Category: Did the Villain Act Too Cute Towards Shizun?

Chapter 5 – The Black Ring

 

When Gu Ruoqing arrived at “Where Spring Winds Seek,” the once vibrant brothel was now engulfed in roaring flames. The fire illuminated the night sky, and billowing smoke concealed the stars. The sound of burning wood crackled like fireworks, assaulting the eardrums.

 

People of all kinds swarmed around, trying to extinguish the fire. They ran and shouted, and desperate relatives cried outside, with a woman kneeling before a helpless doctor, begging him to save her husband.

 

Gu Ruoqing scanned the area but couldn’t find any trace of Yu Yang. He cursed silently.

 

Could it be that he hasn’t come out yet? With this blaze, he’ll be burnt alive sooner or later!

 

Gu Ruoqing suppressed his anxiety and unsheathed his sword, leaping onto the roof in a hurry and heading towards a section of the brothel where the fire was less intense.

 

He arrived just in time. Despite the intense blaze, the basic structure of the building had not started collapsing yet. There were pools of water splashed on the floor by people rushing in, and he endured the scorching heat as he began searching inside.

 

“Yu Yang!”

 

Covering his nose and mouth, he ran through the building, calling out. Gu Ruoqing’s voice, mingled with spiritual power, traveled far within the burning brothel.

 

“Yu Yang!” “Yu Yang!!”

 

He didn’t call out Le Lin’s name because he knew that Le Lin wouldn’t use her true name in the human world. He couldn’t even be sure if Yu Yang was using his real name now.

 

As the flames grew fiercer, suddenly, a burning beam of wood collapsed, and the entire second floor seemed on the verge of collapsing.

 

Gu Ruoqing swiftly evaded a piece of wood that almost crashed into his head. He searched through the ground floor’s main hall but, seeing the entire second floor about to collapse, he frowned deeply, stepped onto the burning staircase, and ascended.

 

Covering his mouth and nose, he pushed open door after door to look inside. Just as another burning beam nearly struck him, he pushed open a door and found a woman inside.

 

Alive.

 

The woman lifted her head upon hearing him.

 

She had an incredibly beautiful face, a breathtaking beauty that could be described as “a demon’s loveliness by the Xiang River.” Alluring, yet with a softness that pleased the eyes.

 

At this moment, the woman was sitting calmly in the center of the room, cradling a boy of about five in her arms. She gently stroked the boy’s hair, gazing peacefully at the roaring flames outside the window, as though she were appreciating the beauty of spring.

 

Gu Ruoqing was astonished for a moment at the door. He recognized the boy in her arms as Yu Yang.

 

In an instant, he knew who the woman was—Yu Yang’s mother, Le Lin.

 

A woman who had sacrificed herself for a Demon Lord, bringing devastation to the world.

 

The original work didn’t mention Le Lin much, and Gu Ruoqing’s strongest impression of her was that she was strangled to death by Yu Yang while completely controlled by a demonic influence.

 

At the time, Le Lin was completely possessed by a demonic nature, bloodthirsty and murderous. She laughed and cried as she told Yu Yang that he was the son of her and Yun Sifeng and even called Yu Yang a “mixed-breed,” instantly pushing Yu Yang into darkness.

 

So, Yu Yang strangled Le Lin to death, and to ensure she wouldn’t reincarnate, he personally crushed Le Lin’s demonic pearl, condemning her to never have another life.

 

In Gu Ruoqing’s view, Le Lin should have been a bewitching, mysterious, and dangerous demon, but he had never imagined that the real Le Lin would be so serene and graceful, as if she were the gentle sound of raindrops falling in a pond.

 

Le Lin also seemed to be scrutinizing the man who had suddenly entered.

 

She gazed at Gu Ruoqing, her beautiful eyes trembling uncontrollably.

 

After a long pause, she suddenly smiled and said, “It’s you.”

 

“Are you here to take him away?”

 

With that, she gazed tenderly at the boy sleeping in her arms.

 

This was his first time seeing Yu Yang’s face. Indeed, the antagonist was just that—a true antagonist, second only to the male lead. His appearance was remarkable.

 

Even as a child, his features were striking, and as he grew older, he became a charismatic and handsome man.

 

Gu Ruoqing couldn’t resist reaching out, as if to pinch Yu Yang’s cheek, but then he noticed a black iron earring on Yu Yang’s right ear. For some reason, he withdrew his hand.

 

In the original story, the black earring worn by Yu Yang had a teardrop-sized blood jade on it. There was a well-known folk rumor that, five hundred years after the Immortal-Demon War, a tyrannical Demon Lord would be born, adorned with a black earring, who would revive the demon race and wreak havoc upon the world, causing widespread suffering.

 

Even nursery rhymes sang of this fearsome Demon Lord: “Black earring worn, blood tears fall, heaven and earth in darkness, the Demon Lord descends.”

 

In an instant, Gu Ruoqing recalled the memory of Yu Yang being pierced by his sword at the God-Demon Abyss. At that moment, the blood jade on this black earring seemed to drip like tears, igniting endless hatred in Yu Yang’s eyes.

 

But now, the black earring was still there, but where was the blood jade?

 

As Gu Ruoqing pondered, an elderly woman, who had been protected within a barrier, ran towards him.

 

“Immortal! Immortal!” The elderly woman suddenly knelt on the ground and wept, saying, “Please, Immortal, save my child! He just turned five today! Please, Immortal, save him!”

 

Others also rushed over, kneeling around Gu Ruoqing, crying out desperately. One man even banged his head until it bled, and a young girl clung to his leg, begging.

 

Desolation surrounded him.

 

Gu Ruoqing watched this scene of universal sorrow, feeling a deep unease in his heart.

 

Throughout history, whether in the wars between immortals and demons, the turmoil of the imperial court, or the conflicts of the martial world, it was always the common people who suffered.

 

“Everyone, please…”

 

He was about to speak but was silenced again by a chorus of crying and pleas.

 

Gu Ruoqing, as a person, appeared aloof and cold, seemingly distant from human emotions. In reality, he was simply bad with words. He wouldn’t argue or defend himself when others scolded or accused him, he just listened and endured it, at most observing the spectacle like a detached observer.

 

However, when people turned to him for help, cried out to him, he struggled to find the right words to console them, and ultimately, he would act silently to lend assistance in any way he could.

 

In this regard, Gu Ruoqing, whether before or after his transmigration, whether as a kindergarten teacher or an immortal shizun, hadn’t improved a bit.

 

Just as he was about to ask everyone to stand up, he suddenly heard someone in the crowd pointing at Yu Yang in his arms in panic and shouting, “Black earring! That child has a black earring on his ear!”

