Author: hoenibean (Page 12 of 74)

Chapter 63

“Demon Monk?”

“Yes… yes…”

Haowei and Si Lan exchanged glances again, surprised that Yu Wuxia had already replaced Xue Rong.

“However, after defeating the Old Ghost King, Prince Xue Rong’s cultivation fluctuated greatly, only in recent years becoming unfathomably deep, unknown to outsiders.”

Si Lan speculated that Yu Wuxia had initially reached some sort of agreement with Xue Rong, first borrowing Xue Rong’s body, and later completely taking over.

He couldn’t help but recall the first time he encountered Xue Rong in the ghost realm. At that time, he hadn’t found his mother’s soul, and after causing a ruckus in the ghost palace, he sat at the Tianmen Gate with a long whip, watching a group of old ghosts bully a young ghost below.

Unable to stand it, he wielded his whip to chase away the old ghosts.

The young ghost, with a pale face, got up from the ground and bowed in his direction. At that time, he was not yet of age, and his figure looked almost the same age as the young ghost.

The young ghost looked at him, choosing his words carefully, “Xue Rong thanks Brother for saving my life. May I know Brother’s name?”

“Si Lan.”

The young ghost bowed in thanks again, standing under the Tianmen Gate, and left after a moment’s gaze.

The incident of him causing a ruckus in the ghost palace was soon known by Si Shaoxun. Si Shaoxun caught him, dragged him to apologize to the Old Ghost King in the ghost palace, and then took him back to the demon realm to be punished in confinement.

Years later, the next time he heard the name Xue Rong, it was when Xue Rong had become the King of the Underworld.

He felt a bit sentimental, asked the ghost messenger a few more questions, and then released him. He and Haowei went to check Xue Rong’s sleeping quarters.

Xue Rong’s quarters were unlike other eerie places in the underworld, instead, they were bright and clean, filled with light. On the walls hung four paintings of plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. Below the paintings, two incense sticks burned softly. Behind eight screens, there was only a single rope hanging in mid-air, serving as a bed.

Besides this, the room was empty.

Haowei walked to the paintings and cast a spell in the air. The plum blossoms in the painting trembled, and the petals formed an illusion, subtly changing the scene in the painting with simple strokes.

In the snow, plum blossoms falling, a light gray robe tightly wrapped around a yellow official’s robe. Under the robe, a slender, pale ankle was exposed, the foot arched and toes curled tightly, as if enduring some pain.

With just a few strokes, everything was depicted vividly.

Si Lan’s ears turned slightly red, and his gaze moved to the other three paintings. The paintings of orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums also changed. The orchid hung down, and as jade dew dropped, in the previously blank space appeared two intertwined figures.

A fragile waist like willow on jade stone, two pale legs wrapped around the person above. Silent, yet more evocative than sound.

Si Lan could no longer bear to look and turned away, grumbling, “How can Yu Wuxia be so shameless?”

He had actually hung four erotic paintings of himself and Immortal Jiaheng in his room, intending to view them at leisure.

If Immortal Jiaheng knew, he would probably be furious.

Haowei said, “These four paintings are manifestations of Yu Wuxia’s desires.”

Si Lan frowned, “In these paintings, Immortal Jiaheng looks younger than Yu Wuxia. Could it be that the Immortal Jiaheng we saw before deliberately appeared old?”

“Yes, I suppose Immortal Jiaheng, knowing Yu Wuxia’s intentions, showed himself in that form.”

“Even if Immortal Jiaheng is handsome, how could Yu Wuxia fall for him?”

The entanglements between the two of them across past and present lives were hard to believe, considering that the monk’s disciple who endured cutting flesh and bones would fall for the one who devoured him.

Haowei glanced at Si Lan with deep meaning, “Sometimes, liking someone can be just a glance.” It isn’t that complicated.

After speaking, Haowei, recalling something, took out the erotic painting given to him by Shanshi Immortal and placed it beside the “Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum” paintings. The scenes in the five paintings seemed to move, half-hidden, indicating a taboo and unknown love.

At this moment, a hand suddenly reached out from the “Orchid” painting near Si Lan, pulling him into the painting. He saw another hand reach out from the “Plum” painting and grab Haowei.

Before they could react, they were already pulled into another time and space.

Si Lan felt like he was falling rapidly from the sky, stabilizing himself in panic after landing. Instinctively, he called out, “Haowei,” but there was no response.

It was pitch dark around him, and he couldn’t see anything. He cast a spell to create a small flame, illuminating the illusion around him. He found himself in a forest of dead trees, seemingly scorched by fire, with no leaves on the branches and the bark wrinkled in layers.

The flame flickered in the wind, casting shadows of the trees that seemed to weave a dense, sinister net over him. As the flame dimmed, he could faintly see headless corpses hanging from the branches, a truly terrifying sight.

But when the flames lit up, the branches were clean and empty.

He didn’t know where he was but knew that Yu Wuxia had dragged him in here, intending to trap him in an illusion. Just as he was pondering what was important enough for Yu Wuxia to trap him, Xiao Xie Li’s voice suddenly rang in his mind, asking for help.

“Honored One, senior brother… senior brother… sob sob…”

Si Lan asked, “What happened to Quze?”

“Senior brother was captured, Honored One. I was also beaten up and thrown to the bottom of a cliff, sob sob…” Xie Li’s words were garbled and trembling due to his crying, making Si Lan’s heart ache even more.

Si Lan steadied his mind, “Did you see who captured Quze?”

“Sob sob, it was a monk. The monk even pinched my face.”

A monk… Could it be Yu Wuxia?

Why capture Quze?

He suddenly thought of the last person to be sacrificed on Linglong Mountain. He had initially thought the sacrifice would be the fox demon imprisoned under Linglong Mountain or some other nearby demon, so he hadn’t considered anyone else.

