GB Chapter 50

The Zhongyuan Festival is the most lively time of the year on Huánhun Island. Ghosts rarely have close friends or relatives, and it’s only during this festival that they can celebrate with their own kind from all corners of the world. Whether they are powerful ghosts and spirits who have been famous for centuries or lonely, lost souls who have just died, they quickly blend into the crowds on the streets after their river lanterns land. They gather in groups, sharing the various new and strange things they’ve encountered throughout the year at the stalls.

Only on this day do the fierce ghosts temporarily forget their resentment from when they died. They transform into their most cherished forms from their past lives, walking and playing like ordinary people. At this time, in the bustling marketplace, there are Jianghu cultivators, royal relatives, and common laborers… Although they may have died unjustly or ended with hatred, they only nod and smile when they meet each other, each holding their own river lantern, sending their lingering obsessions towards the horizon with the sea water.

Watching all kinds of ghosts pass before him, Zhuge Qingtian, knowing that they would definitely avoid him as a ghost god, still had the illusion of being swept away by the crowd. He subconsciously grabbed Qian Ren’s hand. Seeing that the man stiffened slightly but didn’t shake him off, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and pretended not to notice anything, asking, “Master, what did you go out to do yesterday?”

Qian Ren actually disliked crowds. The passing cultivators and ghosts seemed to recognize his identity, so the street was very empty only where they were standing. It had the subtle feeling of being excluded by the world.

In the past, during festivals, everyone else was celebrating lively, and only he would stand quietly alone on the side. Now, although not much has changed, with Zhuge Qingtian by his side, all his feelings of loneliness have unexpectedly been dispelled.

He didn’t know the reason for this. Anyway, ghost gods had no sense of touch, and he secretly squeezed the hand he was holding a little tighter. His expression still didn’t change, and he said, “It was nothing. I ran into Jing Hong Daoren, so I just happened to kill him on the way.”

How exactly do you happen to pass by a fierce ghost on land a thousand miles away, and then “just happen” to kill him on the way? Can’t you just honestly admit that you went specifically to protect an old acquaintance?

Zhuge Qingtian didn’t notice this subtle action. At this time, the young man was only secretly slandering his lying master. However, to prevent his head from being blown off again, he honestly didn’t expose him. He only asked, “Not telling ‘Granny’ about this?”

“No need.”

Although finding Jing Hong Daoren did take some effort, Qian Ren didn’t feel that it was a big deal that needed to be thanked. Anyway, even if he left them alone, those ghosts would eventually seek revenge on him. He was just taking action in advance. He had never been an affectionate person, nor did he want to be seen as a good person who cared for others. After all, people like Zhao Huai’an often died quicker.

Zhuge Qingtian had somewhat figured out Qian Ren’s personality of not liking to be close to others. He was just thinking about whether this person had any misunderstandings about his own understanding. He Ku’s teasing voice then came from behind, “You are still so unromantic. Clearly you’re going to find the Demon Lord’s relics for his sake, and yet you’re acting cold on the surface. With that, your wife will easily run off with someone else.”

To prevent the Heavenly Dao Alliance from causing trouble again, He Huan had been guarding the entrance to the Ghost Domain to monitor the ghosts coming and going. He Ku, on the other hand, was happy to blend into Huánhun Island as a spirit to travel. Qian Ren had long been used to his two masters’ teasing, so he just rolled his eyes and said indifferently, “You should take care of your own cultivation partner first.”

“Is there a need to worry about this issue? Besides me, no one in the world can stand your master’s temper.”

He Huan had an attractive face. When he was in the Demonic Path, he was a famous womanizer. Even now, a slight smile could make many female cultivators blush. If it were someone else, they would probably want to keep him by their side all the time. He Ku, however, didn’t care at all. He just casually replied and looked at the two of them with concern,

“The place where the Demon Lord fell is located in the Realm of the End of the World. To prevent the Demon Lord’s soul from escaping, the Heavenly Dao Alliance has set up many formations there. In the past, He Huan nearly died every time he broke in. Although you have excellent cultivation, it is better to be more careful.”

“You didn’t tell me that place was so dangerous.”

