Chapter 43
Upon learning that his destined one had been killed by Haowei, Si Lan felt briefly melancholic. However, he quickly rallied himself and decided to prioritize advancing his career.
He set aside the matters of the Torch Snake and Little White Dragon for now.
According to the diviner, only the Immortal Jia Heng knew the story of tigers devouring the flesh of Buddhist disciples in the Unsubstantial Immortal Sutra. Si Lan planned to seek out Immortal Jia Heng in the Thirty-Three Heavens.
Every month, Immortal Jia Heng would open a sacred altar at the beginning of the month to teach Buddhism, open for listeners from all six realms. This made it convenient for Si Lan to find him.
However, Si Lan currently looked like a “wild chicken” and found it difficult to move around. Flapping his wings, he struggled to fly towards the Thirty-Three Heavens.
Unbeknownst to him, shortly after he left, Haowei arrived at Mount Zhiyun to find him.
As soon as Haowei landed at the foot of the mountain, he noticed unusual activity at Zhiyun Peak. On the mountainside, a group of demons had gathered on an open circular platform, men and women of all ages.
In the center of the platform, the brothers Song Cheng and Song Ye sat as if judging something, assessing each individual in turn.
Haowei glanced at them briefly, not thinking much of it, and went straight into the hall to find Si Lan. Not finding him there, he went to the Qixian Cave, but Si Lan was nowhere to be found.
With his cultivation greatly reduced now, where else could Si Lan have gone?
Haowei saw Xie Li sleeping on a rocking chair and walked over to wake him up. “Xie Li, where is your master?” Perhaps now that he knew about their intertwined past lives with Si Lan, he felt a strange affection upon seeing Xie Li, as if Xie Li were another father figure.
Xie Li opened his hazy eyes and mumbled softly, “Master… he said he went to advance his career…”
Haowei’s expression turned peculiar. “Advance his career…”
“What exactly is ‘career’? Is it a thing or a person?”
Xie Li chuckled and pointed to the sky, continuing, “After muttering something about men needing to advance their careers, Master flapped his wings and flew up to the sky. I guess his career must be up there in the heavens.”
“…,” muttered Haowei.
He had no idea there was an Immortal Lord named ‘Career’ up in the heavens!
With that thought, he immediately transformed into a white mist and flew towards the sky. Glancing back at the situation on Mount Zhiyun, he noticed more and more people queuing halfway up the mountain. He had forgotten to ask what they were doing.
Back in the Ninth Heaven, Haowei did not find any trace of Si Lan, so he attempted to contact him through his divine sense.
“Si Lan.”
As he called out these two words, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and he suddenly recalled Si Lan’s smile when they were together in the mortal realm.
Dumbfounded, silly, yet quite adorable.
At this moment, Si Lan had just flown into the heavenly realm. Suddenly, he heard Haowei’s voice in his mind, as if it were booming directly above him, sending shivers down his spine.
Instinctively, he closed off his divine sense.
He didn’t want to talk to Haowei right now, afraid that he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions.
Not hearing any response from Si Lan, Haowei called out for him again, only to find that Si Lan had actually closed off his divine sense!
Si Lan… must have accidentally closed it off.
Comforting himself in this way, Haowei then took out the two colorful feathers and tentatively shook them.
“Si Lan, are you there?”
Unexpectedly, even through the feathers, he couldn’t reach Si Lan. Haowei felt somewhat crestfallen, a touch of gravity in his expression, displeased. He called over an attendant and asked, “Is there an Immortal Lord named Career in heaven?”
“Your Majesty, are you referring to Lord Sini?” the attendant asked.
Haowei’s brow furrowed suddenly, standing up with an air as cold as frost, seeming to wrap around coldness. Without saying a word, he flew straight out.
“Lead me to the mansion of Lord Sini!”
—
Si Lan flew for some time, noticing that Haowei’s voice had disappeared and gradually calming his mood.
He didn’t know what else they could possibly discuss. He no longer wanted to play the fool and ingratiate himself with Haowei as his destined one.
