Chapter 36
Si Lan looked up at Hao Wei. As if reading each other’s minds, Hao Wei continued, “There’s indeed something peculiar about this matter.”
“Should we head to Mount Dayong later?”
“Mm.”
But before going to Mount Dayong, they needed to seal Dayong first.
Si Lan cast the Broken Corpse Technique, sealing the strand of obsession with Dayong’s essence together, then buried them underground along with the Altar of Conversion that sealed Dayong’s demonic core.
Suddenly, the flat ground rose swiftly under the influence of the formation, forming a new Mount Dayong.
All things return to dust, earth to earth.
The sun had risen unnoticed in the sky, and a beam of golden light filtered through the leaves, gently falling upon everyone.
Peace and beauty had returned to this world once more.
In a corner, the obsession of Tao Yuan gradually faded. He and Pei Jia walked up to Si Lan, bowing in gratitude.
“Divine Doctor Si, thank you. Without you, Yu Jin might have made a grave mistake.”
Pei Yu heard this and smiled awkwardly, his gaze shifting to Tao Yuan with tender sincerity. Though the person beside him was merely a trace of ephemeral obsession, he continued to hold onto his elbow.
Si Lan watched this pair of devoted lovers with mixed feelings. They hadn’t been able to be together in life, but now they could accompany each other even in death.
In the next life, let them continue their marriage.
He conjured ink and paper out of thin air, wrote a message, and handed it to Pei Yu. “Pei Yu, deliver this note to the Underworld King Xue Rong. He owes me a favor and should help arrange for you and Tao Yuan to be together in the next life.”
Upon hearing this, Tao Yuan and Pei Yu’s faces lit up with joy once again as they bowed in thanks to Si Lan.
Afterward, Tao Yuan’s obsession gradually dissipated, and Pei Yu’s soul left his physical body, following the guide of the Underworld to depart.
Having completed everything, Si Lan sighed softly.
He turned around to bid everyone farewell, but noticed Xiao Xie squatting at the foot of the mountain, murmuring to himself towards Dayong, “Hey, even transparent obsessions have mothers. Why don’t I have anything? Can’t there be a big jade pendant spirit giving birth to a little jade pendant spirit?”
Si Lan paused at the sound, his expression freezing for a moment.
His two young disciples, like him, had thin ties with their parents. Si Lan was slightly luckier, having grown up under his mother’s care, though his relationship with his father, while not close, existed.
His two young disciples, however, had never seen their parents, not even knowing who they were. Although they hadn’t shown any longing or curiosity for their parents, perhaps deep down, they envied children from other families who had parental companionship.
Xie Li took out a candy from his pocket and buried it in the soil. “Your mother gave me a candy, so I’m giving you one too.”
Si Lan walked up to Xie Li, embodying the saying ‘a day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father.’
He was indeed like a father figure to Xie Li now. Thinking this, he extended a hand with a gentle smile, intending to pat Xie Li’s head, but heard Xie Li mutter something after burying the candy.
“It’s not that I’m stingy, giving you only one candy. Our lord is just too frugal, only giving me a little each time. Otherwise, I would bury more candies for you.”
Si Lan’s hand paused in midair, his fatherly smile freezing. Perhaps more important than paternal affection was making Xie Li feel his father’s authority.
He lightly tapped Xie Li’s head and said with a serious tone, “Always eating candies, haven’t you noticed another cavity in your tooth?”
“Ah…” Xie Li panicked, quickly covering his cheek and using his tongue to feel around his teeth, searching for the cavity. When he couldn’t find it, he looked up with his delicate brows furrowed, speaking softly, “Lord, you tricked me. I only have one cavity.”
Si Lan chuckled helplessly, straightening Xie Li’s collar and brushing off the dust from his clothes, unable to resist pinching his tender cheek.
So adorable.
To think that from the eccentric and mad Bianduan and Jiuying, they could produce such a cute little thing.
It seemed genetic traits could mutate.
Haowei’s cold voice interrupted their interaction. “Are we still going to Dayong Mountain?”
“We are.” Si Lan let go of Xie Li. “But before that, I intend to visit an old friend.”
At Haowei’s question, he raised an eyebrow, curious how Si Lan still had old friends in the mortal realm.