Thinking about it now, Dayong, Jiuying, and Gui Kui all had tragic fates, plagued by disaster. They had the Lone Luan evil destiny, and Quze seemed to fit this as well.

Could the last sacrifice be Quze?

Suppressing his shock, Si Lan comforted Xie Li, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll have Song Cheng and Song Ye come to rescue you. How did you end up at the bottom of the cliff?”

“Sob sob, I was beaten and then kicked down from the sky. Honored One, you must avenge me and beat that nasty monk.”

Half of Xie Li’s words were true and half were false. True, he did fall to the bottom of the cliff. False, he wasn’t beaten or kicked down by Yu Wuxia. Instead, Yu Wuxia had ridden a fierce giant beast to Zhu Yun Peak and captured Quze.

Xie Li had clung to Quze’s robe, refusing to let go despite being swatted by the beast’s wings. Later, Yu Wuxia approached, pinched his face, and, taking advantage of his distraction, tapped his forehead, causing him to fall limply from the sky.

When he woke up, he was at the bottom of the cliff.

Feeling wronged, Xie Li exaggerated his story, hoping Si Lan would seek revenge for him and Quze.

“Okay.” Worried about Xie Li’s safety, Si Lan assured him while simultaneously contacting Song Cheng and Song Ye through telepathy, instructing them to rescue Xie Li.

After that, he called out to Haowei several times through telepathy before finally getting a response. It seemed like Haowei had just been through a battle, with the faint sound of rolling boulders in the background.

Haowei’s voice was hoarse, “I’m here.”

He quickly asked, “How are things on your end?”

“I’m fine, I…” Si Lan’s words were cut short when he glimpsed the “headless corpses” hanging from the withered branches, seemingly coming to life and lunging at him. He quickly dodged the attack, drew his whip, but then saw that the “corpses” had vanished.

In the eerie silence of the withered forest, there was no sign of life except him. He accidentally stepped on a broken branch, producing a creaking sound. Quickly moving his foot, he discovered a skull beneath the branch.

Black hair oozed out of the skull’s eye sockets, entangling his feet. He immediately conjured a talisman to destroy the skull. The other skulls on the ground also started to move, breaking through the cover of the withered trees, slowly turning towards him, their dark eye sockets seemingly staring at him.

Frightened by the creepy scene, Si Lan furrowed his brow, warily watching the skulls while trying to contact Haowei again, but to no avail.

He had no choice but to take out the compass from his Qiankun Bag to check his position. The needle spun around once, was about to stop, then suddenly started spinning wildly, unable to point in any direction. At the same time, the skulls on the ground flew towards him.

He quickly drew a formation to fend off the skulls’ attacks and flew above the withered forest, hoping to get a clearer view of the strange place. However, he found that the forest had no end.

The skulls followed his movements, piling up like a small mountain, wrapping around the barrier.

In the next moment, the barrier turned into a net, enveloping the skulls. The skulls struggled desperately inside, like fierce beasts trying to tear open the barrier, but they remained firmly sealed.

At this moment, a strange sound of drums and gongs came from afar.

A wedding procession emerged from the eerie misty corner, with two figures resembling guards leading the way. Four bearers carried a red sedan chair, its red pennant swaying gently, with a matchmaker standing beside it.

As the procession approached, Si Lan noticed that all their eyes were sewn shut, dense stitches crisscrossing their eyelids like centipedes coiled in their sockets. Although their mouths were tightly closed, it was clear they were filled with dirt, preventing them from making any sound.

Seeing that they couldn’t see him, Si Lan landed next to the sedan chair and cast a spell to lift the curtain, revealing a paper bride inside.

The paper bride was painted lifelike, with delicate and gentle features, almost indistinguishable from a real person.

When he met the bride’s gaze, a chill ran down his spine. He reached out to touch the bride, realizing that the reason she looked so lifelike was that the paper was covered with a layer of human skin.

From the corpses in the withered forest, he guessed that this place was some kind of sacrificial formation, but why was there a paper bride?

Suppressing his unease, he cast a spell and sat in the sedan chair, accompanying the paper bride.

After an unknown amount of time, the sedan chair stopped. The matchmaker lifted the curtain, and a paper groom dressed in wedding attire appeared, bending down to carry the bride into the wedding hall.

The groom, like the bride, was a paper figure covered in human skin.

Si Lan looked ahead at the eerie and sinister wedding hall, noticing that both the servants and the elders seated there had their eyes sewn shut and mouths filled with dirt.

How did these people end up like this?

Could it be that they were not supposed to see the appearance of this newlywed couple?

Suppressing his inner shock and chill, Si Lan watched as the couple bowed in ceremony and entered the bridal chamber, following them inside.

The bridal chamber was bizarrely arranged, without a bed but with two graves. Walking up to the graves, he looked at the inscriptions on them. He had expected them to be plaques for a married couple, but after reading the words, he discovered they were actually for a stepson and stepmother.

He raised his head and looked at the paper people in the bridal chamber, vaguely understanding their identities. Originally stepmother and stepson, they fell in love later on.

This relationship defied conventional morality and was not tolerated by society.

Therefore, all the “people” attending this wedding had their eyes sewn shut. These “people” couldn’t see them, so naturally, they couldn’t condemn them.

“Junli.”

A deep, unfamiliar male voice suddenly echoed in the bridal chamber.

Si Lan’s heart jumped. Following the voice, he turned around and saw a figure that had appeared behind him at some point.

The figure was indistinct, its features blurred. The lead-gray kasaya moved without wind, with a deep brown rosary hanging from the chest, all indicating the identity of Yu Wuxia.