---

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 4 – The Chasm Between Gods and Demons

 

It was an incredibly vast hellish sea of blood.

 

Mountains, valleys, and black clouds covered the land. Demons danced in the vast world, and sword energy filled the air, while spiritual light shone everywhere.

 

Yu Yang stood at the peak of the black clouds, holding a beautiful girl hostage, making a man with a spirit sword feel helpless.

 

The man was the protagonist, Yun Qianqiu, and the girl was one of the heroines, Xiao Xinger.

 

Yu Yang struck Yun Qianqiu with a single palm and then burst into maniacal laughter. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had lost all sanity. In the next moment, he grabbed Xiao Xinger by the throat and activated a formation for the “Ten Thousand Demon Purgatory.”

 

The Demon Lord had a black blood jade earring on his right ear. It was emitting a bizarre light in the grim world, making his smile even more sinister.

 

The world had already fallen into chaos, with both the mortal realm and the immortal realm descending into the chasm between gods and demons. Demons crawled out from the abyss, devouring everything in their path.

 

In the final moment, a figure flew over with a sword from the distant sky. Their radiance was blinding, and their long silver hair danced in the wind.

 

“Shizun!” Yun Qianqiu shouted in joy upon seeing the newcomer.

 

Gu Ruoqing took advantage of Yu Yang’s use of the formation, reached out with a single palm, and immediately rescued the dying Xiao Xinger, tossing her to Yun Qianqiu.

 

His brows furrowed, and the sword edge turned, piercing through Yu Yang’s heart.

 

No hesitation, no deviation.

 

Yu Yang was pushed back by the sword energy, taking a step back with an incredulous look at his heart being pierced.

 

His gaze was full of resentment, his teeth clenched as if he wanted to devour Gu Ruoqing’s flesh and drink his blood. “Back then… I should have torn you to shreds.”

 

Yun Qianqiu rushed forward to embrace Xiao Xinger, intending to join the battle. However, he only saw Gu Ruoqing pull out the sword and, with an expressionless face, lift Yu Yang by the collar, hanging him over the edge of the abyss.

 

Below them was a surging black mist, and the agonizing wails of countless spirits filled the air. Be they human, immortal, or demon, they would all be devoured.

 

Yu Yang, heavily wounded, could barely survive for a few more moments even with a pierced heart, but falling into the abyss meant being torn into a thousand pieces.

 

He had only his toes touching the edge of the cliff, and his hands, stained with blood, held Gu Ruoqing’s wrist. Suddenly, he chuckled, “Shizun, you’ve been so good to me.”

 

He laughed sweetly, but his eyes were filled with eerie malevolence.

 

“Unfortunately, this disciple won’t be able to reveal your true face to the world. I really wanted to see how those people below, who praise and worship you, would react if they knew your true face before you ‘attained enlightenment.'”

 

Gu Ruoqing’s eyes grew ice-cold, and his voice was low and trembling, “Shut up.”

 

“Hahaha,” Yu Yang had gone mad, “You’re afraid, Ruoqing. No wonder, you’re just a bastard, sneaking into a man’s bed in the middle of the night—”

 

Gu Ruoqing immediately raised his arm, and Yu Yang’s feet were almost off the ground.

 

This was the only thing he absolutely could not allow anyone to touch.

 

Yu Yang had laughed enough and stopped. He released his hands, spread his arms without hesitation, and leaned backward, openly towards the abyss, leaving only Gu Ruoqing holding onto his collar to keep him from falling.

 

“Gu Ruoqing, this time I lose. You’ve killed me, and I’m willing to accept my defeat.”

 

“But you’d better pray that I don’t survive, don’t come back, and don’t turn into a demon and crawl up. Otherwise…”

 

Yu Yang’s muscles tensed, his waist twisted in an odd posture, and with a sudden burst of power, he stood upright, leaning close to Gu Ruoqing’s ear in an intimate manner, “Otherwise, I will make sure you, my Shizun, will experience a life worse than death and a death worse than life.”

 

“Shizun, it’s fate that we meet again.”

 

~

 

Memories came to an abrupt halt, and Gu Ruoqing woke up suddenly, gasping for air as if he were a fish on the brink of death.

 

He looked at the round jade that had fallen to the ground, feeling his heart being squeezed, overwhelmed by fear and suffocation.

 

“What is that…?” Gu Ruoqing covered his chest, trembling as he muttered to himself, “What is all of this… why…”

 

[System: Congratulations, big brother, for gaining Gu Ruoqing’s memory fragments *2! Supporting character development progress: 15%. Keep up the good work! Friendly reminder: Memory fragments can cause strong emotional impact, and if too severe, they may harm your health. Take care, big brother.]

 

Gu Ruoqing listened dazedly to the voice of the system in his mind. He only began to react after his heartbeat had calmed down.

 

He had just experienced two vivid, lifelike scenes as if he had been on a roller coaster.

 

If he remembered correctly, the second segment should be the climax of the main novel—the God-Demon Abyss.

 

This was the final ending of the novel, where the protagonist, Gu Ruoqing, descended from the sky and “killed” the antagonist, Yu Yang.

 

In the original text, the description of Yu Yang’s death was only two lines long, and “The Immortal Path of Nine Thousand Years” was criticized for its abrupt ending. However, just now, he felt as if he had personally experienced the spectacular scene of the earth and sky splitting.

 

He could even see the earring on Yu Yang’s right ear, which looked like a teardrop about to fall when he fell into the abyss.

 

Gu Ruoqing’s mind was now in a whirl, and his ears were ringing.

 

Trembling, he leaned on the table, sat on the edge of the bed, and began to slowly contemplate these two memory fragments.

 

There was no doubt that the protagonists of these two memories were Gu Ruoqing and Yu Yang.

 

However, one was a miniature version, and the other was a version with a darker side.

 

But it was strange, how could someone so adorable as a child turn so dark when they grew up? It was rather unsettling.

 

[Gu Ruoqing: System, what was Yu Yang’s level of darkness during the God-Demon Abyss?]

 

[System: I didn’t dare to measure, I was afraid the measuring instrument would break.]

 

…It was probably more than 200%.

 

[Gu Ruoqing: …Did you say last time that if Yu Yang’s level of darkness exceeded 80%, he would remember the God-Demon Abyss?]

 

[System: That’s correct.]

 

He sighed, stood up slowly, picked up the round jade from the ground, and paced to the window. While sipping tea, he looked at the sky, which was beginning to turn pale.

 

In the original work, although Yu Yang was the antagonist, the author had portrayed him as a very complex character, leaving a deep impression on many readers. Gu Ruoqing was one of those readers.