Passing by the Ninth Heaven, two young celestial beings saw him and were astonished.
“How did a wild chicken fly up to the Ninth Heaven?”
“This is the first time I’ve seen a wild chicken fly so high!”
“…,” Si Lan ignored them, turned his head away, and flew on.
Seeing this, the two young celestial beings looked at each other.
“Can this wild chicken understand what we’re saying?”
“It’s truly miraculous. If he were a bit more majestic and powerful, I would consider keeping him as a mount.”
“…,” Si Lan.
Heh heh.
Young and already so bold.
Flapping his wings, Si Lan increased his speed and flew away from them. When his cultivation was intact, he could blink and reach the Thirty-Three Heavens. Now, weakened in cultivation, it felt like an insurmountable distance.
Tired from flying, he landed on a row of Chinese parasol trees to rest.
He took out some wild berries, just took a bite, and before he could swallow, a sudden gust of wind struck, nearly knocking him off balance and causing the wild berries in his hand to fall.
He quickly flapped his wings to steady himself, hearing mocking voices around him.
“Where did this ugly thing come from? How dare it land on the Chinese parasol tree?”
Si Lan’s scalp tingled upon hearing the sharp voice. He looked up and saw three proud phoenixes staring coldly at him.
In the middle was a phoenix, flanked by two phoenixes.
All three had brown eyes, red beaks, ostentatious golden wings, and colorful feathers. The character “仁” (benevolence) prominently displayed on their chests.
The one who had just spoken was the phoenix on the right.
Seeing Si Lan dumbfounded and silent, the phoenix on the right continued, “What? Is this little wild chicken seeing a phoenix for the first time?”
The phoenix on the left laughed, covering her beautiful face with her wings, “I suppose he’s been scared silly by us, he can’t speak now.”
“…,” Si Lan.
“Hey, you little thing, do you know where you’re standing? This is the Chinese parasol tree, reserved for our phoenix clan, not a place for a wild chicken like you.” The phoenix on the right sneered, then flapped her wings deliberately, blowing Si Lan off the tree again.
Si Lan almost fell to the ground but managed to stabilize himself by flapping his wings frantically.
The three phoenixes landed on the branch where Si Lan had just stood, looking down on him.
The phoenix in the middle, who hadn’t spoken until now, said, “Tongyi, Boqing, why bother with it?”
“Understood, Lady Quyu.” The two phoenixes quickly nodded in respect.
However, as soon as they finished speaking, a powerful airflow, akin to thunder and lightning, suddenly rushed towards them, blowing the three of them away along with the row of Chinese parasol trees.
“What… what’s happening?”
Caught in the tumultuous airflow, they couldn’t stabilize themselves and tumbled uncontrollably forward.
“It seems… like the aura of the Phoenix… Phoenix God?”
“How could there be a Phoenix God?”
Glancing back, they saw that the previously mocked wild chicken was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a pair of huge phoenix wings abruptly appeared, gleaming like golden blades as they slowly folded, imposingly intimidating them.
The fearful faces of the three soon disappeared into the distance.
Si Lan looked around cautiously, relieved that he hadn’t been discovered, and quietly retracted his wings.
To blow away those chatty phoenixes, he had to sacrifice some of his cultivation and transform into phoenix wings.
Sigh.
He wondered when he could return to human form.
As he sighed, he flew towards the Thirty-Three Heavens.
Approaching the Thirty-Three Heavens, the scenery changed dramatically. The clouds were extraordinary, edged with gold, and radiating Buddhist light. Floating in mid-air were numerous Buddhist halls, with constant sounds of bells and sutra recitations.
Countless gray-robed Buddhist disciples, holding prayer beads, moved through the clouds.
Seeing Si Lan, this “wild chicken,” appear, they didn’t find it strange at all, maintaining a calm demeanor.
Si Lan flapped his wings and hurried towards the sacred altar. Just as he caught sight of it, a solemn and deep Buddhist chant reached his ears, stirring a profound sense of awe within him.