Looking at the phantom of Yu Wuxia, Si Lan’s heart raced for a moment. Instinctively, he lowered his brows and held his breath, then heard Yu Wuxia’s voice.

“These lovers, during their lifetime, one was a young stepmother who became a widow at twenty-five, and the other was a stepson who had just turned sixteen and become an adult. Clearly in love, they were condemned by society for their stepmother-stepson relationship, deemed contrary to social norms, and suffered cruel punishment, flayed alive and thrown into the river.”

“After their death, their resentment lingered, transforming into fierce ghosts who killed everyone in the village, sewing shut their eyes and silencing their mouths. Yet in doing so, they too faced punishment, trapped here day after day, repeating their obsession of becoming partners in life.”

“Junli, do you think they did wrong?”

Yu Wuxia’s voice seemed to come from a distant place, carrying fatigue of travels and a casual indifference, as if asking him, yet also speaking to himself.

This was the first time Yu Wuxia had spoken to Si Lan.

Si Lan speculated that these paper people were likely an incident Yu Wuxia had dealt with when he was a disciple of Buddhism. Presumably, it was during that time that Yu Wuxia resonated with the fate of these paper people.

“Do you know how they can break this curse? As long as one of them wavers in their heart, no longer wanting to be with the other, they can be freed from this curse and reincarnate. Yet, after a thousand times, ten thousand times, each time they chose to hold each other’s hands and enter the tomb.”

“So they did nothing wrong; it is the norms and ethics of this world that are wrong. Even if they face endless calamities, they will resist these norms and ethics to the end.”

Si Lan understood that Yu Wuxia’s words were actually hinting at his relationship with Jia Héng Immortal.

A disciple falling in love with his master was already something society could not tolerate, let alone when the disciple was a Buddhist, making it the most taboo of taboos.

Si Lan dared not speak lightly, afraid of touching Yu Wuxia’s sore spot, simply saying, “Although this world has many heartless and rigid rules, there are also people like me who oppose them.”

Pausing, Si Lan added, “How is Quze now?”

Laughter echoed from the phantom.

“If you break this illusion, enter the Pentagram Array in the Linglong Mountain, naturally, you will see Quze. However, if you come back in three days, you might only see his body.”

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 62

“Girl…”

Haowei dr4p3d a coat over himself and glanced at the sleeping Si Lan. Although Si Lan’s delicate appearance after being bullied might make him look somewhat feminine, it wasn’t to the extent of being mistaken for a woman.

Haowei stepped out from behind the curtain and lowered his voice. “Divine Mother, what brings you here?”

“I heard you brought a girl back to Yuqing Palace, so I came to see.” The Divine Mother withdrew her gaze from the curtain and looked at him with an expression that suggested he was teachable. She took his hand, leading him out of the hall while gently asking, “Which celestial maiden is she?”

Haowei hesitated. “He’s not from the Heavenly Realm.”

The Divine Mother paused, a look of conflict crossing her face. Slowly, she said, “As long as she’s not from the Demon Realm.”

“…” Haowei.

Seeing Haowei’s silence and noticing his peculiar expression, the Divine Mother felt a chill in her heart. “She… she isn’t really from the Demon Realm, is she?”

“Yes,” Haowei replied.

“…” The Divine Mother.

Haowei saw the Divine Mother’s thunderstruck expression and hesitated on how to communicate with her to alleviate her prejudice. The Divine Mother, being of advanced age, had experienced the three great wars between the heavens and demons, which had deeply ingrained her biases against the Demon Realm.

At this moment, the Divine Mother sighed deeply as if preparing herself mentally. “It doesn’t matter as long as she’s a woman.”

Having lived over eighty thousand years, she had seen many kinds of love and hate across the six realms. Being from the Demon Clan wasn’t unacceptable; age, status, and position were not the most important things. The crucial thing was that this girl had genuine feelings for Haowei and could give birth to a couple of children for him soon.

But after she finished speaking, she noticed Haowei’s strange silence again.

The Divine Mother’s arm trembled slightly. Looking at Haowei’s handsome face, she found it hard to believe. “You… you’re not going to tell me that he’s not even a woman…”

Haowei nodded with difficulty and reached out to support her, afraid she might faint.

Indeed, the Divine Mother staggered, her pearl hair ornaments shaking like her chaotic heart. With a pained expression, she grasped Haowei’s hand, her lips moving as if to say something but unable to articulate it.

She had never imposed her will on others and had rarely interfered in Haowei’s growth. But this time, Haowei’s matter truly shocked her.

After a while, she regained her composure. “A man? From the Demon Realm?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, is there anything else you need to tell me?”

“He’s also been married three times.”

The Divine Mother staggered again, gripping Haowei’s hand even tighter. She turned around, her eyes filled with helplessness and pain as she looked at Haowei. Though she said nothing, her eyes clearly asked, “What on earth do you see in him?”

Haowei spoke with utmost sincerity. “Divine Mother, the story between him and me is too complex to explain briefly. Because of various reasons, he doesn’t have a good reputation in the Six Realms. But after getting to know him, I am grateful that I saw through those unreliable rumors and understood the real him, and fell in love with him.”

The Divine Mother had never heard Haowei speak so many words in one breath. In her memory, Haowei, like his father Taiwei, was taciturn and stoic. Yet both would speak passionately for their loved ones.

So, it turns out, this deep affection can also be inherited.

The Divine Mother couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. She sat in the octagonal pavilion, her gaze drifting. Seeing this, Haowei quietly stayed by her side.

He knew the Divine Mother cared for him and wouldn’t hurt his feelings.

After a long silence, the Divine Mother recovered. “Haowei, I fear that your life has been too smooth, without much hardship, and you might be blinded by temporary happiness.”

“Divine Mother, I understand your concern. My feelings for him are not a fleeting infatuation.”