 

He remembered that in the original plot, the Immortal-Demon Great War from five hundred years ago had pushed the Demon Clan to the brink of extinction, and Yu Yang was the orphaned child of Le Lin, a fugitive member of the Demon Clan.

 

Yu Yang grew up under Le Lin’s indifference and disdain, and for some reason, he ended up as a street urchin. In the original story, when Gu Ruoqing found him and brought him back, he was already somewhat reclusive, likely due to the circumstances of his birth that shaped his personality.

 

Although he grew rapidly and had a natural talent for cultivation, he was constantly discriminated against within the sect, and he was always overshadowed by Yun Qianqiu’s protagonist halo.

 

Despite his considerable talents, he couldn’t keep up with Yun Qianqiu in cultivation speed, opportunities, and social connections. His family background couldn’t match up, and even the precious treasures and herbs he found ended up in Yun Qianqiu’s hands. The girls he liked also ended up with Yun Qianqiu.

 

It was as if he was cursed and could never surpass Yun Qianqiu.

 

Yu Yang became increasingly radical and competitive, even becoming ruthless towards himself. However, at that time, he hadn’t actually done anything wrong; he just had a provocative personality, a sharp tongue, and a tendency to challenge anyone who crossed him.

 

The more people he offended, the more he was targeted, and he was eventually thrown into a group of junior disciples who were treated poorly.

 

At that time, he knelt in the icy wilderness, alone and naked, his hands and feet turning purple, holding back tears with gritted teeth.

 

But he still cherished his Shizun’s kindness and, at the age when children longed for adult care, he hoped that his Shizun, Gu Ruoqing, could help him.

 

So he quietly went to Gu Ruoqing’s door and knocked, whispering with teary eyes, “Shizun, Shizun.” But in the original story, Gu Ruoqing only opened the door, looked at him coldly, and asked, “Who allowed you to come here? Go back.”

 

At that time, Yu Yang was truly disheartened, but he continued to cultivate in silence.

 

It was only a year later, during a sect mission, that Yu Yang discovered something unbelievable. The Demon Clan they were hunting down was led by none other than Yu Yang’s birth mother, Le Lin. He realized that he and Yun Qianqiu’s father were the same person! Yun Sifeng was Le Lin’s old patron in the brothel!

 

The same father; Yun Qianqiu was born as the pride of heaven, while Yu Yang could only live in the darkness, as a despised, “mixed-blood” illegitimate child of the Demon Clan.

 

Yu Yang, who had long harbored resentment, finally exploded. His demon blood awakened, and the command disc of the Demon Lord began to revolve.

 

Yu Yang personally killed Le Lin, concealed his identity as a member of the Demon Clan, and secretly practiced demonic cultivation in the Qingyun Sect. However, his secret couldn’t stay hidden, and Yun Qianqiu exposed him.

 

He was besieged by the five Grand Elders of the Qingyun Sect and tied to the Demon-Sealing Pillar. His Shizun, Gu Ruoqing, took the stage and, disregarding his disciple’s pleas, directly cut open his demonic pearl.

 

Before the demonic pearl could be successfully removed, the demon realm suddenly became turbulent. Yu Yang, taking advantage of the chaos, was rescued by a mysterious figure and embarked on the path of the Demon Lord.

 

After recalling Yu Yang’s journey into darkness, Gu Ruoqing instantly had a splitting headache.

 

He gloomily summarized the reasons for Yu Yang’s transformation:

 

The fundamental reason was Yu Yang’s tragic childhood with his mother.

 

The main reason was Gu Ruoqing’s persistent indifference and neglect towards Yu Yang. He picked him up but wasn’t responsible for him, leading to Yu Yang being insulted and abused within the sect.

 

The direct reason was Gu Ruoqing, as Yu Yang’s Shizun, attempting to cut open Yu Yang’s demonic pearl, and the key point was that he hadn’t succeeded.

 

Yu Yang’s descent into darkness meant that Gu Ruoqing, as his Shizun, was responsible for eighty percent of it.

 

Oh, nearly forgot, shortly after the mission to kill his mother, he even sneaked into Yu Yang’s room at night and committed an unspeakable act with the underaged Yu Yang, causing both physical and mental harm to the young man.

 

Well, now he had a hundred percent of the responsibility.

 

Gu Ruoqing’s heart lamented as he downed the cup of tea in his hand.

 

Suddenly, someone rushed past downstairs. The person was running and shouting, “There’s a flood! Liuxiang is flooded! Hurry to put out the fire!”

 

He jolted.

 

Liuxiang, where “Where Spring Winds Seek” was located, was in Liuxiang!

 

Gu Ruoqing thought to himself that something was amiss.

 

With a quick gesture of his right hand, he caught the sword hanging on the wall and swiftly descended the stairs using light-footed techniques. He then rushed toward Liuxiang.

---

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 3 – Memories

 

Sometimes, he would have the illusion that he might be beaten to death, or left to starve in the woodshed. But every time he was about to give up, his mother, Le Lin, would suddenly wake up, trembling, and hold him, apologizing and gently tending to his wounds, tears in her eyes.

 

He hated this woman, day in and day out, without exception.

 

Whenever he found himself unable to stand up in the corner, his hatred made him clutch the sharp knife hidden in his sleeve countless times.

 

But he also loved her. In the rare moments of tenderness from Le Lin, that love would make him forget his hatred.

 

In theory, if Yu Yang had grown up with Le Lin since childhood, exposed to her ways, he should have a gloomy and resentful heart. Coupled with being a member of the demonic race, a highly destructive kind, he was destined to develop an antisocial personality once awakened.

 

Yet Yu Yang had a secret he never told anyone, he had a brother.

 

Outside the doghole, there was a brother wearing a silk robe.

 

At first, the brother didn’t speak to him, just sending him toys or snacks every other day. Gradually, they started to chat, and he taught Yu Yang to read and write, to discern right from wrong, to be kind and charitable.

 

They became familiar with each other.

 

Yu Yang had never interacted with others from a young age, not knowing how to express himself, and no one taught him how to properly vent his emotions. His scarred childhood left him permanently scarred, a source of all his later tribulations.

 

If he was very happy one day, he would talk a lot, and the brother would patiently listen, rewarding him with a string of candied haws. But if he was once again kicked by Le Lin and left unable to get up in the corner, he would be very upset and vent his anger on his brother, shouting harsh words. But the brother never got angry; he would just give him more candied haws.

 

The brother didn’t talk much, but his voice was pleasant, like the clear, icy, gurgling spring in early spring.

