GB Chapter 60

Since Zhuge Qingtian had spoken, he must have discovered something. Upon hearing her answer, he immediately asked, “The Bifang you mentioned, is it the celestial beast, the Bifang Bird?”

This statement startled everyone, especially Qian Ren. He had barely accepted that his own father had changed from a Demon Lord into the old monster, Lüling. Now, suddenly, he was being told that his father was actually a bird. He was rendered speechless by the constant changes regarding his father. He could only struggle to ask, “Could it just be a coincidence in names?”

However, Zhuge Qingtian had always been extremely serious with Qian Ren. He would never dare say such shocking words without at least eighty percent certainty. After glancing at Qin Jiu’s sudden silence, he knew he was right. He could only sympathetically grasp his master’s hand and slowly recount the known stories: “The emperor needs to sign a contract with a celestial beast to gain power. Each emperor would also ask the celestial beast they signed a contract with for news from the heavens. So, our royal family understands celestial beast legends much better than ordinary cultivators. I heard the legend of Bifang and the Beauty Under the Moon from an old teacher when I was learning to paint.”

The old teacher who taught Zhao Huai’an calligraphy and painting was the Grand Tutor of the late emperor. Naturally, he chose the most useful classics to teach. The story of the Beauty Under the Moon was originally just a story told during leisure time. It was only because Zhao Huai’an had an exceptional memory since childhood that he remembered it.

The story’s origin was another story, regarding the epiphyllum, there has always been a legend. In the legend, the epiphyllum was originally a flower fairy. She fell in love with a celestial attendant who watered her daily. This enraged the Celestial Emperor, who demoted her to an ordinary flower, and ordered the attendant to become a monk. They were never to meet again.

The epiphyllum refused to accept this fate, so she accumulated her entire life’s beauty. She only bloomed quietly when the attendant came down the mountain each day, then slowly withered. She used up all her life, just for his casual glance, even if he never knew she was there, she had no regrets.

This was just one of many mortal stories. One day, the Bifang Bird heard the boy in front of the Old Man of the Moon recite this story, and was deeply moved. Among the celestial beasts, he was the only one who was alone. Even his feet were singular. In the past, when he looked up, he would see lovebirds flying through the air, inseparable, or dragons and phoenixes chasing each other, singing in harmony. It made him feel even more lonely.

Coincidentally, he also symbolized a disaster that everyone avoided, fire, so he didn’t have many friends, even among immortals. Thinking about it this way, he anxiously said to the Old Man of the Moon, “Old man, I also want the epiphyllum fairy.”

The Old Man of the Moon was among the oldest of the gods in heaven, having witnessed the changes of three generations of Celestial Emperors. Upon hearing his words, he mercilessly shattered his fantasy. “Do you believe these folk legends? If what those mortals said were true, half of heaven would have been demoted by the Celestial Emperor. That boy, who only knows how to cultivate, would have to find a Queen Mother to give birth to a few daughters before he could have a love match.”

Admittedly, compared to the Celestial Emperor, who was constantly the subject of gossip among his subordinates, Bifang’s treatment was not that miserable. However, celestial beasts were all stubborn. Once an idea was formed, there was no way to take it back. In the end, it could only threaten, “I don’t care, there isn’t a second Bifang bird in the entire celestial realm. I also want to be a pair! Give me a companion, or I will burn all your red threads!”

“I’m afraid of you. How about this, I’ll paint an epiphyllum fairy for you. You can hang it in your nest and treat it as a companion.”

The entire celestial realm knew how straightforward celestial beasts were. The Old Man of the Moon guessed that he had recently despised the Celestial Emperor too many times. Even if this bird really set a fire, that one would probably applaud. In the end, he could only reluctantly agree.

Finally, the Old Man of the Moon indeed used white clouds as a canvas, night as ink, and stars and rainbows to color it. He painted a portrait of an unparalleled beauty. Bifang truly regarded it as his lifelong companion. He carried the painting with him every day, flying through the mountains and rivers, and after a long time, he disappeared from the celestial realm.

Some said he had his wish fulfilled and lived with the painting forever. Others said he accidentally destroyed the painting and committed suicide because of it. But no one guessed that he had come to the human world and become the nameless Demon Lord who stirred up the winds and rains of the world.

At that time, Bifang didn’t know what love and hatred were. He only felt lonely in the vast world and thought it would be good to have a painting to accompany him. It was a long time later that Bifang understood that he was born a celestial beast that transcended the mortal world, yet he yearned for the seven emotions and six desires that mortals desperately wanted to get rid of. This idea was wrong from the very beginning.

This was the origin of the treasured painting, “Beauty Under the Moon.” It was said that the painting depicted an extraordinarily beautiful woman in white. Even a heartless and emotionless celestial beast would be captivated by her gentle smile under the moonlight.

However, that was just a painting that existed in legends. In the past, the art world just laughed at it as a myth. Zhuge Qingtian had never taken it seriously. It was only when he saw Qin Jiu today that he realized those legends were true, though the sequel was not as beautiful as in the stories.

These words, spoken by Zhuge Qingtian, were rather informal, but they perfectly matched the Demon Lord’s identity.

The Demon Lord had no name or surname. When he appeared, he possessed extremely powerful cultivation. Apart from the descending immortals and Dao ancestors, no one was his match. Cultivators all over the world had tried their best, but had never found a single clue about him. This was all because he was originally the celestial beast, Bifang, so mortals naturally couldn’t find any information about him.