“Then… what exactly attracts you to him?”

Haowei smiled. “Divine Mother, you should ask what doesn’t attract me to him.”

The Divine Mother changed her question with resignation. “Fine, then what doesn’t attract you to him?”

“Nothing.”

“…” The Divine Mother.

Seeing Haowei’s firm demeanor, the Divine Mother felt both helpless and amazed. She became increasingly curious about Si Lan. “May I see this girl—no, this young man? What kind of person has so thoroughly captivated you?”

“He’s still sleeping. Perhaps you could visit another day.”

Upon hearing this, the Divine Mother couldn’t help but click her tongue inwardly. Haowei, who hadn’t even married yet, was already considering his future spouse, seemingly forgetting about his grandmother.

She teased, “I see he must be very tired, having suffered a lot. This sleep must be deep.”

Although Haowei’s face showed no change, the tips of his ears turned inexplicably red. He lowered his head slightly without saying a word.

“Well, whether it’s a woman or a man, if you want to be with him, you need to show some sincerity and send someone to the Demon Realm to propose soon. If he’s reasonable, ask if he’s willing to leave the Demon Clan and join our celestial ranks.”

“Yes,” Haowei replied, his face tight.

The Divine Mother stood up and walked out of the octagonal pavilion, sighing deeply again. Thanks to her years of self-cultivation, she had managed to accept many things, including her dignified and graceful grandson being with a man from the Demon Clan who had been married three times.

As she was leaving, the Divine Mother seemed to remember something and reminded him, “I can accept him as your consort, but the celestial beings may not. Haowei, you need to handle this matter carefully.”

“Yes,” Haowei bowed his head.

“Luckily, you have a child, so at least there won’t be no successors, which makes me feel a bit better.”

“…” Haowei.

Haowei couldn’t bear to tell the Divine Mother that the child was actually a form he had taken. He feared that revealing this would be too much for her to handle, so he kept it to himself.

After seeing the Divine Mother off, Haowei stood silently under the octagonal pavilion, then used his spiritual sense to communicate with Yu Wudao to find out how much the celestial realm knew about him and Si Lan.

Yu Wudao quickly responded, informing Haowei that there were many rumors in the Heavenly Realm, mostly badmouthing Si Lan. The celestial beings were divided into three factions regarding their relationship. One faction supported their love and approved of them being together. Another faction strongly opposed it, believing Haowei was blinded and not thinking clearly. The third faction remained neutral, watching the other two factions argue.

Haowei instructed, “Wudao, first try to stop the false rumors, then spread the news about the upcoming union between the Heavenly Realm and the Demon Realm.”

“Understood.”

—

Haowei thought Si Lan was still asleep, but when he lifted the curtain, he met a pair of pitch-black eyes.

Si Lan had woken up at some point and was leaning against the bedrail, his expression unreadable.

Haowei walked up and touched his forehead, noticing Si Lan’s slightly flushed cheeks and thinking he might have a fever. He then checked his elbow to confirm his condition.

“Do you feel unwell?”

“No.” Si Lan got out of bed, initially pretending he hadn’t heard anything, but he couldn’t help asking, “I won’t leave the Demon Clan.”

Haowei realized that since Si Lan was awake, he must have heard everything. “The Divine Mother wasn’t forcing you to leave the Demon Clan.”

“Oh.” Si Lan’s face turned even redder, feeling that they were discussing engagement and leaving the clan when their relationship wasn’t even fully established yet.

If Haowei could hear his thoughts and knew that Si Lan still saw their relationship as tentative, he might have been exasperated. To Haowei, Si Lan was already his consort, only lacking an official ceremony.

“Do you need more rest?”

“No, we should investigate Yu Wujia’s situation as soon as possible.”

The matter of Yu Wujia was like a heavy stone on their hearts, causing anxiety. The repeated failures to stop Yu Wujia in past reincarnations weighed heavily on Si Lan, making him reluctant to delay any longer.

“Alright.”

Initially planning to go directly to Linglong Mountain, they remembered that the God of Worry had mentioned that the Netherworld’s Tianmen Pass array had been set up a hundred years ago. So, they decided to check the Netherworld first.

Now that everyone in the Nine Heavens knew about their relationship, there was no need to hide. They openly left the Heavenly Realm shoulder to shoulder, flying towards the Netherworld’s Tianmen Pass.

Nothing significant had happened in the Netherworld for the past hundred years. They didn’t know who would be sacrificed.

Si Lan frowned the entire way, thinking through every possible candidate until he landed on an impossible name, causing his heart to clench.

He tentatively asked Haowei, “Who do you think the person sacrificed at Tianmen Pass might be?”

“Xue Rong,” Haowei replied concisely.

After subduing the Ghost Realm, Haowei had sealed the Ghost King and, to be fair, had allowed the ghosts to select a new Ghost King through a tournament. Three hundred years later, Xue Rong had challenged and defeated the new Ghost King.

Haowei had only seen Xue Rong once at the coronation ceremony and had not seen him since, except for their encounter on Yingzhou Island.

Si Lan had also thought of Xue Rong. He frowned. “The person we met last time…”

“Wasn’t Xue Rong.”

To impersonate Xue Rong and deceive them, there was only one person they could think of: Yu Wujia.

Si Lan’s expression turned ugly. If this suspicion was confirmed, he would feel like a fool being played by Yu Wujia again, which infuriated him.

But it would explain why Yu Wujia had disappeared for centuries. He must have killed Xue Rong and operated in the Netherworld in his guise.

They landed at Tianmen Pass in the Netherworld, finding the scarlet gates tightly shut. The faint sounds of wailing ghosts came from within the walls. Ghostly clouds billowed, swirling above the pass.