 

Yet, for some reason, Yu Yang could never recall what his voice was like. They would have just finished talking, the conversation fresh in his memory, but in the blink of an eye, he would forget his voice.

 

But that didn’t matter because he would return tomorrow, ask if he had finished reciting yesterday’s poem, and promise him some osmanthus cakes.

 

But after that, he never came back.

 

Yu Yang sat by the doghole every day, hugging his knees, waiting, but he never heard that voice again.

 

When he was happy, he didn’t know who to share it with; when he was sad, he didn’t know who to vent to.

 

He suddenly realized that his feelings were called “dependence,” and his brother had told him to cherish those who depended on each other. But just as he understood, the person he depended on was gone.

 

Fortunately, he returned today.

 

This time, he finally didn’t forget his voice.

 

The brother had become even gentler, and their conversations had become more frequent.

 

He even gave his first gift.

 

He was very happy.

 

But somewhere in Yu Yang’s heart always told him that the brother seemed to be back but also seemed like he might never come back again.

 

As the sky darkened, Yu Yang also snapped out of his reverie.

 

He had already put the little trinket he had untied in his bag, and he finished eating the candied haws. Slowly, he made his way from the backyard to Le Lin’s room.

 

The front theater stage was brightly lit, with melodious music, and the laughter of women filled the air, and the scent of rouge and powder was everywhere.

 

Today, it was Le Lin’s turn to perform on stage, and he didn’t need to think twice to know that she must be going crazy in her room, throwing things around. So, he intentionally returned late and set out just before the performance.

 

Yu Yang ascended the bamboo ladder, and as soon as he stepped onto the final step, he saw a hurried figure dart around the corner—a direction leading to Le Lin’s chamber.

 

At this time, the courtesans of the brothel were in their boudoirs getting ready, the madam was entertaining guests in the front hall, and the eunuch was unlikely to appear in the courtyards of the courtesans. So who could be lurking around here?

 

Yu Yang pondered for a moment and then calmly walked in the direction of the figure.

 

He treaded lightly, clutching the small knife hidden in his sleeve.

 

~

 

Gu Ruoqing spent most of the day moving between various jewelry pawnshops, selecting jade pendants that were of moderate size and similar color.

 

But he found that jade was indeed mysterious, especially top-quality jade with a spiritual essence. There were hardly two pieces that could be considered similar.

 

By evening, Gu Ruoqing finally selected a piece of red jade that he could barely accept.

 

Red jade, unlike blood jade, even though it was also an excellent quality, had low transparency, a relatively cloudy color, and its spiritual essence was far less rich than the blood spirit jade nurtured by the demonic race.

 

Gu Ruoqing returned to his room at the inn and set up an array with his spiritual power to block sight and sound. Then, he took out the peculiar blood spirit jade that Yu Yang had given him from his chest.

 

The jade was warm and radiant, translucent like water, and filled with a powerful spiritual force. Inside, fine bloodlines seemed to flow like mist, as if they had a life of their own. It was truly extraordinary.

 

Gu Ruoqing looked at the red jade he had bought at a high price, and it immediately paled in comparison. He sighed and began to carve it according to the shape of the blood spirit jade’s crack.

 

The red jade was already shaped by a skilled craftsman. Gu Ruoqing only needed to cut it in half and use his spiritual power to join the two pieces together, making adjustments based on the crack.

 

What seemed to be a simple task, Gu Ruoqing worked on it all night without rest, hunched over the desk.

 

Finally, Gu Ruoqing finished the last corner of the red jade, and he was overjoyed. However, when he looked up, he realized it was already past midnight.

 

He was about to lie down for a short rest, but then he changed his mind, sat back down, and carefully inscribed the name “Yu Yang” on the red jade.

 

Instinctively, he thought about inscribing something on the blood spirit jade, but when he picked it up, he smiled and shook his head.

 

He couldn’t dare to inscribe anything on the blood spirit jade of the Demon Lord.

 

He looked at the naturally incomplete piece of the blood spirit jade and the red jade that he had substituted to complete it. Slowly, he joined them together.

 

Suddenly, intense emotional waves exploded in Gu Ruoqing’s mind, and a blinding white light filled his vision, making him dizzy.

 

Countless fragments of memories rushed into his brain, tumultuous and uncontrolled.

 

In one fragment, he first saw the doghole from earlier that day.

 

~

 

“Who are you?”

 

“Are you here to play in the mud with me?”

 

A bony hand slowly reached into the hole, disregarding the dirty mud, and covered the child’s cold hand.

 

“Don’t play with this in the future.”

 

The voice of the person was like striking a chime, clear and soothing.

 

“But I only know how to play with this. No one plays anything else with me.”

 

The child tore the mud figurine apart again, but he was naive and cruel, thinking it was just a plaything, innocent and ruthless.

 

The person took the figurine from the child’s hand and placed a small jade flute in his hand. The jade flute was cool and was a spiritual tool.

 

“In the future, when you play this, I will come to meet you.”

 

“Will you play with me then?”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

The scene shifted, and the sound of the flute played in the distance.

 

The person almost played with the child in the doghole every day.

 

Every morning, he would buy the candied haws the child had asked for through coaxing, and then he would follow the sound of the flute to the doghole for their appointment.

 

They were separated by the wall, unable to see each other’s faces, but they chatted and exchanged items, becoming a place where the child’s enlightenment and learning took place.

 

“…My mother hates seeing this. I don’t like it either, but she doesn’t allow me to get rid of it or show it to anyone. I only show it to you, big brother.”

 

“This jade is very good, why don’t you like it?”

 

“Because it’s only half! Mother says it’s inauspicious, just like me, no one will like it. It’s the destiny of a lone star, and everyone will call for its destruction.”

 

“That’s not true.”

 

“But that’s what the books say, right? I saw it in that book, ‘son of incomplete jade, destined as a lone star’…”

 

“Don’t believe such nonsense.”

 

The usually cold and indifferent voice of the person even had a hint of seriousness. He took the book and put it away.

 

“Don’t read these nonsense books in the future.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“This jade… can you temporarily give it to me?”

 

The child readily agreed, and the person looked at the blood spirit jade in his hand, quietly gripping it.

 

After a day passed, the person handed the candied haws for the day and the repaired blood spirit jade to Yu Yang.

 

“…Is this my jade? It’s… it’s whole now?! It’s not incomplete anymore?!”

 

The person outside the wall faintly curled his lips, but his voice still sounded calm and unruffled.

 

“The jade is not for the person, and the person is not defined by the jade. The jade is as it was born, while the person can change their fate through their own efforts.”

 

“Ah Yang, keep this jade safe.”