For many years, the overseas region had been occupied by powerful fierce ghosts and spirits. In these years, many demonic cultivators had gone to seek the Demon Lord’s relics, but only He Huan had returned alive. Zhuge Qingtian originally thought that Qian Ren, with demonic energy in him, should not be afraid. Now that he saw the Transcending Tribulation stage He Ku reminding them so seriously, he couldn’t help but feel like retreating.

In fact, he had gotten used to it over the years. Whether he had a physical body or not, it was the same. What kind of pain had he not endured while alive? This bit of loneliness wouldn’t last long and he’d be fine. It wasn’t worth Qian Ren taking such risks.

However, before he could even open his mouth to dissuade him, Qian Ren said decisively, “I’ve decided to go.”

His tone had no fluctuations, but it was this resolution that seemed not to have hesitated at all that moved Zhuge Qingtian even more. In the past, he had always been working so hard to protect others. This was the first time he was surrounded by others’ kindness. However, looking at the man’s expressionless face, he felt it was a bit strange to jump on him at this time. He could only sigh helplessly, “Master, next time before you say such domineering words, could you also say the omitted reasons, like ‘for my most beloved disciple’ or something?”

Then, he received Qian Ren’s cold gaze and the matter-of-fact answer, “I just want to go myself.”

“I was wrong, you should just omit the reason.”

The corners of his mouth twitched, and he stuffed his moved feelings back into his heart. Zhuge Qingtian looked at He Ku’s incredulous expression that seemed to say “this person actually found a cultivation partner?”. He suddenly felt that his path to a sweet life would probably be quite long. After all, the difficulty of digging a sweet word out of Qian Ren’s mouth was no less than surviving a Heavenly Tribulation! Or rather, his two masters had even passed the Heavenly Tribulation and still hadn’t achieved this difficult goal!

The situation of them walking on the street and being surrounded by empty space was quite eye-catching. Just as Zhuge Qingtian was lamenting that life was full of hardships and He Ku was sighing that this disciple was indeed unable to get married, Lüling, who was also strolling, also noticed them. He dragged the two Ghost Gods he was playing with and came over. Upon hearing the conversation, he immediately regretted, “Why, are you going to the End of the World? I originally wanted to invite you to see the Ghost Goddess at the edge of the sea, but it seems we are destined not to have the luck to see.”

The End of the World and the edge of the sea sounded like the farthest places in the world. Since Qian Ren and the others were going to the Realm of the End of the World, they naturally wouldn’t have time to cross the continent to the edge of the sea. However, wasn’t there something wrong with this person’s regret? Was that the focus of their conversation just now?

The three of them looked suspiciously at Lüling. The God of Joy, who was somewhat reluctant to come over, immediately exposed this spirit’s true intentions, “You just can’t break through the Ghost Goddess’s array and want other Ghost Gods to help. I’ve long said that the Ghost Goddess eats ghosts, and even Ghost Gods are in danger when meeting her.”

Xiaoyu Mountain was always covered by a confusing array that ordinary people could not break through. In the past, Lüling came to the two Gods every year to break through the array, but they completely ignored him. Now that a new Ghost God had finally appeared, they were about to go elsewhere. In frustration, Lüling could only complain to the God of Joy, “Hey, hey, your nephew has really locked me up well. As compensation, shouldn’t you, as an elder, help me get the beauty?”

Zhuge Qingtian’s true identity was not concealed from He Ku. This sword master did indeed pass on the truth to the God of Joy as he had hoped. However, upon hearing the word “nephew” again, Zhao Huanzhi’s expression was still somewhat complicated. He pretended not to hear and replied leisurely, “Believe me, if you invite this gentleman to do these boring things again, you will definitely go to the Yindu prison again.”

In the past, Zhao Jicheng had always used Zhao Huai’an’s appearance to stay by the God of Joy’s side. Although he had learned from He Ku that it was not the real Zhao Huai’an, Zhao Huanzhi was still somewhat disgusted when he saw Zhuge Qingtian who looked almost exactly the same as him. He had trusted his nephew once, and he had suffered a terrible lesson. Now, it was really difficult for him to be close to another nephew so rashly.

But after thinking carefully, he felt that this child had been killed by his brother and hadn’t had a good life. If he was treated coldly, he would probably be even more sad. In the end, he didn’t know how to deal with it and could only move behind the God of Lamentation as if nothing had happened.

