Chapter 47
Yide’s face changed suddenly upon hearing this, but he stubbornly held onto Kui’s hand.
“Your Majesty, I…”
“Yide, I do not wish to see such ugliness within Yingzhou again.”
Yide gazed thoughtfully, as if pondering. After a moment, he said, “Your Majesty, I will not imprison Kui again. I will make proper arrangements for Kui immediately.” He still wanted to possess Kui and was unwilling to set him free.
Haowei did not continue to reprimand Yide. Firstly, Yide would ascend in six days, and he did not wish to punish Yide further.
Secondly, the matters between Kui and Yide were for them to reconcile as outsiders; he could not make decisions. Therefore, how to handle Yide’s feelings needed to be decided by Kui himself.
Yide did not ask Haowei how he knew where Kui was being held. Perhaps he guessed he was being followed, or perhaps he simply didn’t care. Right now, his only concern was Kui. He arranged for Kui to stay in a side hall of the mansion, just a wall away from his own sleeping quarters.
In the following two days, Kui appeared unusually calm, like a puppet. He completed each task according to schedule, but otherwise showed no reaction to the outside world.
Yide visited him every night, trying to talk to him, but Kui completely ignored him.
Such disregard and torment finally drove Yide mad on the third day.
Yide held Kui’s face, his eyes flashing with a bloody light, like a wild beast in rage. “Why?”
Si Lan did not intentionally eavesdrop on Yide and Kui’s conversation. Yide treated him like an ordinary “chicken,” not bothering to avoid talking in front of him. He was fluttering his wings by the window when he heard Yide’s suppressed emotional voice.
“You used to like me so much. Why are you treating me like this now just for an animal?”
“Kui, I still remember the scene when I first met you in the mortal realm. Your figure was shrouded in a misty veil, ethereal and unreal. I had never seen such a handsome celestial like you. You said our celestial affinity was profound, and you would take me to Yingzhou, nurturing me carefully. I was scared at the time, and you comforted me, saying you had been looking for me for over a hundred years, promising to treat me well and prioritize me in everything. But now, how can you cut ties with me for such an animal?”
“Kui, look at me!”
Yide grew more and more frantic in his speech, disregarding everything, and kissed Kui’s lips.
Si Lan quickly fluttered his wings, wanting to rush over and cast a spell to push Yide away, but he saw Kui suddenly reach out and embrace Yide. In the next moment, a pained sound escaped from between Yide’s lips.
“Mmm…”
Yide tried to push Kui away, but Kui held on tight. His hands were like vines tightly wrapped around Yide’s neck, his teeth biting Yide’s lip and tongue. Blood flowed from their lips and teeth.
Si Lan stared wide-eyed, floating in mid-air, forgetting to flap his wings.
Yide, unable to break free from Kui, raised his hand to strike Kui, but when he met Kui’s one blue eye and one glaring eye, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Kui continued to bite him as if he didn’t feel any pain.
At this moment, the pain in his heart indeed surpassed everything else.
He had known Kui for more than three hundred years. Kui had brought him back to Yingzhou to cultivate when he was six years old. At that time, he was just a child who was afraid of thunder at night and could only sleep in Kui’s arms. He didn’t like to eat properly and needed someone to feed him. Even when he needed to relieve himself at night, he had to wake Kui up and have Kui carry him to the chamber pot.
All these things formed their simple and warm life together.
Later, after he successfully went through tribulations and regained his position, he remembered his memories as Yide Immortal. Suddenly, Kui’s image in his heart no longer seemed so lofty. It turned out that Kui was just a servant of Yingzhou.
In his life, it was no longer just Kui; there was Yingzhou and also Boling Immortal Sovereign, who was still undergoing tribulations in the mortal realm.
He searched for Boling Immortal Sovereign for a long time but couldn’t find him until recently, when Boling returned after crossing his tribulation. They reunited after several thousand years apart. Boling filled his world instantly, leaving no room for anyone else.
Kui couldn’t accept his change and, on a rainy day, intercepted him to reveal his heart.
In truth, he had already vaguely felt this way—Kui had won his heart. It was only after becoming Yide Immortal Sovereign that he realized his love was for Boling. He told Kui that he only regarded him as a father figure now.
Kui’s eyes at that moment seemed to crack open, inch by inch collapsing. Tears welled in his eyes, slowly trailing down his cheeks in the rain.
