reciprocated made you want to cry a little? He had thought that it was something that made you want to laugh out loud. After all, whether in the past or present, this was just a scene that existed in his imagination.
He wanted to truly feel this person’s warmth, to know what kind of smell he had. The memory of him flashing by, holding a pen and painting a world that everyone admired and envied, made him want his master to see it…
Was he being too greedy for still having these desires even after dying?
The author has something to say:
Zhao Huai’an: Yu Qing, this fool who came to deliver his head, I’ll knock your grandma!
Heavenly Dao: Why are these rebellious kids so rebellious in every world?
Zhuge Qingtian: Master, you’ve been single for sixty-eight years, you’re about to explode, right?
Qian Ren: Heh, try it again when you have senses.
Zhuge Qingtian: Why do I suddenly feel a chill?
I couldn’t help but add some romance while editing. I’m really a sentimental type.