Zhuge Qingtian naturally saw Zhao Huanzhi’s avoidance. He suddenly remembered when he first met this Third Imperial Uncle. This person knew that his father was not a good person. When the seven-year-old Zhao Huai’an was sitting alone in the corner of the banquet, ignored by everyone, he still couldn’t help but hand him a plate of snacks. Although he maintained the arrogance of an heir to the throne on the surface, he had inadvertently accompanied him in conversation until the end of the banquet.

At that time, the young Zhao Huai’an looked up at the Third Imperial Uncle who was pretending to be majestic and thought that if this person became the new emperor, their days in the royal family would definitely be much better.

Now, a hundred years had passed. Zhao Huai’an himself no longer dared to trust others, but this Imperial Uncle who had gone through many setbacks was still the same as before. As soon as he saw Lüling wanting to lead them to a dangerous place, he was afraid that he would be deceived and opened his mouth to remind them. Thinking like this, he felt that the previous worries were all unimportant, so he took the initiative to smile, “Third Imperial Uncle, your temper hasn’t changed after so many years.”

Not expecting that Zhuge Qingtian, who had been avoiding him for the past few days, would take the initiative to speak, Zhao Huanzhi’s expression stiffened. He took a step toward the God of Lamentation and nodded, “It has been a while.”

Seeing that his whole person was about to hide behind the God of Lamentation, Zhuge Qingtian knew it was time to use his shameless ability. He gritted his teeth and learned from his grand master how to throw his image on the ground. He went up to chat very naturally, “There’s no need to keep so much distance, I like men, but I won’t attack just any man.”

In this day and age, once you don’t care about your image, you are invincible. Zhao Huanzhi was still thinking about his nephew’s intentions, but when he heard these words, he instantly forgot all the conspiracies and was only shocked, “What? You like men? Then won’t my Western Liang Zhao family have no descendants?”

“I don’t know about whether we’ll have descendants or not, but I’m definitely cut-sleeved.”

After throwing away his face, Zhuge Qingtian felt very relaxed. He could even teasingly reply, “Why don’t you try harder, Third Imperial Uncle?”

What exactly happened to his nephew? Where did the quiet and refined Zhao Huai’an of the past go? Why did his personality completely change after getting a new head?

Thinking of the Zhao Huai’an of the past, who would obediently respond to whatever he said, and looking at Zhuge Qingtian in front of him, who was taking the opportunity to hug Qian Ren and receiving a black look, Zhao Huanzhi’s eyes were filled with the heartache of a parent who found their child had grown up to be a hooligan.

However, when he heard him mention himself, he suddenly remembered the romantic past that He Huan had mentioned. He thought that perhaps being with the one you love at the most suitable time was also a blessing. Thinking of this, he did not stop him, but only said indifferently, “I have long passed the age of talking about love with others. In the future, I will only strive to govern the Ghost Domain well. I have no energy to get involved in matters of love.”

It was not easy for these uncle and nephew to finally talk. He Ku was also afraid that continuing this topic would make the atmosphere awkward. He then poked the God of Lamentation with his elbow and said, trying to liven the atmosphere, “He said that, do you have any objections?”

However, Fang Suihan still had his usual gentle smile on his face and only said, “Isn’t it good to be diligent and strive to improve?”

Fang Suihan was thirty-six years old when the Emperor bestowed marriage upon him, but in the end he died before even seeing what his bride looked like. In He Ku’s view, although He Huan asked the God of Lamentation whether he wanted to marry back the Western Liang Emperor to offset the debt, which was complete nonsense, he did indeed beat this person out with an enraged God of Joy. However, it was also a fact that the God of Lamentation was different towards the God of Joy. In the end, which fierce ghost in the Ghost Domain didn’t have a few tragic pasts? Why was this one so interested in Zhao Huanzhi?

In fact, He Ku knew what He Huan meant by asking that. After the woman who was in love with Zhao Huanzhi fell into the Demonic Path, she had always been in the Bliss Palace. The chaotic lives of demonic cultivators were well-known facts. Later, in order to gather information, she even submitted herself to Zhao Jicheng. Although she was not officially conferred a title, it was undoubtedly extremely embarrassing for Zhao Huanzhi.