It was the first time Kui had cried in front of him.
Kui murmured, “Father… So in this life, I met you three hundred years early to treat you well, only to receive… father?” Kui finished speaking with a bitter smile, his face blurring in the drizzling rain.
Yide realized his words had hurt Kui and wanted to explain, but Kui turned and walked away.
Since then, Kui no longer appeared voluntarily in front of him.
Yet he began to gradually miss the Kui of the past—the one who would stay with him during thunderstorms, make soup for him when he was sick, and tuck him in when he fell asleep…
Only now did he realize that he had once cherished Kui. Sadly, between them now lay mountains and oceans, their relationship irretrievable.
After Kui had bitten enough, he slowly released Yide’s lip.
Yide silently watched him, allowing the blood to drip from his lips.
Suddenly, Kui gave a strange, mocking smile, filled with irony and despair. Yide tried to wipe the blood from Kui’s lip, but Kui bit his finger.
Yide’s brow furrowed in pain, but he said nothing.
They stared at each other, sinking into silence.
Seeing this, Si Lan estimated that Yide would no longer harm Kui and flew out, returning to Haowei’s room.
Haowei still retained a trace of his presence on Si Lan, aware of what Si Lan had seen and done.
Si Lan shook his wings, pacing on the ebony round table with his little claws. Between his brown fur brows, a hint of contemplation and cuteness mixed together.
Haowei smiled faintly, asking, “What did you see?”
Si Lan hesitated, “I didn’t see anything.” Yet he had a feeling something was about to happen; Kui’s unusual calmness was unsettling.
However, Si Lan didn’t know that after he flew away, Kui looked at Yide in the room and slowly spoke, uttering his first words in days.
“Yide, Ah Hu’s soul was torn into pieces and devoured by the Nine Hells demons. But do I still have a chance to see him?”
Yide’s expression instantly changed upon hearing this.
In the room, Haowei reached out to embrace Si Lan, the soft feathers brushing like tiny brushes against his palm, bringing a warm feeling. Haowei comforted, “When soldiers come, the water will cover the earth. Your worries are useless now.”
Si Lan twitched his pointed mouth, his wings fluttering against Haowei’s body. “Have you felt that something’s not quite right with Yingzhou lately?”
“Why do you say that?”
Si Lan thought to himself that perhaps due to Haowei’s spiritual cultivation, he wasn’t as sensitive to things like demonic energies as he was. Despite losing a considerable amount of his cultivation, he still sensed that something was amiss—Yingzhou Island seemed to be subtly changing its course unnoticed.
At the landing point on Yingzhou Island, the direction now indicated by the earth gauge seemed to point towards the “Gate of Ghosts”.
The “Gate of Ghosts” was the gateway to the Nine Hells of the underworld, a place sealed to contain myriad ghosts.
Si Lan didn’t know if this was a coincidence or something more sinister happening. Feeling uneasy, that night, when he saw Haowei meditating deeply, Si Lan quietly flapped his wings and flew out again, intending to check on Kui’s room.
However, just as he landed on the window sill and before he could enter, a large hand suddenly grabbed him from behind by the neck.
In the next instant, everything went black for him, and he was knocked unconscious, his body uncontrollably falling to the ground.
As he collapsed, his eyes caught sight of a pair of black boots.
Si Lan hadn’t expected to be ambushed so silently. When he woke up, he found himself in a dim cave, where the surroundings blurred into countless lines swirling before his eyes like arrows. His head felt heavy and dizzy, making it impossible to stand steadily. He reached for his neck and felt blood from a wing!
He had been bled!
What a strange thing to happen—someone in Yingzhou had recognized his identity?!
He couldn’t use his claws, and only his wings could still exert some force. Using them, he managed to prop himself up, only to discover a formation drawn on the ground, trapping him within.
Just as he was about to contact Haowei with his divine consciousness, a crack suddenly appeared in front of the cave, allowing beams of light to filter through, casting scattered marks on the ground.
A tall figure emerged against the light, emanating a chilling aura as he stepped forward, causing the dust on the ground to seem almost sentient as it automatically dispersed.
Haowei sensed Si Lan’s increasingly heavy aura and, entering the cave, found Si Lan lying within the formation, his brown fur stained with nearly dried bloodstains.
