Chapter 28
If it weren’t for the peace between the two realms, Haowei really wanted to give the outspoken Demon Lord a good beating.
What does it mean to be a “good husband”?
Does this Demon Lord really consider him his wife?
“To thank you for helping me in ways you may not even realize, I’ll give you another iridescent feather,” Si Lan said, taking out an iridescent feather from his storage bag and handing it to Haowei.
Haowei’s face was full of disdain. Is it a common practice for birds to give feathers when they like someone? He didn’t want him to end up bald.
Disdain aside, Haowei still reached out and accepted it. He didn’t like odd numbers, and this would make a pair with the other iridescent feather.
While they were talking, a voice suddenly echoed in Si Lan’s divine consciousness. It was the voice of a demon general stationed near the border between the human realm and the demon realm.
“Your Excellency, a monster has entered the human realm causing trouble. Even the God Monkey of Eminent Heaven couldn’t subdue it. We are sending an urgent request for assistance.”
The God Monkey of Eminent Heaven was a celestial lord responsible for managing earthly affairs on behalf of the Heavenly Court.
According to the established customs of the Six Realms, each realm was responsible for its own affairs. After the Heavenly Court unified the six realms of gods, demons, spirits, humans, and ghosts, the Heavenly Court effectively managed the affairs of the five realms, leaving the demon realm under Si Lan’s jurisdiction.
How difficult could this monster be that it led the God Monkey of Eminent Heaven to seek help from the demon realm?
The demon general delivered the urgent report to Si Lan, and a strip of bamboo message gradually appeared in front of him.
He opened the bamboo message and, after reading the black characters on it, his facial features tightened inch by inch.
The monster was none other than Da Yong.
Da Yong had been sealed by the previous Heavenly Emperor Tai Wei at the boundary between the human and demon realms. Later, the place where Da Yong was sealed gradually formed a towering mountain, known as Mount Da Yong in the world.
According to the principle of territorial jurisdiction, most of Mount Da Yong was close to the human realm, and therefore, it should be the Heavenly Court’s responsibility to handle the matter. However, following the principle of ownership, Da Yong was a demon, and thus, it fell under the jurisdiction of the demon realm.
Sending an urgent report to him was a clever way for the God Monkey of Eminent Heaven to pass the buck.
Haowei’s gaze penetrated the bamboo message, and he also saw the contents. His expression grew serious.
When he came down to the demon realm, he knew that Da Yong had escaped, but he hadn’t expected Da Yong to go causing havoc in the human realm. According to historical records, Da Yong used a curse that left people sleepless, leading to their eventual demise. The average person could endure sleeplessness for a maximum of five days, with only a very few managing to hold out for seven days.
This meant that if Da Yong wasn’t subdued within three days, most of the ordinary people would be sleeplessly trapped and eventually die.
Si Lan closed the bamboo message and intended to leave for the human realm immediately.
For one, he may be a demon lord, but he had once been human and couldn’t stand by and watch people die.
Secondly, Lan Lan’s fourth reincarnation was still in the human realm. So, whether from the perspective of universal love or personal affection, this trip to the human realm was inevitable.
Quze and Xie Li, two disciples of Si Lan, also wanted to accompany him.
Si Lan didn’t dare to take any risks and only allowed the two of them to stay behind to guard the Cloud-Seeking Peak.
The last time, Quze was an undercover agent, so Si Lan wasn’t worried about leaving him at the Profound Spirit Sect. However, this time, their opponent was an ancient demon with unknown origins, and Si Lan couldn’t risk Quze and Xie Li being in danger.
“You two are also entrusted with an important responsibility to guard the Cloud-Seeking Peak.”
“But, Your Excellency, if I miss you, can I come and find you?”
Si Lan paused for a moment and then said, “Alright.”
After arranging his two disciples, Si Lan looked at Haowei, “Little White Dragon, you should return to the Heavenly Court as soon as possible. Don’t let your father worry about you.”