Si Lan smiled awkwardly. “It’s an old friend from the fourth era.”
He wondered how Lanlan was doing after the mortal calamity. When he was near the general’s mansion earlier, he sensed Lanlan’s presence nearby and now planned to visit her.
“Chongwei, will you come with me or go to Dayong Mountain first?” Si Lan hesitated, polite not to waste Chongwei’s time nor to leave him behind abruptly.
Haowei pursed his lips, silent for a moment before saying, “Time is precious. You go ahead.”
Si Lan’s lips curved slightly. “Okay.”
Song Cheng and Song Er also joined them for the journey.
—
After the curse of Dayong was lifted, the world almost instantly fell into a deep slumber, serene and quiet, devoid of any sound.
In a small alley, several stray dogs lay sleeping lazily at the door, while wild cats made their home on the fence. Such peaceful times were almost unprecedented.
Si Lan walked to the deepest part of the alley, where a house stood. Clusters of golden honeysuckles peeked over the fence, swaying gently.
Lanlan of the third era was originally the honeysuckle flower demon.
Back then, to please Lanlan, he had planted honeysuckles all over Zhuyun Peak.
Si Lan pushed open the fence gate. The others stayed outside, giving him and Lanlan space to catch up.
The courtyard was neat and tidy, with a few aquatic plants in a water basin. Several windows were patched, revealing faint glimpses of the interior.
The house looked ordinary, even somewhat poor, yet exuded a strangely cozy atmosphere.
From inside the room came Lanlan’s tired voice, “Who’s there? How dare you come in without knocking…”
Si Lan paused at her words, tapping the fence gate. “It’s me.”
Instantly, the room fell into silence, then footsteps sounded. Lanlan, likely due to fatigue, held onto the door handle, barely keeping her eyes open.
“Is it really you… Si Lan…” After clearly seeing Si Lan’s face, Lanlan tried to smile, but with her dark circles, it looked more frightening than tearful.
Si Lan quickly cast a spell to stabilize her.
Not knowing what was coming back to her, she covered her eyes and said breathlessly, “Am I hallucinating from exhaustion?”
“It’s really me.”
“Are you… are you here to ask me to marry you again? Let me tell you, I won’t be bewitched by you again in this life.” After speaking, Lanlan seemed unsure and turned her back to Si Lan.
In the previous three lives, she had married Si Lan out of greed for his body.
This life, before reincarnating, she had placed something for the underworld, guiding others, to retain her memories and avoid the fate of being struck by lightning in the fourth life.
She also found her true love from the first life, who had died early, married him again, and had a daughter, living a good life.
Seeing Lanlan’s defensive posture, Si Lan felt a slight pang in his heart; she was so reluctant to accept him.
But he always felt guilty towards Lanlan, so he said, “I came here just to make sure you’re alright. Since you’re fine, I’ll leave now.”
“Wait…” Lanlan called out to Si Lan, hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “After recovering my memories from the third lifetime, I realized something about our first lifetime. I lied to you. Actually, the person who truly saved you back then wasn’t me, but someone else.”
This lifetime, Lanlan suddenly understood why every time she married Si Lan, calamity struck. It was because she had seized a marriage that didn’t belong to her and incurred divine punishment.
Originally, she didn’t dare face her own mistakes, always trying to cover them up. But after having a child, she wanted to pray for their well-being, so she decided to confess everything.
Si Lan froze upon hearing this. Wasn’t it Lanlan who saved him?
Back then, he was lured into the Soul Devouring Array by Lord Chushan, severely injured, with his three souls and seven spirits nearly shattered, almost unable to maintain his human form.
He couldn’t reveal his true form in front of Lord Chu Shan, so he endured the pain and escaped the formation, fleeing all the way to the human realm. Unable to hold on any longer, he finally revealed his chicken form and fell into a lake.
When he woke up again, he found himself lying on Lan Lan’s chopping board.
Due to his severe injuries, after transforming back into human form, he fell unconscious again and remained so for over three months before waking up.
Later, as his cultivation gradually recovered, he felt grateful to Lan Lan and allowed Lan Lan to make a request, leading to the entanglements of their three lives.
“It wasn’t you who picked me up from the lake, then who was it?”