Si Lan saw him arrive and quickly fluttered his wings, standing up involuntarily and emitting a soft cooing sound. However, his head was still spinning badly, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground again, looking weak and pitiful, as if he had suffered severe trauma.
Haowei’s expression darkened instantly upon seeing this. He glanced at the formation and immediately reached through it. His arm was scorched with red marks that quickly swelled like blisters. Unable to wait to unravel the formation, he broke through it with his body, lifting Si Lan up in his arms.
Si Lan had a tuft of feathers plucked from the back of his neck, causing him to lose a considerable amount of blood and further weakening his body, to the point where he could barely speak.
Haowei involuntarily exuded an intense aura, and when Yide Immortal Sovereign and Boling Immortal Sovereign rushed over, they felt a surge of hostility emanating from Haowei, as if carried on icy frost, directly rushing towards them and knocking them to the ground.
“Your Majesty, please forgive us!” Yide and Boling held their injured chests and nodded in apology.
Haowei turned to them, his expression imposing without anger, his voice full of oppression, “The incident on Yingzhou involving Xiaochi, who will take responsibility?”
“Your Majesty, I will find out who harmed Xiaochi as soon as possible,” Yide replied, glancing up at Si Lan in Haowei’s arms.
Haowei’s gaze swept over them, suspicion and intimidation in his eyes. “Xiaochi’s identity must not be revealed. Anyone who knows Xiaochi’s true form, once found, must be immediately captured.”
“Yes,” Yide and Boling said in unison.
Si Lan glanced at them, as if wanting to say something, but then fainted.
Seeing this, Haowei immediately transferred some of his cultivation to Si Lan.
Perhaps due to serious injuries, Si Lan’s soul was unstable. In his unconscious state, he dreamed of strange scenes. These scenes seemed like his wild imagination, yet also like fragmented memories of the past…
He dreamed that he and Haowei had become mortals without magic. When it rained, they could only huddle together in a cave to keep warm. He dreamed of Haowei building a house at the foot of the mountain, Haowei and several men laying bricks for the foundation, while he secretly watched from halfway up the mountain. Because Haowei forbade him from going down the mountain and from others seeing him.
He also dreamed of Haowei kissing him, pressing him down on the bed, his eyes reddening with tears falling…
The final scene was Haowei leaving.
“Xiaochi, wait for me here until I come back to take you.”
Si Lan murmured in his daze, Xiaochi… Xiaochi… Why was he called Xiaochi again?
Could it be that he really was Xiaochi?
*Cough…*
Si Lan suddenly coughed and woke up from his sleep. He raised his head to see the fair chin of Haowei. Gradually focusing his vision, he finally saw Haowei’s face.
Haowei had his eyes closed at the moment, his head lowered, showing a hint of weariness. Si Lan was carefully cradled in his arms. As Si Lan struggled to spread his wings, Haowei opened his eyes, frowning at him, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m having trouble catching my breath.” Si Lan folded his wings and scratched his neck. Perhaps the person had been too heavy-handed; his neck still hurt.
Upon hearing this, Haowei reached out and gently massaged his neck with spiritual power soothing his body.
Feeling much more comfortable, Si Lan couldn’t help but relax his brows and asked, “Who captured me?”
“It was Kui.”
“Ah?” He looked at Haowei in surprise.
Haowei explained, “Kui captured you to obtain your blood to restore his appearance. He’s currently imprisoned by Yide in the dungeon.”
Si Lan’s mouth twitched as he sensed something amiss, “It’s not Kui. Take me to the dungeon immediately!”
Haowei also felt it wasn’t Kui, but upon seeing Kui’s sudden recovery and detecting Si Lan’s blood scent on him, he concluded it was Kui’s doing. Without further questioning Si Lan’s words, he immediately led him towards the dungeon.
However, as soon as they stepped out of the palace gates, they witnessed an anomaly in the sky. Far in the distance, a rift had torn open the sky, with clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds on either side, a serene scene. Yet within the rift surged dark, billowing mists resembling waves, each carrying the visage of countless malevolent spirits. These spirits, as if driven mad by some omen, were rushing towards Yingzhou.
Their target was precisely the dungeon where Kui was held.
Just as Haowei moved towards the dungeon, in an instant, an octagonal golden lamp emitting silver light grew larger, seeming to rise from the very heart of Yingzhou Island, surrounded by an eerie silver glow that formed an ethereal and elusive presence, enveloping the entire island.