“I want to go with you.”
“No, it’s too dangerous this time.” Si Lan refused with a stern face. If something happened to Little White Dragon while he was with him, he couldn’t bear the responsibility.
Haowei’s lips twitched, and he impulsively said, “Didn’t you say I’m very good at… being a good husband to you?”
As soon as he said that, Haowei regretted it, and his ears turned slightly red. He wasn’t planning to accompany Si Lan to the human realm in the first place.
“Never mind.” Before Si Lan could respond, Haowei coldly added, “I’ll return to the Heavenly Court on my own!”
With those words, Haowei cast a spell and transformed into a cloud of mist, disappearing in an instant.
“…” Si Lan.
Si Lan watched Haowei’s departing figure, feeling a bit puzzled. Why did this little guy seem so stubborn? It was all for safety that he didn’t take him along.
Oh well, he felt that this Little White Dragon’s thoughts were even harder to fathom than Lan Lan, A Lan, and Que Lan from before.
After pondering for a moment, Si Lan used a spell to instantly appear in the human realm.
At first glance, the human realm seemed normal, but looking through the clouds, a dark energy barrier enveloped the entire human realm.
Any living being that entered this dark energy, whether in the sky, on the ground, or in the water, would be affected by a curse, making it impossible for them to sleep day or night.
In that moment, Si Lan suddenly understood the actions of the heavens. In ancient times, even the most insignificant demons and monsters were incredibly powerful and could easily wipe out the human realm, which occupied the lowest rung of the food chain. If they weren’t kept in check to balance the power of the six realms, the human realm would have long been overrun by those demons and monsters.
Si Lan landed on a street, and the scene seemed frozen, but it was slowly moving.
Occasionally, a few chimneys were still emitting smoke, and the smoke drifted in the wind as if it were moving more slowly than usual. Pedestrians had dark circles under their eyes, walking wearily with heavy, leaden legs.
Inside the houses, babies were crying incessantly, while outside, cats and dogs were going mad, continuously howling and roaring as if trying to vent something but unable to.
Every household was filled with complaints and wailing.
Si Lan couldn’t bear to let it continue. He used magic to draw a formation in the air, and following that formation, he saw that apart from the dark energy in the sky, black energy pervaded the human realm, resembling creeping vines, rising from the ground and floating in the air.
Si Lan flew toward the place where the black energy was most concentrated, General Ning An’s residence.
The closer he got, the stronger the demonic energy he felt, and he had a faint sense that this demonic energy was somewhat familiar. Could it be his subordinates?
Thinking this, Si Lan slightly furrowed his brow and discreetly landed in a teahouse across from General Ning An’s residence.
Inside the teahouse, several tall men with upright postures were huddled together, whispering quietly.
Si Lan faintly heard the word “General” and used magic to eavesdrop on what they were saying.
“That little musician is already dead. There’s no way a divine physician can save him.”
“For General Pei to go to such lengths for him, he might ruin his reputation in one fell swoop!”
“Ah, not only General Pei’s reputation, but according to that Daoist artificer, this curse of the ancient demon Da Yong, which is causing havoc in the human realm, may have been unleashed by the spirit of that little musician. Perhaps if we burn his body, we can break the curse.”
“I say, we’d be better off…”
As they talked, they glanced at each other and made a gesture.
Si Lan sized up these men. Despite their tired faces, their voices were full of vigor, and their posture was upright and resolute. They were likely soldiers, perhaps even subordinates of General Pei.
Si Lan walked up to the entrance of General Ning An’s residence and stared at the closed red door, deep in thought.
What reason could he give to enter?
As he contemplated, a man dressed in black with a black hood stood next to him.
Si Lan turned to look at the man, who had a tall, well-proportioned figure, an understated aura, and although his face wasn’t very clear, just his profile made him seem out of place.
The man seemed to sense Si Lan’s gaze, and his hood shifted slightly as he turned to look in Si Lan’s direction. After a moment, he uttered a soft “Hmm.”