After leaving the Heavenly Book Pavilion, she left without any attachment. Now, she had probably been reincarnated. He Huan wanted to figure out what this God of Joy was thinking before making a decision. He Ku, however, felt that for that woman, perhaps it would be better not to reveal all this and to forever exist in Zhao Huanzhi’s memories with her innocent appearance from her youth. The dead are gone, why bring out those wounds and discuss them with others?

Rather than facing painful memories that could not be changed, forgetting everything in reincarnation and starting a new life would be happier.

He didn’t know if it was right or wrong to stop He Huan from saying everything. Remembering the rare tenderness on the woman’s face when she mentioned Zhao Huanzhi in the past, he still looked at the God of Lamentation beside him with some emotion, “You have to treat the God of Joy well…”

The living people’s tangled feelings were unknown to the dead. The God of Joy felt that something was wrong when he heard this, and after thinking about it for a moment, he said angrily, “Sword Master, why are you becoming so frivolous too! A person like Mr., with such noble character, naturally only does things based on justice and fairness. He will never hold any selfish intentions for anyone!”

With just one sentence, He Ku understood why Fang Suihan had a helpless smile on his face. He didn’t intend to interfere in their affairs, and only sighed leisurely, “Sometimes, having too great an image is really a tragedy.”

After he finished speaking, he saw Zhuge Qingtian’s instantly understanding expression and Qian Ren’s unwavering face, and couldn’t help but add, “But it’s still more tragic to have a lack of common sense in love.”

The emotional entanglements of these people were not simple. Lüling looked left and right and thought for a moment, then could only say in distress, “Why do I know every word you’re saying, but I don’t understand them when they’re put together?”

He Ku originally thought that Qian Ren’s emotional detachment was already at the top of the world, but who knew there was actually an onlooker here who didn’t even know what was happening. After looking at him for a couple of times and confirming that this person had really not noticed anything, he exclaimed, “Tsk, tsk, there’s a straight man here, let’s isolate him.”

He was only joking, but who knew that Lüling would take it seriously and immediately said anxiously, “I came all the way from the edge of the sea specifically to participate in the lantern festival, take me along to play!”

Fortunately, they interrupted. This time, the God of Joy didn’t feel any awkwardness about meeting Zhuge Qingtian at all. He even glared at the talkative Lüling and threw a river lantern over, saying disgustedly, “Here’s the lantern, go play somewhere else.”

Lüling and the two Gods of the Ghost Domain were considered familiar. Seeing that this person was actually kicking him out as soon as he met a new Ghost God, he was really not a good brother to be so fickle. So he decisively got angry and said, “God of Joy, I curse that you’ll never find a wife!”

The God of Lamentation originally had no intention of participating in their conversation. However, when he heard these words, he raised his eyes and said lightly, “Lüling, you are not young anymore, don’t always play with the juniors. You should participate in more activities that suit your identity.”

The God of Lamentation was righteous and never joked with people, so Lüling also took his words seriously and quickly asked for guidance humbly:

“For example?”

“Calm down and read some books that will increase your knowledge.”

Fang Suihan’s answer was indeed as serious as ever. However, Lüling always felt that the meaning behind it was profound, so He Ku kindly gave him an explanation, “This is a cultured way of telling you to shut up.”

“Sword Master, come here, I must fight you today!”

Lüling didn’t know if the God of Lamentation was malicious towards him, but he was certain that the Sword Master was definitely mocking him. Then, He Ku used words to confirm his guess, “I don’t care, but are you sure you can beat a Transcending Tribulation stage cultivator?”

So Lüling became even more angry. He felt that his dignity as a century-old spirit had been severely challenged. Regardless of the difference in strength, he went to the arena, “Come, come, whoever loses today is a dog!”

The author has something to say: Lüling: You guys are really good brothers, holding hands while visiting a lantern festival.

He Ku: I found a straight man.

Zhuge Qingtian: So there are still straight men in this world?

Zhao Huanzhi: You cut-sleeves should stop looking at people as if everyone is gay. Mr. is the straightest man here!

Fang Suihan: Oh.

He Ku (spreading his hands): That’s why I can handle CPs as soon as I step up, while you guys are still single.