The malevolent spirits rushed towards the lamp like moths to a flame, but upon contact with its light, they dissipated as if swallowed whole.
Si Lan and Haowei witnessed this scene and exclaimed in unison, “Xuyu Lamp!”
The Xuyu Lamp was a lantern that guided and controlled spirits, capable of both commanding and eliminating them. Created by Fanyu, it had not been seen since his passing, yet here it was unexpectedly hidden within Yingzhou Island.
The screams and cries of terror from the malevolent spirits filled the air, despite their past deeds of evil, now facing imminent dispersal, they shrieked in fear and despair.
The entire sky above Yingzhou Island was shrouded in the sound of malevolent spirits.
Meanwhile, Kui, who had been trapped in the dungeon and now deceased, had transformed into a vengeful spirit floating in mid-air. As the one who had guided the Xuyu Lamp to activation, unlike the other malevolent spirits uncontrollably devoured by the lamp, his lower half shrouded in black mist, faintly visible, his severely scarred right side of the face restored. His hair was gathered neatly behind him, revealing his whole face.
His blue left eye stood out conspicuously on his handsome yet eerie countenance, both eyes unmoving, staring coldly ahead at the Xuyu Lamp, witnessing the scenes of countless vengeful spirits being dispersed.
These vengeful spirits had devoured Ahu’s three souls and seven spirits.
The Xuyu Lamp could exact retribution from these vengeful spirits and gather Ahu’s fragmented soul.
As long as even a tiny fragment could be recovered, Ahu could be brought back to life!
Yide and Boling also sensed something amiss and emerged from their chambers, their faces filled with shock upon witnessing the scene.
Yide gently flicked his finger, calculating something, the color draining from his face as he realized the implications.
“Kui has somehow merged the Xuyu Lamp with Yingzhou Island. If we attempt to stop the lamp from consuming the malevolent spirits, it could destroy Yingzhou Island,” Yide said, his face devoid of color, looking helplessly at Haowei.
The Xuyu Lamp had a gate; opening it was easy, but closing it was extremely difficult, requiring the destruction of the formations on its gate. Kui had merged the Xuyu Lamp with Yingzhou Island, aligning the gate towards the Ghost Gate of Jiuyou, plotting this under the guise of calmness over the past few days.
These malevolent ghosts, though committing numerous evils, are bound by their own rules. Punishing them falls within the jurisdiction of the underworld. Kui’s actions have clearly violated the natural order of the Six Realms.
Si Lan glanced at Hao Wei, who was lost in thought, staring at the Everlasting Lamp in silence.
He sensed a trace of sinister aura on the lamp, identical to the one that disrupted his tribulation back then, causing his thoughts to swirl uncontrollably.
Jiu Ying, Da Yong, Kui — all of them had traces of that person behind them.
Now that person coincidentally appeared on Yingzhou Island, overlapping with Yu Wuxia’s traces. Could it be… that person is related to Yu Wuxia?
Or perhaps, he is Yu Wuxia himself?
Seeing Hao Wei’s unusual expression, Si Lan couldn’t help but inquire through his spiritual awareness, “What’s wrong?”
Hao Wei collected his thoughts and replied, “When I crossed the God-Emperor’s tribulation, someone interfered, leaving behind spiritual injuries. This causes periodic disturbances in my internal energy, leading to moments of confusion and even transforming into a childlike state. The trace of sinister aura left by the one who disrupted my tribulation matches exactly with what lingers on the Everlasting Lamp.”
This was the first time Si Lan had heard Hao Wei explain the reason for his childlike episodes. The last time he asked, Hao Wei had brushed it off, unwilling to reveal the truth, probably fearing that as the Demon Sovereign, Si Lan might exploit this knowledge against him.
Why reveal the truth now?
Wasn’t he afraid of what Si Lan might do?
Suppressing his doubts, Si Lan asked, “Could that person be Yu Wuxia?”
“We’ll need to see Yu Wuxia to confirm.”
As they conversed, the Everlasting Lamp continued to devour numerous ferocious ghosts.
Si Lan furrowed his brows. “Why did Kui ignite the Everlasting Lamp?”
“Perhaps it’s because Ah Hu was devoured by countless ghosts. He seeks vengeance for Ah Hu.”
Si Lan hesitated. “Is it a crime to indiscriminately slaughter evil spirits?”