 

The child was still inside, eagerly examining the completed blood spirit jade, with fresh wounds on his hands from a beating he received from his mother the previous night.

 

The person looked at the child’s injuries and lowered his eyes in silence.

 

“Alright, did you learn the new characters from yesterday?”

 

The child’s movements paused.

 

“And you need to transcribe today’s poem five times.”

 

The child began to playfully resist, knowing that this person outside the wall could be both kind and firm.

 

“Brother, I don’t want to write today. Can I do it tomorrow? I’ll write six times tomorrow!”

 

“Today’s work should be done today.”

 

“But, brother, my hand hurts so much today, I can’t even hold a pen. Can I write tomorrow, please…”

 

The person outside the wall was about to respond but saw the wound on the child’s hand and fell silent.

 

After a while, the person outside the wall let out a nearly imperceptible sigh.

 

“…Alright, you can do it tomorrow.”

 

“Great! Oh, by the way, brother, you didn’t finish telling me the last time’s tales of monsters and strange creatures. Can you continue today? Brother?”

 

Even though he knew the child was pushing his luck, the person couldn’t help but give in and sighed once again.

 

“…Today, it’s up to you.”

 

…

 

The memories in Gu Ruoqing’s mind ended here. Before he could catch his breath, another rush of memories surged through his mind like a whirlpool, overwhelming his consciousness.

 

In the blink of an eye, a new scene unfolded before him.

 

And this time, he saw a tall man in black. He had handsome features, with eyes that shone like dark gold, and he coldly twisted someone’s neck.

 

In an instant, Gu Ruoqing knew who that was.

 

It was the adult Yu Yang, the most terrifying Demon Lord in a century.

---

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 2: The First Encounter

 

The first time Gu Ruoqing saw Yu Yang after transmigrating was in a doghole behind a brothel at the foot of a mountain. He had just received the first task from the system: to bring Yu Yang back to the Qingyun Sect.

 

At that time, Yu Yang was a child born to a courtesan in the brothel, confined to a desolate and narrow backyard, gazing at the square sky while playing with mud every day.

 

He would wet the earth with water, then mold human limbs out of it. After that, he would create the flamboyant hairstyles of the courtesans on the mud figures.

 

Once he finished, he would meticulously tear off the limbs of these mud figures one by one, then twist off their heads and crush them underfoot.

 

The first time Gu Ruoqing saw him playing with mud figures, it reminded him of how he met his end in the original story, sending a shiver down his spine.

 

Gu Ruoqing: “Do I really have to bring this child back?”

 

System: “Yes, indeed. Our goal is to save the corrupted antagonist, mend the master’s character, and improve the overall plot! I will assign secondary tasks based on the plot, and your task is to complete them all while ensuring the antagonist’s corruption level remains below 70%.”

 

Gu Ruoqing: “What’s the corruption level?”

 

System: “The corruption level represents the extent to which the antagonist wreaks havoc. The higher the corruption level, the more the antagonist wants to kill the male lead, distort the plot, and destroy the world.”

 

Gu Ruoqing looked at the mud heads crushed on the ground and felt that this was going to be a long journey.

 

Gu Ruoqing: “What’s Yu Yang’s current corruption level?”

 

System: “The initial data is 50%.”

 

Gu Ruoqing: “50% from the start?!”

 

System: “But please note, if the antagonist’s corruption level exceeds 80%, he will start to recall the memory of the original ending, i.e., the memory of Gu Ruoqing killing him.”

 

Gu Ruoqing: “…And then what?”

 

System: “Then it triggers the extra ending.”

 

Gu Ruoqing: “!!!”

 

Yu Yang tossed another mud figure to the ground, then expressionlessly grabbed the mud figure’s head, tearing it cleanly in half.

 

An old earthen wall separated the cage from the world, with only a doghole in between. Gu Ruoqing stood on the worldly side, and Yu Yang crouched on the cage side. Gu Ruoqing wanted to take him away but didn’t know how to broach the subject.

 

Both knew of the other’s presence but remained silent.

 

Gu Ruoqing: “How can I bring him back?”

 

System: “Maybe just knock him out and take him?”

 

Gu Ruoqing: “…If I knock him out and take him, how much will the corruption level increase?”

 

System: “Umm… 65%?”

 

Gu Ruoqing: “Can you please stop giving me suggestions from now on?”

 

Seeing Yu Yang continue to play with mud figures and not taking the gift he offered, Gu Ruoqing asked, “You don’t like it? Then what do you like? I can bring it for you.”

 

The child remained silent and in place. He slowly stopped playing with the mud and sat down, hugging his knees while gazing at the doghole.

 

Through the crevice in the hole, he could see the silk fabric of the person who had crouched inside – it was the same material that the high-ranking officials and nobility wore.

 

“Why aren’t you talking? Are you unhappy?” He heard the child sounding somewhat nervous, but his voice remained gentle, mingling with the commotion of the people outside the dirty courtyard wall.

 

After waiting for a while and realizing the child inside was still silent, Gu Ruoqing decided to pretend to stand up and said, “It seems I’m not welcome today. I’ll leave for now…”

 

“Don’t go.”

 

Suddenly, a hoarse child’s voice sounded, and Yu Yang called out urgently, “I haven’t left. You… Don’t go.”

 

Gu Ruoqing’s lips curled upward, and he squatted back down, using his spiritual power to muffle his voice and said, “Then why didn’t you speak?”

 

The child hesitated again.

 

But it seemed he was afraid that his silence would make the person outside the courtyard wall leave, so he spoke softly, “You haven’t visited me in a long time. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

 

Gu Ruoqing was taken aback.

 

What’s going on? Shouldn’t this be his first encounter with Yu Yang? He had just followed the system’s guidance to fly to the southwestern Shu region and stayed in Yan Tang City. As he entered the city and walked through the bustling crowd, a strange sense of familiarity suddenly emerged in his heart.

 

This familiar feeling was like bodily memory, guiding Gu Ruoqing until he arrived at a brothel’s backyard in Willow Street and flower alleys.

 

He raised his head and saw that this brothel was called “Where Spring Winds Seek.”

 

The system had told him that Yu Yang’s mother, Le Lin, although a daughter of the Demon Realm, had not awakened her bloodline in the early stages and had ultimately been forced to disguise herself as a human courtesan to make a living.

 

This made him suddenly realize that the original Gu Ruoqing in the story had probably taken Yu Yang from this place, which was why it seemed so familiar to him.

 

However, the child’s words now left him uncertain.

 

Could it be that someone else had approached Yu Yang like this before him?