Si Lan felt that the voice was oddly familiar, like he had heard it somewhere. As he tried to recall, the bright red door suddenly opened, and a white-bearded butler stepped out.
“Are you the Twin Pinnacles of Tu Shan?”
Si Lan and the man in black exchanged glances and simultaneously replied, “Yes.”
“Please come in quickly. General Pei has been waiting for you for a long time…”
The butler led Si Lan and Haowei past winding courtyards to a building located in the middle of a blue lake, which suddenly came into view.
The butler led the way towards the center of the lake and explained, “Our lady has been unconscious and has been recuperating here under the general’s care.”
Si Lan inquired, “How many days has your lady been in a coma?”
“Three days.”
Si Lan suddenly realized that the onset of the Great Cursed Curse in the mortal realm was two days ago, which coincided closely with the time when the general’s wife fell into a coma. Could it be that the general’s wife’s spirit was responsible for this?
“Please, come in,” the butler said, standing by the door and inviting Si Lan and Haowei inside.
Once inside, they were greeted by twelve painted screens depicting landscapes. Behind the screens, there were translucent embroidered curtains made of transparent official yellow beads hanging about an inch above the ground.
On the right, two censers burned incense, and wisps of smoke rose. On the left, you could faintly see a person sleeping behind the curtains, while another person sat quietly in front of the bed, gazing at the sleeping figure.
Perhaps it was the sound of their footsteps that startled the person sitting by the bed, who reached out to part the bead curtain and came out.
This person was tall, about the same height as Haowei, and suddenly appeared in front of Si Lan. Si Lan felt like he was dwarfed when placed between these two.
Even though he was over seven feet tall.
Si Lan observed the features of General Pei, his sunken eye sockets, crimson eyes, and an expressionless face that still conveyed profound sadness and overwhelming despair.
Pei turned his gaze to Si Lan and said with slight surprise, “I never thought you two would actually be the Twin Pinnacles of Tu Shan.”
Slightly taken aback by this, Si Lan and Haowei exchanged glances, then Pei shifted his gaze to Haowei and said, “If Peach Abyss were still awake, he’d surely be delighted to see both of you safe.”
“…” Si Lan.
“…” Haowei.
Si Lan privately thought that General Pei’s grief had affected his judgment, mistaking him and Haowei for the Twin Pinnacles of Tu Shan. However, it did make things more convenient for their mission.
Si Lan cleared his throat and said calmly, “What is Peach Abyss’s current condition?”
“Peach Abyss has been in a coma, only regaining consciousness for less than a quarter of an hour each day,” perhaps to avoid suspicion, Pei had Si Lan and Haowei stay outside to diagnose the patient’s pulse, while he went in to tie a red thread around Peach Abyss’s wrist.
Si Lan held his breath and carefully held the red thread. After a moment, he glanced at the sleeping figure behind the bead curtain and furrowed his brow.
No pulse, no breath…
Peach Abyss was already dead.
Si Lan initially thought that the people in the teahouse were just talking nonsense, but now it seemed that they were telling the truth. Could it be that Peach Abyss’s lingering resentment had caused the Great Cursed Curse to be activated?
Si Lan pondered this, and as he handed the red thread to Haowei, he wanted him to confirm it. However, Haowei didn’t take it.
“Aren’t you going to check?” Si Lan asked.
“No need,” came the cool voice from behind the veil.
Si Lan didn’t notice, and continued, “You’ve also realized that he’s already dead?”
“Yes.”
“Are you here to investigate the Great Cursed Curse too?”
“Yes.”
The last “yes” had a slightly annoyed tone.
Si Lan continued, “I still don’t know your name. You are…”
Haowei’s voice, muffled by the veil, paused for a moment before he uttered two words, “Chong Wei.” It was a combination of “Haowei” and “Chong Ying.”
Si Lan found this voice and the name somewhat familiar. He was about to say more when General Pei opened the bead curtain and walked out.