That was a long time ago, and Lan Lan couldn’t quite remember clearly. “It was a man. He was carrying you, all wet, from the lake shore. I thought you were our chicken, so I told that man you belonged to our family. He stayed silent for a moment and then gave you to me.”
“… Si Lan.”
He hadn’t expected that besides Lan Lan, someone else had saved him. If that person hadn’t pulled him out of the lake, he would have died long ago.
But now, after several hundred years, he wanted to repay the kindness, yet he couldn’t find the person anymore.
Although that person might have picked him up from the lake initially to eat him, objectively speaking, it was because of him that he didn’t drown.
“Do you remember what that person looked like? What was his name?”
“He was quite handsome, but he wasn’t from our village. I heard he stayed briefly in the village to seek refuge or something. His name was… Chong… Chong Ying, I think.”
Si Lan was thunderstruck, finding it hard to believe. “What? Chong Ying?”
“Yeah, Chong Ying.” Lan Lan muttered sleepily, “That’s all I know. I’m going to sleep now.”
Si Lan stood there, his expression shifting from shock to bewilderment, slowly digesting Lan Lan’s words.
Was the Chong Ying from Lan Lan’s memory the same person as the Chong Ying beside him now?
Or was it just a coincidence?
Had they met hundreds of years ago?
Countless thoughts rushed into his mind, leaving him confused and disoriented, feeling like his mind had been knocked senseless.
How could this be?
—
Outside the fence, Hao Wei stood tall and imposing in black attire. His black veil fluttered in the wind, partially concealing his face. Though his features were indistinct, his remarkable temperament still shone through, uniquely charismatic and peerlessly handsome.
He remained silent, while Qu Ze and the Song brothers were also taciturn. Only Xie Li kept murmuring non-stop.
Xie Li was quite talkative, holding Qu Ze’s hand, acting coquettishly for a while before turning to pester Song Cheng. Song Cheng gently stroked Xie Li’s forehead. Song Ye, on the other hand, had a pale face, clutching his fists and showing little interest in Xie Li’s antics.
Xie Li timidly approached Haowei.
Haowei looked down at Xie Li, this little jade pendant, barely reaching his thigh, looking soft and delicate like a fair-skinned zongzi.
Boldly, Xie Li tugged at Haowei’s clothes, gesturing for him to lean down.
Haowei frowned slightly, bending down to hear what this little jade pendant wanted to say.
“Actually, I know your identity…” Xie Li blinked innocently, grinning.
Haowei froze at the revelation, lifting his eyebrows in a stern gaze.
What did this little jade pendant mean?
Could he have figured out his true identity as the Heavenly Emperor?
With his current cultivation level, how could that be possible?
Xie Li tiptoed and added, “You’re the little white dragon, aren’t you?”
“…” Haowei.
Haowei breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Thankfully, this little jade pendant hadn’t realized his true identity.
“Why do you say that?” Haowei didn’t deny or confirm Xie Li’s statement, lowering his voice to ask.
Xie Li grinned mischievously, “Because you have a faint smell of wine on you, just like the wine from His Majesty’s cellar. It’s the same as the smell on the little white dragon.”
“…” Haowei.
Haowei’s expression cracked bit by bit. A smell of wine…
How come he hadn’t noticed any wine smell on himself?
Could it be that after being soaked in the wine cellar, he couldn’t smell it himself, but others could when they approached?
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell His Majesty. I don’t think you’re a bad person,” Xie Li said earnestly. Despite the stern demeanor of the man before him, Xie Li felt a fondness for him, knowing he was destined to be the Demon King of the future demon realm.
At this moment, Haowei couldn’t find words. His brow furrowed deeply. He hadn’t expected to make such a foolish mistake.
Even a little jade spirit that looked about five or six years old could smell the wine on him and associate him with the Little White Dragon. Then what about Si Lan?
During this time, they had been together constantly, even having physical contact…
The more Haowei thought, the more embarrassed he felt, like realizing he had forgotten to wear clothes when he thought he was dressed beautifully for an outing.
He was completely exposed.
Now he had a feeling of being played for a fool. He recalled when they fell down the slope earlier, his veil suddenly tearing open. Si Lan immediately closed his eyes and reminded him to secure his veil.