 

“…I haven’t not visited you; it’s just that I had urgent matters to attend to,” Gu Ruoqing suddenly felt a pang of guilt, thinking that Yu Yang mistook him for the person who used to play with him. But then, he began to feel uneasy. Even if he didn’t recognise him by sight, how did he not recognise him by his voice?

 

Yu Yang fell silent again, but the child kept fiddling with something and then pushed it through the doghole.

 

“What’s this?” Gu Ruoqing picked up the small, translucent semicircular object, brushed off the dirt on it, and said, “This is… jade?!”

 

“Where did you get jade?” Gu Ruoqing looked at the exquisite jade in his hand, which was clear and cool to the touch, with faint bloodlines inside, exuding rich spiritual energy.

 

This was a top-grade Blood Spirit Jade!

 

The child, listening to Gu Ruoqing’s surprised tone, felt pleased with himself. “It’s for you.”

 

Giving jade to someone? Were antagonists usually this extravagant?

 

Gu Ruoqing looked at the cheap Nine Linked Rings¹a children’s mental development toy he probably wanted to give to Yu Yang by his feet, which looked scanty in comparison, and suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

 

He was about to ponder it when he took the jade into his hand, and then his brows furrowed as he thought carefully.

 

He remembered that the original work mentioned this kind of jade.

 

Blood Spirit Jade was not ordinary jade mined from underground; it was both rare and precious and also represented something ominous. This was because the birth of Blood Spirit Jade symbolized the birth of a demon – they were found inside the mouths of newborn demon infants. The more bloodlines within the Blood Spirit Jade, the purer the spiritual power, signifying that the newborn demon would be more powerful.

 

But what made this jade precious was that every demon considered it more important than their own lives, and it was only exchanged between partners as a token of love. Ordinary people could only obtain this jade by killing a demon and taking it by force.

 

Why did Yu Yang give him this piece of jade?

 

System: “Maybe he wants to take your life√.”

 

Gu Ruoqing: “Thanks, I needed a good laugh.”

 

Gu Ruoqing looked at the jade in a daze.

 

Indeed, he was the future Demon Sovereign; there were so many bloodlines contained in this jade that it was turning blood-red.

 

However, he still couldn’t understand why Yu Yang had given this jade to him.

 

System: “Maybe he wants to take your life√.”

 

Gu Ruoqing: “… Thanks for the insight… again.”

 

Gu Ruoqing stared at the jade and sighed, then placed it back inside and said, “I can’t accept this. It’s too precious, and you should keep it safe.”

 

Yu Yang also seemed surprised that the jade was rejected. It was the only valuable thing he had, and yet, the person didn’t want it.

 

Gu Ruoqing was about to say a few more words to make sure that Yu Yang didn’t casually show this jade to others, as it could expose his identity as a demon. Suddenly, he saw the jade being thrown out and landing at his feet, covered in dust, as if it had been wronged.

 

“You don’t want it, and I don’t want it either! I don’t want anything you give me from now on! You don’t need to come and play with me anymore!”

 

Gu Ruoqing didn’t expect Yu Yang to suddenly become angry. His angry appearance seemed to dissipate the gloomy atmosphere from when he was making mud figures, making him look more like a regular upset child.

 

Gu Ruoqing found it amusing and heartbreaking at the same time. He picked up the jade that had been thrown on the ground, wiped off the dust, and said softly, “I really can’t accept this. You’re still young and don’t understand its importance…”

 

“You just look down on it! You think it’s a broken jade, only half of it…” Yu Yang retorted indignantly, like a little kitten that had its tail stepped on, but as he spoke, he fell silent.

 

An incomplete broken jade, even if it was naturally born, was originally not highly valued. Who would want it?

 

Gu Ruoqing suddenly realized that the child cared about this. He said, “In that case, I’ll keep it for now. Tomorrow, I’ll use a spell to make the other half appear, so it won’t be a broken jade anymore. How about that?”

 

“Really?” After a while, the child’s voice sounded muffled and nasally.

 

Gu Ruoqing chuckled and said, “Is it real? You first solve these Nine Linked Rings; then I’ll tell you.”

 

He placed the Nine Linked Rings back through the hole, and he also gave him a candied fruit skewer.

 

The child didn’t say anything, but this time, he accepted the toys and candied fruit skewer and began playing with them inside the courtyard, making clinking sounds.

 

Gu Ruoqing stood up slowly and said, “I should go now.” Just as he finished speaking, the sound of the child solving the rings stopped.

 

After a moment, Yu Yang said, “…I lied to you just now.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

The boy’s voice was a bit hoarse but still very tender. He hesitated and said, “I didn’t mean… I didn’t really not want you to play with me, and I didn’t really dislike your things… Will you come back tomorrow, big brother?”

 

Gu Ruoqing was called big brother and suddenly felt something warm bumping into a place in his heart.

 

Unconsciously, he softened his voice, “Of course, I’ll come back tomorrow and show you some magic.”

 

Yu Yang remained crouched against the wall, listening to the fading sound of the other person’s footsteps. Only then did he sit down slowly and look at the Nine Linked Rings in his hand. As soon as that person left, the whole backyard returned to its cold and lifeless state. All that remained were the broken and dirty walls, knee-high weeds, and his mother inside the house, who often went mad.

 

Yu Yang sat motionless in the corner, gazing at the sky in all directions.

 

He often came to this corner, and once he was there, he stayed the entire day. This place was at the very edge of the brothel, and it was the closest spot in this prison to the outside world’s hustle and bustle. During festivals, he could still hear the cries of street vendors selling candied fruit skewers.

 

He had been confined here since birth, and his mother never allowed him out of her sight.

 

What was it like outside? Was the sky unobstructed by the overhanging eaves? Did the red lanterns float in the night sky? Were there countless stars that you could never finish counting? Were the candied fruit skewers that the vendor outside called out about sweet?

 

At first, when he was little, he would inadvertently ask such questions, but his mother would fly into a rage, throw him on the ground, and beat his slender legs while crying out, “Do you want to leave me too? Don’t you want me anymore?! You beast! What gives you the right…?”

 

Later, Yu Yang stopped asking. As he grew older, his mother became increasingly strange.

 

Sometimes, even if he said nothing and did nothing, she would suddenly slap him, and then she would make him kneel down, grabbing his hair to make him apologize.

 

At first, Yu Yang didn’t understand what he had done wrong. He just endured the beating in silence. But that only led to even more severe punishments.