Qian Ren was somewhat used to the Demon Lord’s unpredictable identity. He was no longer surprised by the fact that his father was a bird. He glanced at Qin Jiu, who looked melancholic while listening to Zhuge Qingtian’s narration. He was still very doubtful about the fact that his mother was a painting, so he asked, “Are you saying that he married the painting? And even had a son?”

Perhaps these old stories had stirred up some memories, the woman in white just shook her head, and with much nostalgia, continued the story, “A painting is ultimately an inanimate object. Bifang originally thought that he wouldn’t be lonely with the Beauty Under the Moon. Who knew, after looking at his wife in the painting every day, he became even more eager to see her cry and smile? So he hid it from the celestial realm, and cast the painting into the cycle of reincarnation, making it truly become a person.”

Bifang was indeed the world-renowned Demon Lord. Even when he was in the celestial realm, he was still so daring and reckless. Saying this, Qin Jiu’s expression slightly darkened. In the end, she didn’t mention those painful old stories in front of outsiders. She only casually glossed over it, “Later, he defied heavenly rules and secretly descended to my side. He genuinely married me, who knew nothing at the time. Until some accidents happened, I died unhonorably, and he fell into the demonic path.”

Ghost Gods were born with extreme love and hatred. From the first time they saw her, they all knew that this seemingly gentle woman must be a powerful Ghost God. However, they didn’t know how to get a Ghost God to actively talk about their cause of death. In the end, they could only fall into silence together.

They didn’t want to touch on the woman’s painful past. Instead, seeing that Qian Ren had suddenly stopped speaking, she lightly smiled and comforted him, “But he already promised me that he won’t set foot in the human world again. He will raise our child with me overseas. He said that he would definitely come back during the time when the epiphyllums bloom at night. I will wait with all of my life, he must turn his head back at the right moment, and meet my eyes at the first glance. It is already noon now, night won’t be far away.”

Her eyes were full of anticipation and hope when she said this. Even the tear mole at the corner of her eye couldn’t add any sadness to her eyes. However, only those who knew the reality knew that hundreds of years had already passed. Although Bifang had used his power from the Golden Crow lineage to stop the day and night on the island, he had not returned as promised.

Just when Zhuge Qingtian and Qian Ren were both at a loss for words, Lüling, who had been feeling a tightness in his chest and unable to speak, was suddenly able to make a sound. For the first time, he truly calmed down. The blood veins at the corner of his eyes, which directly merged into his temples, looked like tears that would never fade. However, his words were very calm, and he only softly said, “He will come back. No matter how long it takes or what form he changes into, he will definitely come to your side as promised.”

He was right. Although he didn’t remember anything, and his temperament was different from before, the moment he saw her, he still wanted to come to her side without hesitation. He regarded her as his wife. Only this point never changed, no matter how his identity changed, no matter how many names he had.

However, even he didn’t know who he was. It was also difficult for Qin Jiu to recognize the traces of the past in this unfamiliar face. Although she thought his tone sounded somewhat familiar, in the end, she could only politely smile and say, “Thank you. Although you look a bit strange, you are actually a good person.”

Lüling was constantly surrounded by thunderclouds, and his face was also very strange. This phrase “a bit strange” was already a very euphemistic way of putting it. However, he completely ignored the first half of the sentence. When he saw the woman’s smile, he excitedly grabbed Zhuge Qingtian’s arm, “She praised me! She even smiled at me! What should I do? My heart is beating so fast!”

Zhuge Qingtian had more or less accepted the fact that he and his father-in-law had become acquainted in another way. At this time, he just calmly comforted him, “Calm down. You are a spirit formed by thunderclouds, you don’t have a heartbeat at all!”

Hearing this, Lüling realized that he didn’t have human emotional reactions. He instantly worried and said, “But I seemed to have really heard it beating just now. Do you think it’s because I saw her that I grew a heart?”

“Can you two be more serious for a moment?”

Seeing that these two immediately abandoned their images as soon as they were together, Qian Ren could only helplessly hold his forehead. How could he point at Lüling and say that this person was Bifang? He really didn’t want to acknowledge this kind of father…

Compared to his speechlessness, Qin Jiu’s expression flashed with a trace of nostalgia. After a long while, she faintly said, “Looking at you, I suddenly remembered that Bifang was also so happy when he first saw me. He even hugged me and said, ‘My wife, say another sentence, I want to hear it.’ That scared me so much that I thought I had met a lecher and my face turned pale.”

When she mentioned that man’s past appearance, a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of her lips. However, she quickly remembered his appearance after becoming a demon. In the end, she only sighed, “But that was also a very long time ago…”

The author has something to say:

Bifang: Let me introduce you, this woman in the picture is my wife.

Heavenly Dao: You’re a psycho, can a paper person be a wife?

Bifang: You’re a psycho, who says a paper person can’t turn into a real person? I want her to be my wife!

Heavenly Dao: No one can marry a paper person! Lightning! Strike him!

Lüling: Silly you, even if I turn into lightning, I will still marry her!

Heavenly Dao: Damn you!

Zhuge Qingtian: But, aren’t celestial beasts born from heaven and earth?

Heavenly Dao: …

Qian Ren: Perhaps, this is what a true chuunibyou is like.