“Doctor, how is my wife’s condition?” Pei asked, looking at Si Lan.
Si Lan observed Pei, thinking that he was a military man who had experienced many battles and shouldn’t be unable to recognize that Peach Abyss had already passed away. However, Pei seemed unwilling to accept the truth, and Si Lan didn’t want to hurt his feelings directly.
Si Lan said, “We couldn’t determine your lady’s condition through pulse diagnosis. General, we need a face-to-face consultation to have a clearer understanding.”
After hesitating for a moment, Pei nodded and turned back to open the bead curtain, leading Si Lan and Haowei into the room.
Si Lan saw a person lying on the bed. Their black hair spread loosely on their shoulders, their complexion was pale, their expression peaceful, and they looked more like someone in deep sleep than a deceased person.
Si Lan hadn’t expected that the person who had driven General Pei to madness was, in fact, a man.
So why was Pei telling them to avoid suspicion?
Si Lan reached out and pressed his fingertips against Peach Abyss’s neck. He couldn’t detect any sign of life. As he got closer, he noticed that Peach Abyss had a thick layer of makeup on his face. The pale lips were covered in vivid rouge, giving him a somewhat lively appearance, which didn’t resemble a dead person.
It seemed that Pei had applied makeup to Peach Abyss himself, deluding himself into not accepting Peach Abyss’s passing.
Si Lan gently pressed Peach Abyss’s forehead and the body began to tremble, limbs convulsing as if in intense pain.
Pei, seeing this, tried to rush over, but Haowei blocked him.
“What did you do to my wife?” Pei demanded.
Si Lan withdrew his hand, and Peach Abyss’s body gradually calmed down. “There is impurity in his body,” Si Lan said. After death, if a corpse is not dealt with promptly, it can attract impurities and exhibit “false death” symptoms.
“What does impurity mean?” Pei asked, his brow furrowed.
Si Lan carefully chose his words. “It’s just some restless… unclean energy.”
Pei sat by the bedside and examined Peach Abyss’s body. After confirming that Peach Abyss was not injured, he asked, “How is my wife’s illness?”
“The condition is stable. I can prescribe a few herbal remedies for your wife to drink twice a day.”
Si Lan said, and he sensed a faint twitch at the corner of Haowei’s mouth through the veil. He probably found Si Lan’s words somewhat amusing. Nonetheless, Si Lan remained composed and wrote a prescription for Pei.
Pei had no reason to doubt him and immediately instructed his servants to prepare the herbal remedies.
“When will my wife wake up, Doctor?” Pei asked in a hoarse voice.
Si Lan’s expression froze for a moment. He hadn’t mentioned his name, so how did General Pei know his surname was Si?
“General Pei, I can’t guarantee when your lady will wake up, but for now, following this prescription should lead to her gradual recovery,” Si Lan paused and then added, “General Pei, have we met before?”
However, General Pei seemed too absorbed in the phrase “your lady’s condition will gradually improve.” He didn’t pay any attention to Si Lan and, instead, excitedly held Peach Abyss’s hand, muttering, “Peach Abyss, did you hear the doctor’s words? You will wake up soon, and then we can go to South Province to enjoy the mountains and rivers, or ride freely in the Northern Desert…”
“General…” Si Lan was about to say something more when the butler walked over.
“You two divine doctors must be tired. Please follow me to the guest rooms to rest. Tonight, the general’s mansion has prepared a feast to entertain you.”
Si Lan glanced at General Pei, who seemed utterly dazed and confused, unable to engage in meaningful conversation. So, he followed the butler and left.
He contemplated the situation as he walked, lost in thought. Consequently, when Haowei abruptly stopped, he wasn’t aware of it and bumped into Haowei.
Instinctively, Haowei turned and caught him. In an instant, a faint scent of temple incense and another familiar aroma wafted to his nostrils. The incense scent was probably picked up from Peach Abyss’s room.