Now he realized, perhaps this person wasn’t being careless or easily deceived at all. Instead, he simply didn’t care.
This indifference stemmed from already knowing everything, seeing through everything.
He had been pretending to be clueless and foolish, playing along with him.
Could it be… from his cultivation, demeanor, and actions, Si Lan had already guessed that he was the Heavenly Emperor, Haowei himself?!
Thinking this, Haowei’s mood fluctuated. With a stern gaze, he looked towards the fence.
Si Lan didn’t know what he had said to the woman. When he pushed open the door and came out, his expression was somewhat dazed. Subconsciously, he looked towards Haowei’s direction.
Could it be that after being soaked in the wine cellar, he couldn’t smell it himself, but others could when they approached?
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell His Majesty. I don’t think you’re a bad person,” Xie Li said earnestly. Despite the stern demeanor of the man before him, Xie Li felt a fondness for him, knowing he was destined to be the Demon King of the future demon realm.
At this moment, Haowei couldn’t find words. His brow furrowed deeply. He hadn’t expected to make such a foolish mistake.
Even a little jade spirit that looked about five or six years old could smell the wine on him and associate him with the Little White Dragon. Then what about Si Lan?
During this time, they had been together constantly, even having physical contact…
The more Haowei thought, the more embarrassed he felt, like realizing he had forgotten to wear clothes when he thought he was dressed beautifully for an outing.
He was completely exposed.
Now he had a feeling of being played for a fool. He recalled when they fell down the slope earlier, his veil suddenly tearing open. Si Lan immediately closed his eyes and reminded him to secure his veil.
Now he realized, perhaps this person wasn’t being careless or easily deceived at all. Instead, he simply didn’t care.
This indifference stemmed from already knowing everything, seeing through everything.
He had been pretending to be clueless and foolish, playing along with him.
Could it be… from his cultivation, demeanor, and actions, Si Lan had already guessed that he was the Heavenly Emperor, Haowei himself?!
Thinking this, Haowei’s mood fluctuated. With a stern gaze, he looked towards the fence.
Si Lan didn’t know what he had said to the woman. When he pushed open the door and came out, his expression was somewhat dazed. Subconsciously, he looked towards Haowei’s direction.
Their eyes met through a thin veil.
Each harbored their own thoughts.
Xie Li rushed to Si Lan’s side, curious. “Your Majesty, what did you talk about?”
Si Lan withdrew his gaze, poking Xie Li’s forehead. “It’s none of your business, little child.”
“Well, I’m not that young anymore. I’m already 72 years old,” Xie Li muttered.
Si Lan sighed and cast a spell to summon a cloud, carrying them towards Mount Dayong.
Perhaps still immersed in the shock Lan Lan had brought him, Si Lan didn’t know what to say to Haowei. He chatted with the Song brothers instead, asking about their detailed encounter on Mount Dayong.
Song Ye remained silent. Song Cheng glanced at him and calmly continued, “That day, I chased Song Ye to Mount Dayong. We ended up on the summit, and during our fight, we split the mountain peak. At that moment, a black demonic energy spread out. We realized it might have been Dayong, so we chased after it all the way into the human realm.”
Si Lan asked, “Did you notice any other anomalies nearby at that time?”
Song Cheng gently shook his head. His attention had been captivated by the playful Song Ye, so he hadn’t noticed the surroundings.
Song Ye added, “After Dayong emerged, it headed straight for the human realm and made a pact with General Pei. The process went unusually smoothly. I suspect the seal might have been undone long ago, but Dayong had been dormant for a hundred thousand years. Just undoing the seal wouldn’t have been enough to awaken it completely. To fully awaken Dayong, a strong resentment would be needed as a catalyst.”
Si Lan nodded, agreeing with this speculation.
As they conversed, they quietly arrived at Mount Dayong. The mountaintop had been split in half, forming a giant basin-shaped depression. It resembled an enlarged version of the Altar of Conversion.
The base of the altar was engraved with runes, densely packed. Perhaps residual effects of the formation were still present, keeping insects, birds, and animals away.
Haowei watched the runes on the Altar of Conversion, reaching out to touch them. In the next moment, the densely packed characters began to shimmer with a golden halo, floating in mid-air.