 

But later, he understood. Whenever Le Lin had one of her fits, he would kneel down voluntarily, repeating, “Mother, I was wrong. It’s my fault. I killed Father. I made Father abandon us. I made you like this. I should have died as soon as I was born. Mother, I know I was wrong…”

---

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 1: Nine Thousand Years of Cultivation

 

Before entering the world of novels, Gu Ruoqing worked at a kindergarten. He had a cool and reserved personality, rarely spoke, had a handsome appearance, and always wore a white shirt, standing quietly on the side and prefered listening to talking.

 

However, Gu Ruoqing had a problem.

 

Whenever the children in the kindergarten saw him, they would start crying, one by one, the latter always sadder than the one before.

 

Not only that, while crying, the children would run over to him with their little short legs, pleading for him to hold them.

 

He would pick one up, and another would cry even louder. When he comforted the second one, a bunch of others would cry and crawl into his arms.

 

Helpless, Gu Ruoqing had to ask his colleagues why he couldn’t make the children stop crying.

 

The female teacher looked at him, surprised for a moment, then smiled and said, “Mr. Gu, you still don’t know?”

 

“They are just trying to act cute in front of you.”

 

Gu Ruoqing had never understood this logic. Whenever someone cried in front of him, he couldn’t resist being soft-hearted.

 

And at this moment, it was the same.

 

Dressed in white, standing like a refined bamboo, in front of him was a boy wearing the attire of a sect disciple. He was pitifully sobbing, wiping his tears with his sleeve.

 

Yu Yangsheng had an excellent figure, delicate and handsome features. His long eyelashes fluttered like butterflies, making him even more pitiable when he cried.

 

If it weren’t for a few disciples on the ground, whom he had beaten into pig heads, Gu Ruoqing would almost believe that Yu Yangsheng was the most wronged person in the world.

 

Gu Ruoqing sighed.

 

Although he had taught at a kindergarten for a few years before, he had never encountered such a difficult student.

 

Only in front of him would Yu Yangsheng behave like a sweet, wronged kitten, crying pitifully.

 

But Gu Ruoqing could guarantee that as soon as he turned his back, Yu Yangsheng would immediately turn around, grab someone by the collar, and start the second round of fighting, beating them up fiercely like a ferocious young wolf.

 

“Yu Yangsheng, why are you fighting at the sect again?”

 

“Shizun… I didn’t… they started it first…”

 

Nonsense, do you think I’m blind?

 

Yu Yangsheng cried while sneakily raising his eyes to look at him. Gu Ruoqing frowned, his expression seeming a bit displeased.

 

“Yu Yangsheng, return to the Cold Clear Pavilion and… copy some scriptures…”

 

[System: Friendly reminder! The villain’s current corruption level is 20%. Please, dear brother, be cautious about controlling the index~]

 

“Shizun meant to say…Practice… practice with Shizun a few combat moves.”

 

With that, Gu Ruoqing waved his sleeve and left for the Cold Clear Pavilion without looking back.

 

“…”

 

The group of children present were still in disarray in the wind.

 

Practice… a few moves?

 

What moves?

 

What is the Immortal Shizun Gu planning to do?

 

Did he want to punish him by making him copy scriptures or go straight for the kill?

 

The atmosphere instantly became tense, and the children around looked at Yu Yang with sympathy and a hint of schadenfreude in their eyes.

 

On the other hand…

 

Following the motto, “As long as I walk fast enough, shame can’t catch up with me,” Gu Ruoqing briskly made his way back.

 

Finally, he stopped midway, unable to help but find a corner to support his forehead.

 

Oh God, what cringy things did he just say…

 

Transmigrating into an ancient novel is really tough.

 

~

 

Speaking of which, this is actually a cultivation novel called “Nine Thousand Years of Immortal Dao.”

 

Gu Ruoqing’s role in it is the heartless antagonist, the Demon Lord who kills without even blinking.

 

Ancient sages once said that if there’s a good-looking child in a male-focused novel who suffered from bullying in their childhood, that child would inevitably become a blackening-type villain boss in the future.

 

At this point, facing the villain, you have three choices.

 

The first choice is to rescue them from succumbing to evil by building up goodwill.

 

The second choice is to say that it’s not my business and stay out of it.

 

The third choice is to confront the villain, ending the threat once and for all.

 

All three paths seem plausible.

 

Unfortunately, the ancient sages also said that if you happen to be an esteemed Shizun of cultivation, congratulations, your life will be full of poetic legends.

 

Because whether you save them or not, as long as the blackening villain is there, and they will be the first to target you.

 

Gu Ruoqing, the most respected elder of the Qingyun Sect and the number one Immortal Shizun in the cultivation world, had been in the gardening profession for a hundred years, nurturing countless disciples.

 

He had a tall and slender figure, silvery waist-length hair, a cold and distant demeanor, and a look that seemed detached from the mundane world. Furthermore, his spiritual power was as vast as a river and ocean, giving rise to legends of a “heaven-sent immortal.”

 

Among Gu Ruoqing’s disciples, the most famous one was undoubtedly the most ferocious Demon Lord of the demon realm in a millennium, Yu Yang.

 

In the original story, Immortal Shizun Gu was a person deeply versed in Laozi’s true teachings, who practiced the principles in his life.

 

He tried all three options and ended up being tormented to death by the blackened villain he had brought back with his own hands.

 

Here’s how it happened:

 

In Yu Yang’s childhood, Gu Ruoqing chose the first option—rescue. While descending from the mountain one day, he stumbled upon Yu Yang who was close to his deathbed. Unable to stand by, he lent a helping hand, saving the future Demon Lord when he was just a child, bringing him to the Qingyun Sect and taking him as his disciple.

 

This was the first wrong decision he made, failing to eliminate the helpless Yu Yang while he had the chance.

 

As Yu Yang grew into his youth, Gu Ruoqing chose the second option—ignoring him. After taking Yu Yang as his disciple, he frequently secluded himself for unknown reasons, no longer personally engaging in teaching, instead instructing the senior disciples to manage the sect’s affairs and mentor the junior disciples.

 

This was the second wrong decision he made, thinking that brotherhood and camaraderie within the sect would prevent bullying among fellow disciples.

 

Yu Yang, hidden from his sight, roamed free, indulging in mischief.

 

Gu Ruoqing had believed that by saving the child, he had done the right thing. Little did he know that ignorance could be equally bad.

 

Later, during a confrontation, Yu Yang discovered that the monsters they were hunting were, in fact, his own mother. After killing her with his own hands, he learned about his true heritage. This revelation shattered his sanity, awakening his demonic bloodline, and he became the Demon Lord, wreaking havoc on the world.

 

During Yu Yang’s adulthood, Gu Ruoqing chose the third option— to eliminate the threat by killing him. When Yu Yang threatened to kill the male protagonist, Yun Qianqiu, and activated a world-destroying formation, Gu Ruoqing arrived in the nick of time, saving the female protagonist and confronting Yu Yang with a sword.