Firm fingers held his waist. Through the thin clothing, their warmth pressed against his skin. He was taken aback, and he couldn’t help but think of the man he had encountered in the Illusion Realm of Xuanling Mountain. They were of similar height, both with large hands and the same comforting warmth.
Si Lan looked up, meeting a pair of eyes through the lightly swaying veil. Before he could focus, a clear, melodious voice came from within the veil.
“Are you steady now?”
“Uh, yes, I am.” Si Lan quickly steadied himself and gave an awkward smile.
“Both divine doctors, this is the guest room. If you need anything, call for me,” the old butler said as he left.
“Thank you.”
Once the butler had left, Si Lan realized that the old butler had assigned only one room for him and Haowei.
“…” Si Lan.
They were the Twin Pinnacles of Tu Shan, not a couple.
Si Lan didn’t know what to do, but he saw Haowei calmly walking into the room. Not wanting to appear embarrassed, he followed.
He inwardly thanked his stars that this person didn’t know his true identity; otherwise, discovering that he was destined to be with a “male spouse” would likely be unsettling.
Inside the room, Haowei still wore his veil, standing by the window in a meditative posture as if deep in thought. Si Lan sat down in a chair, and, with his hand, drew a swastika-like formation on the table. Soon, the formation expanded and enveloped the general’s mansion.
In an instant, the foul energies lingering around the general’s mansion were completely dissipated. Peach Abyss had been dead for a long time, and his body had not been laid to rest. This had attracted impurities wandering through the mansion. If this continued, not only Peach Abyss, but even ordinary people would be affected by these impurities, causing their vital energy to gradually dissipate.
After completing these tasks, Si Lan looked at Haowei. Haowei observed Si Lan casting the spell, maintaining his composure and not reacting in any way. He did not seem like an ordinary mortal.
Previously, when Si Lan unintentionally bumped into Haowei, he had tried to assess Haowei’s cultivation level but found nothing. It was as if he couldn’t discern the cultivation levels of the people he had encountered recently.
Could it be that his own cultivation had regressed?
Si Lan felt a sudden unease and decided to focus on his cultivation after resolving the current mortal realm crisis.
He coughed gently to break the silence and took the initiative. “Chong Wei, have you found any clues? Since we’re both here to solve the Great Cursed Curse, we should cooperate.”
The veil gently moved, and a soft voice came from inside. “That Lady Pei, she was emaciated and starved to death.”
“Starved to death?” Si Lan was surprised and felt a pang of sympathy. Such a cruel method was usually reserved for interrogating enemies. Peach Abyss was General Pei’s wife, so how could she have endured such treatment?
Si Lan recalled what the people in the teahouse had said, “Was it after his death, his ghost remained and summoned the Great Cursed Curse?”
“It’s not him; it takes an enormous amount of resentment to summon the Great Cursed Curse,” Haowei added. He hadn’t sensed strong resentment on Peach Abyss’s corpse.
Si Lan paused and then looked at Haowei. “I didn’t expect you to be so sure. Do you have any leads?”
“I am certain,” Haowei responded firmly. This was the first time he had come to the mortal realm in his current form, and there was no way General Pei could have seen him before.
Si Lan felt that Haowei’s denial was resolute. He changed the subject, saying, “This place has the heaviest demonic energy, aside from the Great Cursed Curse. There are other demonic energies intermingled here.”
Haowei continued without hesitation, “That Lady Pei, she was starved to death.”
Haowei seemed to be echoing the same information, but this time, Si Lan noticed something different in his tone.
“Who could have done something so cruel to her?” Si Lan wondered aloud.
Haowei responded, “I suspect we are not dealing with a simple ghost or the Great Cursed Curse. There may be another force at play here.”
Si Lan nodded in agreement. “I share the same suspicion. Let’s investigate further to unravel this mystery.”
With a newfound sense of purpose, they decided to work together to uncover the truth behind the Great Cursed Curse and the strange occurrences at General Pei’s mansion.