“Though these spirits were once evil men, they still fall under the jurisdiction of the Judgement Platform. Kui’s actions defy the rules of the Six Paths. I fear… there may be dire consequences.”
Si Lan spread his wings and looked up at Hao Wei.
Ultimately, the outcome of “dire consequences” would depend on Hao Wei’s decision, wouldn’t it?
Yet Si Lan knew Hao Wei wasn’t someone who would pervert justice. “Once the Everlasting Lamp is lit, how can it be extinguished?”
Hao Wei explained, “Kui must have anticipated that we would try to stop him from extinguishing the Everlasting Lamp. So, he merged the formation of the Everlasting Lamp’s gateway with Yingzhou Island. Only by destroying Yingzhou Island can we close the Everlasting Lamp.”
With thousands of residents on Yingzhou Island, sacrificing them to save evil spirits was out of the question.
They were truly caught in a dilemma.
“Is destroying the formation the only way?” Si Lan asked.
“Yes, the Everlasting Lamp was created for Van Yu, controlled solely by him. To stop the Everlasting Lamp, outsiders must directly destroy the formation of the Everlasting Lamp’s gateway.”
Upon hearing this, Si Lan couldn’t help but furrow his brow.
How did such a sinister object like the Everlasting Lamp end up in Kui’s hands?
Although Kui was born from a drop of Van Yu’s blood, it had been a hundred thousand years; Kui couldn’t possibly possess the Everlasting Lamp anymore.
And the person who took his blood wasn’t Kui. Then how did Kui regain his appearance?
Forget it, stopping the Everlasting Lamp from devouring thousands of ghosts was the top priority now.
Suppressing his chaotic thoughts, Si Lan was about to rush towards Kui when Hao Wei grabbed his wing and with a spell, transformed him into a chick-like appearance and tucked him into his pocket.
“Don’t be arrogant. Leave it to me.”
Arrogant…
Si Lan’s mouth twitched. He used to say he was bold, and now he’s calling him arrogant.
Tsk tsk, it’s as if he knows him so well. Unable to resist, Si Lan retorted, “Whether I’m arrogant or not, how would you know?”
Hao Wei paused in his attack on Kui, the sword in his hand almost slipping, as he glanced down at Si Lan, saying as he manipulated countless sword shadows, “Apart from me, who else would understand you so well?”
With that, the sword shadows merged into a pagoda-like form and directly pressed down on Kui.
Kui’s sleeves fluttered, a hint of deep blue flashed in his eyes, and the murderous intent in his hand turned into blue light, striking at the illusion of the pagoda. The illusion shattered instantly, but soon the sword shadows reformed into various-sized pagodas, surrounding Kui.
Si Lan angrily questioned, “How do you understand me?”
“Naturally, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.” Hao Wei controlled the illusion of the sword, suddenly connecting countless small pagodas into one giant pagoda, sealing Kui inside.
Seeing this, Kui attacked the pagoda frantically, but each strike rebounded upon himself, causing him harm. Yet Kui didn’t give up, repeatedly slashing with his sword, trying to break open the pagoda.
In his own view, he was imprisoned by the pagoda, but to onlookers, the pagoda was an intangible force, trapping him in place, seemingly attacking the air aimlessly.
“Let me out! I don’t want to hurt anyone, I just want to avenge Ah Hu!”
Si Lan was still dwelling on how Hao Wei had personally witnessed this incident, intending to refute him, but found it true that he had indeed seen it himself. That time in the Extreme Sound Eight Trigram Formation, when he was bathing, the little white dragon clung to his thigh…
Si Lan’s expression turned slightly embarrassed, and he pursed his lips, saying, “Well, it goes both ways.”
“…,” Hao Wei.
Yide and Boling flew to the side of the two. They had thought they were discussing strategy while fighting, but they heard words like understanding and going both ways as they approached. Both of them felt strange.
“Your Majesty.”
Hao Wei glanced at the two of them coldly, his gaze indifferent, and then turned his attention back to Kui within the formation.
Seeing that he couldn’t break free, Kui’s face twisted into a ferocious expression. Strange blue patterns spread from his left eye, quickly covering half of his face. The patterns faintly emitted a gloomy light. This blue eye not only inherited Van Yu’s appearance but also some of Van Yu’s cultivation.
“These evil ghosts deserved to die anyway. What’s wrong with me killing them?”
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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If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
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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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