 

As the sect Shizun and an elder in the cultivation world, Gu Ruoqing was highly skilled, eventually impaling Yu Yang’s heart with a sword.

 

Yu Yang stared at him with resentment in his eyes, as if he wanted to devour him, but in the end, he descended into the abyss of a wailing underworld.

 

This was the third wrong decision that Gu Ruoqing made. It was also the one he regretted most in his life.

 

He had killed the child he had once brought back with his own hands.

 

Though the world hailed him as virtuous and praised his selflessness, Gu Ruoqing only looked at the bloodstains on his sword in silence, wanting to wipe them away but retracting his hand.

 

After that, Gu Ruoqing chose to seclude himself, never appearing in the world again in his lifetime and passing away peacefully, his hair white as snow, his handsome appearance preserved for centuries, and he no longer yearned for the mortal realm.

 

Gu Ruoqing stood at a high point, giving a solemn salute to the people below. He turned around, and his figure disappeared from the sight of everyone for the last time.

 

From then on, there was no Immortal Ruoqing, and the world mourned together.

 

From then on, there was no Yu Yang, and the world was at peace.

 

…

 

You might think it’s all over now, but at the time, everyone thought the same.

 

Little did they know that not even a divine and demonic chasm could keep Yu Yang suppressed underground. Three years later, Yu Yang made a contract with an ancient demon and was resurrected, even more corrupt than before.

 

As soon as he appeared, he forcibly brought Gu Ruoqing out of the cave, then imprisoned him in the demon realm for more than a decade, subjecting him to relentless torment and humiliation.

 

Finally, he had his fill, strangled Gu Ruoqing to death, whipped his corpse, and presented it to the male protagonist, who had become the Heavenly Emperor at that time.

 

The divine and demonic war occurred once again, ending with the demon killing his own Shizun before he met his demise.

 

~

 

The connection between Gu Ruoqing and this frustrating novel lies in his name.

 

Because he shares the same name and surname as the Shizun in the book, out of curiosity, Gu Ruoqing casually opened this extremely popular cultivation web novel one weekend.

 

The story was fine all the way to the end, but after reading the extras, Gu Ruoqing’s face turned cold, and he gave it a terrible review.

 

It was incomplete and heart-wrenching – a bad ending.

 

The main story of “Nine Thousand Years of Immortal Dao” actually ended with Gu Ruoqing killing Yu Yang.

 

The shocking twist that occurred later can be traced back to an online novelist who was compelled to eat because of their book.

 

After “Nine Thousand Years of Immortal Dao” was serialized, its clicks and collections made it skyrocket to the top of the charts. However, when it suddenly concluded, it became the most criticized cultivation novel on various forums.

 

The reason for the criticism was mainly due to one question: Have you ever seen a cultivation novel where, in the final battle, the antagonist boss, who is a minor character as a Shizun, is killed by the protagonist’s Shizun in a completely inexplicable manner?

 

The crucial point is that the author had been building up resentment towards this antagonist boss from the third chapter. By Chapter 1,033, when the male protagonist finally prepared to settle scores with the antagonist boss and deliver justice—

 

“Only to see Elder Gu Ruoqing of the Qingyun Sect descend from the sky. With a flash of his sword, he pierced it into Yu Yang’s chest.

 

Yu Yang stumbled backward, filled with boundless hatred, glared at Gu Ruoqing, but eventually fell into the abyss of the divine and demonic chasm behind him.”

 

In the end, the male protagonist, Yun Qianqiu, only administered a final blow to the antagonist and then ascended, unifying the three realms, bringing the story to a close.

 

On the night of the conclusion, readers across the internet collectively felt betrayed.

 

Hundreds of thousands of words of buildup and vengeance, but when the characters finally died, there were only two paragraphs, each containing just one sentence.

 

Tens of thousands of book fans bombarded the author’s private messages, filled the comments sections, and pinned posts on forums, passionately requesting the author to resurrect the antagonist and have him fight the protagonist for hundreds of rounds before finally meeting his end under the protagonist’s sword.

 

Unable to withstand the pressure of public opinion, the author finally wrote a first extra—fulfilling the readers’ desires for the antagonist to resurrect and taking vengeance on Gu Ruoqing, by tormenting him in the demon realm, strangling him, beheading him, and whipping his corpse.

 

When Yun Qianqiu, who had ascended to become the Emperor of the Immortal Dao, saw his Shizun being tormented to death by the Demon Lord Yu Yang, he was naturally furious. This led to another battle between the immortals and demons, with Yu Yang’s soul finally dispersing. Some readers were finally satisfied at this point.

 

But then someone pointed out that Gu Ruoqing’s fate was too miserable!

 

As an esteemed elder of the Qingyun Sect, a peak figure in the world of cultivation, he was both Yun Qianqiu’s Shizun and the one who raised Yu Yang from a young age. Righteous and powerful, he had every reason to kill the antagonist, but the extra portrayed Yu Yang’s cruelty towards Gu Ruoqing.

 

The discussion continued, with some arguing that Yu Yang, the antagonist, was actually an inspirational character who overcame adversity, and his extreme personality could be understood.

 

Others believed that Gu Ruoqing’s sudden character twist was abrupt, and the author was shifting blame onto him, making Yu Yang more sympathetic, and Gu Ruoqing’s fate should have been different.

 

There were also those who thought the author had dug a big pit with Gu Ruoqing’s character and failed to fill it, and readers demanded that the author resolve the issue. Fanfictions of the novel proliferated.

 

Of course, the straight male readers complained that the male protagonist, Yun Qianqiu, was unfairly treated, and it was unfortunate that such a well-liked male lead had the lowest popularity.

 

Amidst all the debates, some became die-hard fans while others became critics, and opinions on Gu Ruoqing’s ending were divided.

 

But Gu Ruoqing just took off his glasses, put down his phone, rubbed his temples, and prepared a PowerPoint presentation for the kindergarten children’s performance the next day.

 

Although the character with the same name and surname as him in the novel is a revered immortal Shizun, in reality, he is just a preschool teacher.

 

Apart from their coincidental name similarity, the two individuals should have had no connection.

 

However, as the second day arrived, Gu Ruoqing, dressed in white, stood on a high platform, looking at over a thousand cultivation disciples bowing to him in the square.

 

Yet, in his mind, he was still thinking about the PowerPoint presentation for Children’s Day.

 

How did it feel to transmigrate after leaving a scathing negative review?

 

Absolute regret, he absolutely regretted it.

---

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!