Even though Si Lan had sensed the diminishing presence of the other demonic energy since his arrival, he could still faintly feel the other’s existence.
Haowei acknowledged with a simple “hmm.”
“I suspect it might be people from my… our village…” Si Lan quickly corrected himself.
Haowei cast a condescending glance at him but didn’t confirm or deny it.
The two of them engaged in more small talk. Nightfall descended silently, and the general’s mansion lit up with rows of red lanterns, casting a warm red glow around.
A servant from General Pei came to invite them to the banquet.
They didn’t want to waste time at the banquet but considering that General Pei had some secrets, they decided to go.
The mansion’s servants, affected by the Great Cursed Curse, had sunken eyes and looked fatigued. Even the servant leading them spoke hesitantly.
“Di… Divine doctors, please… come in…”
As Si Lan turned around, he nearly stumbled and almost fell. He quickly extended a hand to support the servant. Seeing the servant about to struggle to thank him, Si Lan hastily said, “No need to thank me; go on with your duties.”
The servant bowed and left.
General Pei had not yet arrived, and the servants were setting up the dishes.
Si Lan looked at the sumptuous feast on the table but had no appetite. His mind was consumed with thoughts of the Great Cursed Curse.
He only knew that the Great Cursed Curse was a demonic creature that cast the Cursed Distress Curse, but beyond that, he had no information. He didn’t know where to begin.
“If only we could go to the Heavenly Court and see Taowei’s records,” Si Lan mumbled under his breath.
When Taowei was alive, he would record the demons he had subdued in his records, which were stored in the Heavenly Court’s scriptures repository. However, the Heavenly Court was guarded by divine warriors and protected by barriers, making it challenging to access.
Haowei, who was nearby, gave Si Lan a faint look.
In an instant, General Pei entered, looking visibly fatigued. Upon seeing Si Lan and Haowei, he inquired about Peach Abyss’s condition, “Divine Doctor Si, I feel that Peach Abyss’s complexion has improved after drinking your medicine. Can you tell me when she might wake up?”
“It depends on the patient’s personal will,” Si Lan replied, considering General Pei’s fragile state. He then changed the subject, “General Pei, how did your wife contract this strange illness?”
General Pei seemed to recall something unpleasant, his eyes clouded with red mist. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left her alone in the military camp, leading to her being…,” he stopped abruptly, unable to continue. He instinctively denied Peach Abyss’s death.
Observing General Pei’s unstable mental state, Si Lan didn’t want to push him further and changed the topic again, “General Pei, has your lady ever mentioned anything about curses or spells?”
“Divine Doctor Si, I know what you want to ask. That Great Cursed Curse outside has nothing to do with my wife,” General Pei said with determination, “Those people not only harmed my wife, but now they also want to blame these unfounded charges on her. It’s unforgivable.”
Seeing General Pei’s near-hysterical state, Si Lan had a vague thought that was almost too unbelievable to consider.
“General! General!” Suddenly, the butler’s voice came from outside, interrupting their conversation.
The butler had rushed to the door, out of breath and excited. “General, the divine doctor’s prescription really worked. The lady has awakened!”
General Pei, upon hearing this, rushed to the butler and seized his hand, asking, “Is Lady really awake?”
“Yes, she’s now singing in the Hundred Fragrance Garden.”
Without waiting for the butler to finish speaking, General Pei hurried towards the Hundred Fragrance Garden.
The other guests at the banquet followed him.
Si Lan and Haowei exchanged glances.
Haowei took a deep breath and asked in a cold tone, “What kind of prescription did you give?”
“I prescribed a treatment for lumbar disc herniation,” Si Lan replied.
“…” Haowei.
Si Lan figured that Peach Abyss probably had to bend over frequently when practicing singing, so he prescribed a treatment for lumbar disc herniation. However, he had not expected Peach Abyss to actually wake up!
Was this a case of faked death?
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~
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