Clusters of auspicious clouds piled up like Immortal’s hair bun, and above the altar, a large white light enveloped everything. Beneath this light, countless Buddhist disciples closed their eyes devoutly, bowing their backs and prostrating on the ground, listening to the scriptures.
Above the radiance was Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal.
Due to the considerable distance, Si Lan couldn’t make out Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal’s appearance clearly. He could vaguely see the figure dr4p3d in a crimson kasaya, seated on a lotus platform with a dignified and solemn demeanor. The majestic chanting of the Immortal echoed from all directions, swirling above his head.
Like a devout disciple, Si Lan spread his wings and prostrated himself on the ground to listen to the scriptures.
This session of scripture recitation lasted for three days and three nights.
Si Lan followed suit and listened for three days and three nights, afraid to lose focus or leave. He inexplicably felt as though the Immortal’s gaze was omnipresent, as if any hint of disrespect would offend the Immortal.
During this time, when he felt hungry, he quietly took out a wild berry. He used one wing to shield his actions from view and delicately nibbled on the berry with the other wing.
Perhaps his actions were still somewhat audible, as Si Lan distinctly felt the Buddhist disciples around him twitching their eyebrows. Fortunately, their cultivation was deep, and none of them opened their eyes to reproach Si Lan.
After three days, the scripture recitation concluded, and all the Buddhist disciples departed from the sacred altar.
On the lotus seat, Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal remained, explaining to the remaining disciples who still had doubts.
Si Lan flapped his wings and flew over to join the queue.
He never expected that even queuing up would take three days and three nights.
Si Lan couldn’t help but admire Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal’s ability to lecture and resolve doubts continuously for six days and six nights without rest, maintaining a smile and energy throughout.
When it was Si Lan’s turn, only he and a young black-robed Buddhist disciple remained.
He flew before Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal. Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal looked at him, his gaze briefly pausing on Si Lan for a moment before settling on his eyes, slowly revealing a hint of a smile.
“I wonder, venerable one, do you have any doubts that I can clarify?” Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal asked.
Knowing that Grandmaster Jiaheng could deduce his identity from his actions, Si Lan didn’t conceal anything and said directly, “Immortal, some time ago I came across a Buddhist scripture. It is said that only you can decipher this particular scripture in the Six Realms.”
“Oh, what scripture is it?”
“In the forest, the Immortal practiced diligently and encountered a tiger, which eyed him hungrily. The Immortal cut his flesh to feed the tiger. This went on day after day until the Immortal turned into white bones, and the tiger, having eaten his flesh, attained Immortalhood.”
Si Lan recited the scripture slowly. As Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal listened to the first sentence, his expression changed abruptly.
After Si Lan finished reciting, Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal seemed to sink into contemplation, furrowing his brow deeply, remaining silent for a long time.
Si Lan also remained silent, patiently waiting for Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal’s response.
After a while, Grandmaster Jiaheng Immortal snapped out of his reverie and asked, “How did you come across this scripture?”
“Some time ago, the human realm was afflicted by Da Yong. After subduing Da Yong, I came to the mountain peak where Da Yong was once sealed. I saw this scripture displayed at the mountain’s base. I believe it was intentionally left behind by the one who released Da Yong as a clue.”
Upon hearing this, Immortal Jakhong gently clasped his hands in front of him, his brow furrowing.
Seeing him like this, Si Lan couldn’t help but feel somewhat puzzled.
Was there something wrong with this sutra?
After a while, Immortal Jakhong opened his mouth, about to speak, when suddenly a voice from beside reported, “Immortal, His Majesty Haowei is here to see you.”
Upon hearing “Haowei,” Si Lan’s tail feathers immediately stood up, revealing a guarded demeanor as he swiftly tucked his wings behind the sacred altar.
Is Haowei here to capture him?
No, he had concealed his presence since arriving in the heavenly realm; Haowei shouldn’t know he was here.
Shortly after the report from the young disciple, twelve celestial horses pulled a carriage flying in from a distance, landing on the sacred altar.