As soon as Haowei landed, the ghostly aura retreated as if harmed, shrinking back into the ghost gate.

In the ghost hall, Haowei grabbed an elderly ghost servant and asked, “Where is Xue Rong now?”

“His Highness Xue Rong… he left the Netherworld a few days ago and hasn’t returned.”

“How long have you served in the ghost hall?”

“More than three thousand years…”

“Do you know much about Xue Rong?” Haowei asked.

“Quite a bit…” The ghost servant replied, trembling with fear, his eyes darting back and forth between Haowei and Si Lan. “Ask me anything you want to know. I’ll tell you everything clearly.”

“Did anything unusual happen to Xue Rong over a hundred years ago?”

The ghost servant furrowed his pitch-black brows, struggling to recall. “No… nothing…”

After a pause, the ghost servant continued, “However, over five hundred years ago, something strange did happen around His Highness Xue Rong.”

“What happened?”

“His Highness Xue Rong’s cultivation suddenly increased dramatically, and he defeated the old Ghost King in the tournament. When the old Ghost King was dying, he pointed at His Highness Xue Rong and cursed him as… as… a demon monk.”

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 61

The celestial lords had never seen the Demon Lord’s appearance, but the moment Si Lan’s face was revealed, they felt a strong surge of demonic energy. Instantly, they guessed that Si Lan was the Demon Lord.

Within the celestial pool, mist and steam swirled around. Haowei had one hand resting on Si Lan’s waist, while the other hand was placed on the back of Si Lan’s neck. Si Lan’s hands were loosely wrapped around Haowei’s neck, their posture incredibly intimate.

Even the most clueless of the celestial lords could understand what this scene meant.

They had heard from the Divine Phoenix clan that Haowei had been acting closely with someone from the demon clan recently. They wondered just how close they could be, but they never imagined they would be sharing a bath in the celestial pool.

For a moment, the crowd was speechless, staring in stunned silence at the scene before them.

Si Lan deliberately leaned on Haowei’s shoulder, curling his lips into a provocative smile at them.

Initially, he didn’t want to put Haowei in a difficult position, so he transformed back to his original form and hid himself well. But hearing how they talked about him, he thought, why not go all out and see what Haowei would do.

Haowei pressed Si Lan’s head back down, casting a spell to erect an invisible barrier behind them, blocking the celestial lords’ view. Inside the barrier, Haowei looked down at Si Lan, noticing his slightly pouting and angry expression. He felt both annoyed and amused.

“Why did you show your face?”

“Are you afraid people will know about our relationship?” Si Lan’s heart sank a bit as he reached to push away the hands clasped around his waist, but he couldn’t budge them.

Haowei said, “They shouldn’t see you like this.” His tone dropped slightly at the end, carrying a hint of coldness.

It really was a waste to let those celestial lords see.

He himself had only seen it a few times, and he hadn’t had enough of the sight yet.

“If you dislike them, you can simply use your wings to swat them away like last time.”

Si Lan responded with an “Oh” and a half-smile, “They are your subjects. If I swat them away, wouldn’t that just confirm their belief that the demon clan is unruly?”

Haowei heard the sarcasm in Si Lan’s words and couldn’t help but lower his head, his lips brushing against Si Lan’s earlobe as he spoke softly, “They spoke nonsense. Punishing them is only right.”

“I’m not from the Celestial Realm, so how is it ‘only right’?”

Haowei’s fingers slowly tightened around Si Lan’s waist, his breath lowering until it almost touched Si Lan’s lips. “You are my empress. You can punish them however you like.”

Si Lan froze at the words “empress,” his ears turning an odd shade of red. He lifted his head to speak, but Haowei kissed him, swallowing his words.

Haowei’s kiss consumed every breath Si Lan tried to take, leaving him unable to speak. His body leaned back involuntarily, feeling the invasion of the other.

Since neither of them were wearing clothes in the bath, their skin pressed tightly against each other, feeling every texture of the other’s body. Their hearts pounded wildly.

Haowei’s dragon horns began to emerge on his forehead, and his dragon tail appeared uncontrollably. The huge white tail stirred the water, wrapping around Si Lan’s body. Si Lan was startled, the “ah” in his throat turning into muffled sounds.

Outside the barrier, although the celestial lords couldn’t see anything, they could vaguely hear the sound of splashing water and saw a white, silver-scaled dragon tail rise from the water, slapping the surface.

The celestial lords exchanged looks, their faces showing shock or collapse.

Though the Emperor was young, he was steady and focused on cultivation, becoming a god-king at a young age. The celestials took pride in having such an emperor, but they were stunned when a “bastard child” suddenly appeared, with the mother’s identity unknown. This revelation caused quite a stir among the celestials. They never expected their seemingly aloof and celibate emperor to have a child out of wedlock.

After finally coming to terms with the emperor having a child, they now witnessed the emperor entangled with the Demon Lord…

Before they could lament, enormous golden wings emerged from the celestial pool, creating an unstoppable gale that blew them out of Yuqing Palace.

A voice faintly called out, “You said I could swat them away.”

“Yes.”

Si Lan retracted his phoenix wings arrogantly, sitting on Haowei’s dragon tail. The once cold silver scales were warmed by the hot spring water, feeling comfortable against his skin. His face was still flushed, and his eyes misty from being kissed breathless.

Haowei moved his tail, the tip draping over Si Lan’s shoulder like a scarf, slowly drawing him closer.

Haowei explained, “They were likely deceived by the Divine Phoenix clan, which is why they spoke of you that way.”

“Heh, perhaps they inherently think that of me and the demon clan,” Si Lan said, understanding that being with Haowei would likely face many obstacles. Ultimately, the degree of these obstacles depended on Haowei’s stance.

Haowei replied, “I will find a way to remove their prejudices.”