“Wow, Your Majesty, those words are moving!” Xie Li exclaimed in surprise, tugging at Si Lan’s sleeve.
Si Lan looked up at the characters with a solemn expression. The others also gazed intently at the sky.
The characters seemed to come alive, automatically forming a passage from a Buddhist scripture.
“In the forest, a disciple of the Buddha encountered a hungry tiger. The disciple cut flesh from his body to feed the tiger. This continued day after day until the disciple turned into white bones, while the tiger, having eaten the flesh, attained enlightenment.”
Was this small story from the Innocent Buddha Sutra hinting at something for the person who unlocked the curse?
What secrets lay hidden within?
Si Lan couldn’t fathom it despite reading the passage. He turned his gaze to Haowei standing opposite him. Just then, the scripture dissolved like sparks, scattering into tiny starlights floating between them.
Si Lan’s black eyes seemed to flicker with a faint light, his face as serene as jade, his gaze gentle.
Haowei glanced at Si Lan and then averted his gaze.
Si Lan also looked away, deciding he needed to find a reliable Buddhist practitioner to ask. Otherwise, as an outsider, he would never understand it.
He cast his spell upon the mountaintop and looked around.
This location marked the border between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm. Near the human side, the sky was calm with no clouds for miles, while near the demon side, dark clouds billowed and lightning crackled.
If he remembered correctly, the last place the Nine Infants were sealed was at the border between the Human Realm and the Celestial Realm.
Was all of this coincidence or had it been planned?
Deep in thought, Si Lan suddenly heard Haowei’s voice behind him, who had also cast a spell and followed him.
Haowei had been waiting for Si Lan to ask if he had found anything. Normally, when Si Lan was distracted, he would inquire. Today, however, after waiting for a long time without Si Lan asking anything, Haowei decided to come over himself.
Haowei: “Have you found any clues?”
Si Lan was startled by Haowei’s sudden voice and felt somewhat embarrassed and awkward. He turned around with a sheepish smile, “Um, nothing.”
Since realizing there might be a connection between them, Si Lan felt uncertain and couldn’t act as carefree and jokingly as before.
After a pause, Si Lan added, “What about you?”
Haowei shook his head. He hadn’t found anything suspicious either. The person deliberately left a scripture for them to see, perhaps to give them a clue since he feared they might find nothing.
It was clear the other party was confident, even arrogant.
Si Lan: “I suspect the person is the same one who unsealed the Nine Infants.”
“Mm.”
Both the demon and the monster bore the same black aura from that person. He had deliberately released them, but Haowei wondered why this person had gone to such lengths.
Haowei vaguely felt this conspiracy wasn’t simple and could potentially lead to a catastrophe across the entire Six Realms.
Si Lan furrowed his brow, thinking about a direct search. If they couldn’t find anything, they might as well try a more straightforward approach.
“I think we should list people capable of unsealing the Nine Infants and the Great Abyss according to their cultivation levels, then eliminate suspects one by one. I’ll handle the Demon Realm, you take care of the other five realms.”
After speaking, Haowei’s aura suddenly froze.
Si Lan also stiffened, realizing he had slipped up.
The air between them seemed to solidify instantly. Around them, there was an eerie silence, broken only by their awkward breathing, which seemed to echo in each other’s ears.
After a moment of silence, Haowei asked, “When did you figure it out?”
Si Lan lightly tapped his forehead, looking helpless. When he turned around, he reverted to his gentle and calm demeanor. “Um, I smelled the scent of alcohol on you and the young… uh, the young prince near General Pei’s mansion gate. That’s when I vaguely guessed your identity.”
In fact, he had discovered Haowei’s identity not only from the lingering smell of alcohol but also from other factors. He just didn’t intend to tell Haowei yet.
At this point, Haowei had no reason to conceal it either and his voice turned colder, “Oh, did you find out anything else?”
Si Lan pursed his lips. He couldn’t see the face hidden under Haowei’s veil, but he could feel the other’s subdued aura, indicating displeasure.
He hesitated, considering whether to feign ignorance and pretend he only knew this much. But in the next moment, he saw Haowei remove his veil, revealing a fair and handsome face.
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!
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!
Leave a Reply