Two purple and cyan celestial generals and six attendants respectfully stood on either side of the carriage.
A white-clad youth drew back the curtains, and the person inside the carriage then stepped out slowly.
Si Lan couldn’t help but sneak a glance, observing Haowei in this unfamiliar aspect, so different from his earthly demeanor.
Haowei wore a white robe embroidered with golden threads and jade patterns, exuding extraordinary grace. A white jade crown adorned his head, revealing his cold and handsome features. His figure was tall and slender, as if he had descended from the moon, his footsteps radiant, dispersing dust and clouds wherever he walked.
Si Lan only glanced briefly before hurriedly looking away.
This version of Haowei seemed somewhat unfamiliar.
Chongying, who transformed into a small white dragon, was proud and adorable, but that was him in his injured state.
Chongwei, wearing a hooded robe, was cool and silent, but that was only him hiding his identity.
And now, this current appearance of his, perhaps, was the true Haowei.
Si Lan suddenly felt a bit uneasy.
The real him and him, it felt like they belonged to two different worlds.
Haowei approached Immortal Jakhong, who folded his hands and greeted, “Your Majesty.”
“Immortal, I’ve come this time to consult you on a Buddhist scripture.”
“Please, Your Majesty, go ahead.”
“I came across a Buddhist scripture on Mount Dayong. It tells of a Immortal practicing in the forest, encountering a tiger that stared hungrily at him. The Immortal cut his flesh to feed it…”
After hearing this, Immortal Jakhong’s expression paused briefly, then his gaze subtly flickered towards the steps beside him.
Si Lan was hiding there at the moment.
What a coincidence that these two came to inquire about the same scripture.
“Your Majesty, this scripture is recorded in the book ‘Without Delusion.’ My understanding aligns with its meaning: the tiger eats the Immortal’s flesh, the tiger becomes a Immortal, and the Immortal becomes a ghost,” Immortal Jakhong slowly explained.
Upon hearing this, Si Lan felt certain that Immortal Jakhong must be hiding something. Just by observing his expression earlier, it was clear that this scripture probably didn’t have such a superficial meaning.
Haowei fell silent for a moment, then spoke after a while, “The tiger mentioned in the scripture… it must be you, Immortal Jakhong.”
While his words carried an element of inquiry, they were more affirming.
Upon hearing this, Si Lan was so shocked that he couldn’t help but cover his mouth with both wings, his black eyes widened in disbelief.
Immortal Jakhong… was the tiger who had eaten the Immortal’s flesh?!
Immortal Jakhong’s face paused slightly at the sound, but he did not speak.
Behind Immortal Jakhong, the young monk grew irritated, but facing the disrespectful person who was the Heavenly Emperor Haowei, the young monk didn’t dare confront him directly. He stomped his foot in frustration, accidentally stepping on Si Lan’s tail.
Si Lan’s eyes widened instantly, contorting in pain. Afraid to make a sound, he quickly stuffed both wings into his mouth to stifle any noise.
The monk seemed oblivious to having stepped on something and inadvertently stepped again.
Si Lan was in agony, almost rolling his eyes back.
What a calamity.
“If you’re angry, little monk, go step on the Heavenly Emperor instead. Why bother with this ordinary ‘wild chicken’?”
He didn’t dare make a fuss, gently retracting his tail. His two glossy black eyes were veiled with a mist of tears, feeling incredibly wronged.
Immortal Jakhong remained silent for a moment. “Your Majesty, indeed, the tiger in the forest was me.”
“Immortal, please continue to enlighten me,” Haowei said calmly upon hearing his admission.
Immortal Jakhong seemed unsure how to explain, lost in reminiscence. His eyes carried a hint of melancholy. After a while, Immortal Jakhong smiled faintly, tinged with bitterness.
“This matter dates back thirty thousand years. In that life, I was the tiger in the forest, starving. I encountered a devout monk in the mountains. The monk was emaciated, with sharp eyes. I circled him, intending to devour him. Surprisingly, after sensing my intention, the monk voluntarily cut his flesh to feed me.”