Si Lan glanced at Haowei, recalling their first meeting, “You seemed to have a prejudice against me as well back then.” At that time, Haowei wouldn’t even talk to him.

Haowei’s face stiffened slightly, “Did I? It must be my nature.”

He had indeed been biased against Si Lan initially, thinking he was foolish and too merciful to his enemies, unsure of how to maintain his position as the Demon Lord.

However, as they spent time together, Haowei realized Si Lan was neither foolish nor overly merciful. He simply wanted to face everyone and everything with a more optimistic and hopeful attitude, striving to live well.

In his childhood, he had experienced the tragic death of his mother and the early demise of his father, yet he still maintained a positive and beautiful attitude towards life. Such optimism must have been inherited from Jun Li.

Seeing Haowei deny it, Si Lan didn’t expose him. Instead, he yawned. “I’m tired. I want to rest.” The fierce presence pressing against his waist forced him to feign sleepiness. He couldn’t imagine the scenario of merging with that gigantic thing, so he always found excuses to evade at critical moments.

Privately, he even considered being just spiritual lovers with Haowei, at most engaging in a divine connection. Because in reality, he was truly afraid; he once discovered that the fierce object was thicker than his waist.

He didn’t know if Haowei couldn’t control his dragon form when aroused or what, but each time he transformed, the fierce thing was terrifyingly large, making Si Lan’s legs tremble.

He even thought that if worst came to worst, he could be on top. Lost in his wild thoughts, he didn’t notice that Haowei had scooped him up horizontally and carried him back to the bed.

The bedchamber had a unique scent of burning incense. After sniffing it a few times, real sleepiness came over him, and he lay on the brocade mat, closing his eyes comfortably.

After Si Lan fell asleep, Haowei used his divine sense to communicate with the celestial lords who had been blown away by Si Lan, instructing them to accept their punishment. He then attended to some official documents before lying down beside Si Lan to sleep.

Little did they know that while they slept, the immortals in the Ninth Heaven couldn’t sleep at all. In such a short time, everyone knew that the Emperor and the Demon Lord had bathed together and had done intimate things.

This matter quickly alerted the Divine Mother. The last time the Divine Mother was disturbed was when Haowei suddenly had a bastard child.

In Yuqing Palace.

Surrounded by celestial attendants, the Divine Mother slowly descended, her elegant and noble face barely concealing her smile.

She had heard that Haowei was bathing with someone in Yuqing Palace during the day, and that person was from the demon clan. She hurried over, not even hearing the latter half of the celestial’s sentence clearly—”It’s bad enough that it’s someone from the demon clan, and a man at that, but it’s the infamous Demon Lord known for his curse on spouses.”

When the celestial attendants in Yuqing Palace saw the Divine Mother appear, they all knelt to salute her.

“Greetings, Divine Mother.”

“Where is His Majesty?”

“His Majesty is still resting.”

“Resting with that person?”

“Yes…” the attendant hesitated.

The Divine Mother’s smile deepened immediately. Ignoring the attendants’ attempts to stop her, she directly pushed open the bedchamber doors and walked in.

She was eighty thousand years older than Haowei. Tawei was her son, born when she was thirty thousand years old, and Haowei was born when Tawei was nearly fifty thousand.

Therefore, even though Haowei was already an adult, in her eyes, he was still a child and not subject to so many formalities.

Inside the bedchamber, Haowei awoke the moment the Divine Mother pushed open the door and cast a spell to lower the curtain, hiding Si Lan’s figure.

In the instant the curtain closed, the Divine Mother had already sneaked a peek, seeing a beautiful person with loose black hair and a high nose bridge.

This beauty’s lips were slightly swollen, as if bitten by something.

Suppressing her laughter, the Divine Mother said, “Haowei, aren’t you going to introduce this young lady to me?”

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 60

The fox demon finished speaking and leaned closer to examine the portrait again. The person in the painting had a cascade of black hair flowing behind them, with an enchanting and affectionate expression. At first, she couldn’t recognize who it was, but upon closer inspection, she started to feel that this woman was none other than that bald donkey?

Yet, the man beside this woman in the painting, the fox demon recognized at a glance—it was Yu Wuxia.

She couldn’t help but cover her mouth, pointing at the portrait, and looked up at Haowei, “How could you depict such a painting when Yu Wuxia hates that bald donkey so much? Isn’t this insulting Yu Wuxia?”

Haowei and Si Lan remained silent.

The two couldn’t bear to tell her that this portrait might have been painted by the very Yu Wuxia she was referring to.

Haowei glanced again at the figure in the painting and asked, “Are you sure this woman in the painting is Immortal Jiaheng?”

“Yes, she was deliberately depicted as a woman,” the fox demon muttered as she recalled, “Looking at it like this, the appearance of this bald donkey’s long hair bears a resemblance to several of my sisters.”

Si Lan and Haowei exchanged glances, suddenly understanding something.

Initially, when this fox demon seduced Yu Wuxia in the Immortal Hall and wasn’t killed by him, it might not have been because Yu Wuxia harbored desire for her, but because she bore some resemblance to Immortal Jiaheng.

As for the other female demons later on, they probably bore some resemblance to Immortal Jiaheng to varying degrees.

They hadn’t previously considered the relationship between Yu Wuxia and Immortal Jiaheng in this way. One reason was that Immortal Jiaheng had an elderly appearance and was tens of thousands of years older than Yu Wuxia. Another reason was that Immortal Jiaheng had long been respected across the Six Realms, and placing romantic sentiments on such a revered monk seemed like tarnishing his reputation.

However, they hadn’t expected that this most unlikely speculation would turn out to be the correct answer.

Haowei rolled up the scroll and put it into his spatial pouch. “Where is Yu Wuxia now that he has fallen into the demon path?”

“Yu Wuxia is in the Floating Pagoda Hall, a palace he established himself. However, it was later destroyed by that bald donkey, and then I was sealed in Linglong Mountain, knowing nothing,” the fox demon said, her eyes darting around as she tentatively continued, “Why are you so curious about Yu Wuxia’s affairs? Has Yu Wuxia done something…”

Having been trapped in the demon-sealing cauldron for these days, the fox demon had thought over many things. Although these two in front of her hadn’t disclosed their identities, she couldn’t sense their aura at all, realizing their cultivation was much higher than hers.

Two people with such profound cultivation had been asking about Yu Wuxia all along, indicating that Yu Wuxia must have caused a big stir.

Haowei did not respond to the fox demon’s question. He picked up the demon-sealing cauldron, intending to seal her back inside. Seeing that she was about to be enclosed in the ethereal cauldron once more, she hastily pleaded in a coquettish tone, “Immortal Lord, whatever you want to know, this servant will tell you everything. Can you let me breathe some fresh air a little longer, Immortal Lord… Ah…”

Before the fox demon’s finger could touch Haowei’s body, she was already sucked into the demon-sealing cauldron. Thinking she was now inside the cauldron and that no one outside could hear her, her sweet voice instantly turned sharp and biting, teeth gritted as she muttered, “Pah, looks like a widower, just like a man who’s lost his wife.”

Haowei remained silent.

Si Lan raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

Firefly Illusion Technique was on the verge of collapsing. The disciples of the Immortal sects who had fallen into the illusion beneath the sacred altar were slowly waking up. Haowei and Si Lan decided to leave the sacred altar first.

The Immortal of Parinirvana had already learned that Immortal Jiaheng hadn’t died, so the subsequent handling of affairs would be left to the Thirty-Three Heavens to decide.

These past few days, Haowei and Si Lan had been under great mental strain, traveling from Mount Gushu to the Thirty-Three Heavens without proper rest.

Haowei brought Si Lan back to the Yuqing Palace, intending to eat, bathe, engage in intimacy, and then sleep. However, just as they were bathing, a group of celestial beings gathered outside the hall.

During this period, Haowei had rarely been in the Celestial Realm. Even when he returned, he stayed only for a few days before leaving again. The celestial beings had accumulated a pile of matters for him to handle. Despite knowing he was currently bathing, they still came looking for him.

Haowei rubbed his temples. He had just spent a lot of effort persuading Si Lan to bathe together with him, and their bodies weren’t even fully wet when this group arrived.

He was about to instruct the attendants to send them away when Si Lan spoke up, “Why not see them first? What if there’s an urgent matter?”

Haowei managed affairs across the Five Realms, inevitably encountering major events. Besides, even if these matters weren’t resolved today, they would still need attention tomorrow. It was better to handle them sooner rather than later.

After speaking, Si Lan cleverly restrained his demonic aura, transforming into a small “wild chicken” floating like a doll in the wisps of steam. Unless one looked closely, his figure was practically invisible.

Seeing Si Lan take on this tiny form, Haowei found it exceedingly adorable. He gently propped up Si Lan’s small body from the hot spring water with his hand. Si Lan stiffened for a moment, then pushed away Haowei’s fingers and glided into the mist with a flick of his wings.

Haowei smirked faintly. “Let them in.”

Upon receiving the order, the celestial beings hurried inside, kneeling around the hot spring pool. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Haowei had his back to them, arms resting on the edge of the pool rocks. His voice carried an inherent authority, calm yet commanding, “What urgent matters do you have that require you to disturb Us in such haste?”

Perhaps due to the moisture in the air, his voice, besides its authoritative tone, also carried a deep, magnetic quality that sounded particularly pleasing as it mingled with the rising steam.

Si Lan, who was diving in the water, heard this and pursed his small beak.

Not bad for putting on airs.

“Your Majesty, please intercede for this old minister. The flowers and plants I painstakingly cultivated were trampled to pieces by Lord Rixiao’s mount, the great water buffalo!” Yuanmo Immortal Sovereign rushed in first, covering his face with his sleeves as he tearfully complained, genuine or not.

Rixiao Immortal Sovereign defended himself nervously, “It’s not a water buffalo, it’s a battle rhino.”

Haowei sighed inwardly as he rubbed his temples. He never expected they would barge in on him even while he was bathing, just for matters concerning flowers, plants, and animals. He spoke in a stern voice, “Rixiao, about your mount…”

“Your Majesty, it’s not a water buffalo, it’s a battle rhino,” Rixiao Immortal Sovereign argued persistently. More concerned about his mount being mistaken for a water buffalo than the complaint itself.

Haowei fell silent for a moment. “Regardless of what it is, you failed to discipline it properly, leading to the destruction of Yuanmo Immortal Sovereign’s flowers and plants. You should compensate him.”

“Your Majesty, I’m willing to compensate him, but he needs to stop calling my battle rhino a water buffalo,” Yuanmo Immortal Sovereign retorted coldly. “It was originally a big water buffalo. Just because it’s covered in armor and flies in the sky, does that mean it’s no longer a big water buffalo? What’s the point of calling it a battle rhino? Has it ever seen a battlefield?”

“You…”

Seeing the two about to argue again, Haowei interrupted them. “Enough. Yuanmo, refrain from ridiculing Rixiao’s mount in the future. Rixiao, compensate Yuanmo for his losses promptly. This matter is settled. If you two are not satisfied, you may argue outside and refrain from disturbing Us again.”

The two exchanged glances, still disgruntled, before leaving in a huff.

Haowei cast a sidelong glance at the immortal lords behind him. “If you have trivial matters concerning flowers and plants, there’s no need to waste my time.”

The immortal lords fell silent.