Saying this, Immortal Jakhong lowered his head, closed his eyes, and uttered, “Amitabha.”
“As recorded in the ‘Without Delusion’ sutra, in the end, the monk died after giving all his flesh and bones. I consumed his flesh and immediately attained Immortalhood.”
Anyone who heard this would find it incredulous: the devout monk who fed the tiger’s flesh became a ghost, while the tiger became a Immortal.
This world indeed had so many things that defied reason.
“What happened to that monk in his next life?”
“He reincarnated as a human.”
“Did he hold any resentment?”
“He may have harbored dissatisfaction, but it didn’t form into resentment, so he still has future lives.”
“What about his next life…” Haowei furrowed his brow, tentatively questioning Immortal Jakhong.
Immortal Jakhong met Haowei’s gaze and slowly replied, “After I attained Immortalhood, I no longer concern myself with worldly matters.”
“Immortal, ancient seals on demons and monsters have been recently broken. Do you think it could be his doing?”
Immortal Jakhong fell silent before answering, “He shouldn’t have such abilities.”
Haowei didn’t press further. He wasn’t sure if Immortal Jakhong truly didn’t know or if he was hiding something. The conversation always seemed to hit a dead end. But now, at least, he knew that the tiger was Immortal Jakhong.
Perhaps finding the reincarnation of that monk could unravel everything.
As Haowei was about to leave, he suddenly heard the voice of a celestial general from behind the sacred altar.
“Your Majesty, look, there’s actually a wild chicken here listening to the sutras!”
Haowei looked up and saw a brown-feathered wild chicken fluttering its wings, attempting to escape, but it was caught by an immortal guard.
The guard held the chicken by its wing and walked excitedly towards Haowei. “Your Majesty, it’s still just a brown-feathered wild chicken!”
The “brown-feathered wild chicken” tried to cover its face with its wing but failed, forced to open its eyes awkwardly under the embarrassing scrutiny of Haowei.
Si Lan had been quietly listening to Haowei and Great Immortal Jiaheng’s conversation, but when he glanced up, his eyes met those of the immortal guard beside Haowei. Feeling uneasy, Si Lan tried to “fly away,” only to be caught.
Haowei couldn’t believe he had found the person he had been looking for so long here. Just a few days ago, he had nearly overturned the mansion of the Fourth Wilderness Immortal Lord in his search for Si Lan, but to no avail.
Yet here Si Lan was, in the Thirty-Three Heavens. Haowei guessed Si Lan, like himself, was here for the investigation regarding Linzhong’s tiger.
At least it wasn’t about the Fourth Wilderness Immortal Lord.
Haowei’s gaze fell on the hand of the immortal guard gripping Si Lan’s wing, his expression souring. He reached out to take Si Lan.
Seeing this, the guard hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, please don’t touch such a common creature. Let me handle it.”
Si Lan hesitated.
Si Lan vaguely sensed that when the guard said “handle it,” his throat moved, almost as if he was about to drool.
Suddenly, Haowei narrowed his eyes and sharply turned his gaze towards the Great Immortal. The guard immediately obediently brought the wild chicken to Haowei.
Haowei reached out to take Si Lan, sensing Si Lan’s intention to escape, and gently encircled him with his hand.
“Great Immortal Jiaheng, I have other matters to attend to today. I bid you farewell for now.”
“Safe travels, Your Majesty.”
Though Great Immortal Jiaheng’s words were directed at Haowei, his gaze was on Si Lan. Seeing Si Lan’s pleading eyes, Great Immortal Jiaheng was about to speak, but Haowei flashed away, leaving the holy altar without even boarding his carriage.
Seeing this, Great Immortal Jiaheng shook his head and smiled.
After Si Lan left, the only disciple left in the holy altar was a black-robed disciple with doubts.
Great Immortal Jiaheng looked at the disciple, who knelt respectfully, head bowed, face hidden.
“What doubts do you have that you need me to clarify?” Great Immortal Jiaheng asked.
“Immortal, trapped in attachment, everywhere is the round earth. Unable to dissolve my attachment, my heart is troubled. How can I achieve peace of mind and face things calmly?” the black-robed disciple said, raising his head. Though dressed as a disciple, his face was strikingly sinister, eyes like deep ocean ripples, with a subtle crimson mark between his eyebrows, devilishly charming.
Great Immortal Jiaheng’s expression changed abruptly upon seeing him.
—
Si Lan was brought back to the Ninth Heaven by Haowei, carrying a wild chicken in his arms. The immortal servants who saw Haowei’s expression were as if thunderstruck, staring dumbfounded and incredulous.
Si Lan silently prepared himself mentally. A few days ago, he had ignored Haowei’s attempts, but now he had no choice but to face him.
It didn’t seem worth it to confront Haowei directly over a snake demon fiancé he barely knew. But treating Haowei as he used to made him uncomfortable.
Though Haowei subjectively hadn’t deceived him, objectively he had killed his husband and taken advantage of his sincere feelings.
Shameless and despicable.
Haowei lifted Si Lan by his wings and placed him on the desk. Only then did Si Lan snap out of his thoughts and glance around. The spacious and dimly lit hall had tightly closed doors and windows, with no one inside, the atmosphere so silent it seemed like even the air had frozen.
His claws rested on the memorial, adopting a stance of neither attacking nor retreating, and he looked up at Haowei.
Unfortunately, he had to tilt his head and neck a hundred and eighty degrees just to meet Haowei’s gaze, as Haowei was over eight feet tall.
“Why couldn’t I contact you a few days ago?”
“Oh, these days I’ve been wholeheartedly immersed in Buddhist scriptures, casting aside all worldly distractions,” Si Lan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of relief at this moment, thankful that his transformed appearance, with feathers covering his face, hid any blush from Haowei when he lied.
Haowei’s tense expression softened slightly as he sat on the throne, lowering his head to look at him.
Perhaps due to their shared experiences in the mortal realm, at this moment, Haowei appeared calm on the surface when facing Si Lan, but his heart was in turmoil.
After his return to his position, he had no memories of his time in the mortal realm, yet unexpectedly, the deepest recesses of his mind retained memories of his time with Si Lan there. That was why he had seen the thatched cottage they once lived in and the two humanoid puppets inside the Extreme Sound Eight Trigram Array.
In that life, when he returned to the village, he couldn’t find Si Lan, and it seemed Si Lan’s spirit had already returned to his original form.
Perhaps that fragment of spirit didn’t carry memories, or perhaps it did but only as a vague dream, as Si Lan seemed to have forgotten it all.
The two of them had since occupied different realms—one ascended to the heavenly realm, the other standing in the demon realm.
For over eight hundred years, they had not seen each other again.
If not for his resurgence of divine wounds, falling into the demon realm again, perhaps they would never have been entangled.
At this moment, Haowei unexpectedly felt a trace of gratitude towards the person who had injured him and disrupted his tribulation.
“Why didn’t you come to find me when you came to the heavenly realm this time?” Last time, he had looked for him when he intruded into the Scripture Repository, but this time he had come quietly.
Si Lan carefully chose his words, “I know you’re busy with state affairs, so I didn’t dare to trouble you.”
“Not too busy.”
Upon hearing this, Haowei’s heart cleared a bit more, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he gently stroked Si Lan’s head.
It had to be said, Si Lan’s feathers were glossy and smooth to the touch.
“The affairs of the heavenly realm have been quiet recently,” Haowei added.
Si Lan opened his mouth but hesitated. It was clear Haowei had been idle, otherwise he wouldn’t be holding onto this “wild chicken” like this. After a moment, he said, “Your Majesty Haowei, I remembered there’s still something for me to handle in the demon realm. I’ll take my leave first.”
With that, he spread his wings, ready to fly away, when he heard Haowei’s unhurried voice from behind.
“Don’t you want to know the follow-up story of Linzhong Hu and the disciple of the Immortal?”
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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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
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