After a moment of hesitation, one of the lords stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, a few days ago, Prince Er of the Jing River caused torrential rain in the mortal realm due to drunkenness, neglecting his duties for a full twelve hours. This resulted in eight cities being submerged, causing great suffering among the people. My palace has received countless complaints demanding punishment for Prince Er. However, although he is not a Dragon King, he has close ties with the East Sea. Punishing him may have widespread implications. Your Majesty’s decision is needed.”

Haowei asked, “Prince Er of the Jing River is…”

“He is the second son of the Chief of the Blue Shrimp Clan.”

Si Lan, who had already started to leave, heard this and turned back. His head surfaced, his two wings lightly paddling like oars.

Suddenly, Haowei remembered that Si Lan had mentioned before that the Blue Shrimp Clan of the Jing River was responsible for wiping out the Quze family. His voice turned cold, “Handle it as it should be. There’s no need to favor the East Sea.”

“Yes,” the lord replied and retreated.

After hearing the gossip, Si Lan was about to leave again but was caught by Haowei gripping his wings. He dared not struggle, fearing the immortals behind him might notice something amiss. He stiffened as Haowei pulled him close.

His back pressed against Haowei’s chest, but his front was restrained by the other’s distinctively fair fingers, almost like a hostage, tightly held in place.

“Your Majesty, Queen Phoenix has sent a confidential message, stating that Princess Quyu and Princess Zhuju have both been attacked consecutively by the Demon Sovereign Si Lan. She suspects that the Demon Clan is planning to attack the Phoenix Clan, and requests Your Majesty’s intervention on behalf of the Phoenix Clan.”

Si Lan…

His head, still groggy from soaking in the hot spring, suddenly snapped alert.

He hadn’t expected the Phoenix Clan to have such thick skin, preemptively accusing him of planning to attack them.

Tsk tsk.

Thinking back to yesterday on Gushu Mountain, the Phoenix Clan must have realized the depth of his relationship with Haowei and didn’t dare to accuse him directly. Instead, they found a few unsuspecting immortal lords to step forward on their behalf.

“Your Majesty, the Phoenix Clan has deep ties with the late Emperor Taiwei and the Divine Lord Chiyu. When the Demon Clan bullies the Phoenix Clan, they are bullying us. Heaven cannot stand idly by.”

“The recent chaos in the mortal realm and the slaughter of ten thousand spirits on Yingzhou Island were both orchestrated by the Demon Clan. Now they provoke the Phoenix Clan in Heaven. It seems they intend to break the truce agreement between Heaven and the Demon Realm soon. Your Majesty, Heaven must be vigilant.”

Two more lords stepped forward to speak up for the Phoenix Clan, their words resolute and convincing, as if they had witnessed the Demon Clan’s actions firsthand.

Inwardly, Si Lan couldn’t help but sneer. These lords were distorting facts and reasoning to goad Haowei into confronting the Demon Clan. If they didn’t play fair, why should he? He’d resort to any means necessary.

With this thought, he glanced up through the misty haze at Haowei. Haowei’s head was slightly tilted back, his jawline clear but his expression obscured. Si Lan couldn’t resist a mischievous and indulgent urge.

To tease him. To playfully tease him.

The lords couldn’t gauge Haowei’s current mood, continuing, “Your Majesty, it is said that the Demon Sovereign Si Lan practices forbidden dark arts. Every decade, he conducts a widespread selection of concubines, not sparing even men. By the second day, all those sent to his chambers turn into dried corpses.”

Meanwhile, the demon sovereign they spoke of now slowly slid down within Haowei’s embrace, coming to rest against Haowei’s lower abdomen.

Just as Haowei was about to reach out to lift him, the demon sovereign suddenly transformed into human form, almost submerged in the water, only revealing a fair face, pressed against Haowei’s lower abdomen.

When Haowei lowered his head, his gaze met a pair of dark, watery eyes. Before he could speak, his body tensed, a rush of heat climbing from his lower abdomen.

Si Lan stared at him unwaveringly, his eyes intense, long lashes curled with a hint of moisture, a touch of red in their depths, making his gaze alluring and provocative.

The fair complexion framed by flowing hair behind him accentuated his allure, his full lips now gently touching Haowei’s lower abdomen, leaving a warm sensation. Haowei’s breath caught, his hand instinctively touching Si Lan’s nape.

Si Lan’s kiss slowly disappeared under the water, occasionally letting out a bubble or two.

Haowei’s eyes reddened, his throat moved, suppressing the tense emotions and strange pleasure.

Si Lan was angry.

But this was quite an effective way to vent his emotions.

At that moment, a voice from behind continued heedlessly, “The late Emperor once said that the Demon Realm would become a major threat to Heaven in the future. Perhaps now is a good opportunity to bring the Demon Realm under control, apart from that Demon King.”

Haowei murmured softly, curling his fingers slowly, whether in response to the lord behind him or to Si Lan’s actions in front of him.

Upon hearing this murmur, the lords grew bolder, “Your Majesty, there have been reports of you appearing together with members of the Demon Clan on Linglong Mountain, behaving intimately. You must tread carefully. The demons are cunning and treacherous; some are skilled in seduction magic. Don’t let yourself be deceived or make mistakes.”

As soon as the lord finished speaking, a voice tinged with water and mist suddenly emerged, “Oh, skilled in seduction magic, you say?”

Si Lan’s hands rested on Haowei’s shoulders, his face slowly emerging from in front of Haowei. Perhaps just emerged from the water, his features were veiled with a thin mist, lips almost dripping blood-red, more alluring and dazzling than a beautiful ghost. His half-closed eyes now held a mocking smile, watching them.

The lords stood dumbfounded at the sight of him, as if they had seen a ghost.

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!