Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Illusion (1)

“Naturally, otherwise, there is no other way,” Qingheng replied indifferently, after a pause, “Lian’er, don’t be afraid, master is here. I won’t let Lian’er suffer any harm.” 

The latter gave a relieved smile, blushed, took Qingheng’s arm and leaned on it, her head resting on Qingheng’s shoulder, just like a picture of a bird leaning on a man. It hurt his eyes. 

Feng Yin seemed to be unable to bear it any longer. He stepped forward with his rather slender legs calmly. He was the first to step into the dark and secluded cave that looked like a huge mouth. When I saw this, I took out a flame stick from my sleeve, blew on it and walked into the cave without any thought.  

Ironic, can’t you keep up? If Feng Yin has three long and two short (unexpected disaster or accident, and is also a euphemism for human death), even if I got out alive, I may not be able to live safely to my old age. The serious crime of pulling Feng Yin down the cliff, decapitating me would not be enough.

The inside of the cave was dark and cold, and the road was very long, as if there was no end. Feng Yin, who was in front of me, tightened his thin coat, which seemed to be cold. I took off my moderately thick coat and put it on him. Feng Yin smiled back at me with gratitude. I was stunned, and then I remembered that Feng Yin seemed to have not smiled at me as usual for a few hours.

A gust of cold wind blew, and I put my hands around my chest, clenching my teeth desperately without trembling.

It’s lucky that my physique was still excellent, it would take me a while to be chilled.  Otherwise, the moment I took off my coat, it would definitely be cold to the bones.

After walking for about an hour, there was a bright light ahead. There was a small round mirror that was as tall as a person, and that light came from the mirror.

Feng Yin stretched out his five fingers and lightly touched the mirror’s surface. The mirror surface glowed with waves of light following his light touch. It was like the surface of water. Feng Yin raised his eyebrows and was full of doubts. “…This is?”

“This is Kunlun’s treasure. His Majesty does not need to be surprised,” Qingheng said, explaining the confusion for the two of us, “As long as you walk out of this spiritual mirror and without being trapped by your inner demons, you will be able to return to the cliff safely.”

“Then what happens if you are trapped by your inner demon?” I said. 

“Don’t be obsessed with greed, you will resolve it yourself, otherwise the consequences will be unpredictable.” Qingheng glanced at me and answered quietly. 

It’s no wonder that he is a National teacher, a worldly expert with such an immortal demeanor, I am in awe at the moment.

When the words fell, he stepped into the round mirror-like thing first, until the hem of the clothes disappeared, Qinglian followed closely. Feng Yin looked at me, I also looked back. I don’t know why, seeing this mirror, I felt uneasy for no reason.  I frowned, and said to Feng Yin, “I hope His Majesty is safe and sound. Don’t be disturbed by your thoughts.”

Feng Yin nodded and smiled back, “Ziqing is the same.”

After a while, the corner of his clothes disappeared into the mirror.

I looked at this spiritual mirror and as if there was a faint fairy sound coming out of it, it bewildered me to step inside. It was this confusing voice that made waves in my heart.  I was restless, and after hesitating for a long time, with the mentality that whether it was good or bad, it was better to give it a shot, I gritted my teeth and stepped into the mirror.

As soon as I entered the mirror, my head was a little drowsy, I forgot everything in my heart, and looked at the children surrounding me in the backyard of the palace. I was puzzled for a moment. 

“Imperial Uncle is in a daze again…” The five-year-old Xiao Feng Yi ( t/n brother of Feng Yin) sighed softly, imitating his elders, and slapped me hard with his short, fat little hands, although it was not much different from being scratched.

I stared back, and the little princes around me were frightened by my stare and ran away, keeping a distance from me, only Feng Yi was not afraid, still standing in front of me and pulling on the corners of my clothes, smiling hilariously. Holding the paper fan, he gently waved his little chubby hand that was pulling at the corner of my clothes, without concealing the irritability in his eyes. 

Tsk, what just occurred to me? Being interrupted like this, I forgot. 

I don’t know when the chubby little hand tugged the corner of my clothes again, and the big round eyes stared straight at the red apricot on the apricot tree behind me, stretched out a finger, and said vaguely with a slightly open mouth. “Imperial Uncle, I want apricots! I want that big red apricot!”

I glanced at the red apricots on the tree, opened the paper fan with a ‘pop’, and replied without thinking, “The apricots are too high, I can’t reach them. Want to eat it, pluck them yourself.” 

Although the apricots on the tree are red, it does not mean that they can be eaten. If they are too sour, Feng Yi will cry and provoke his mother, and the one who will be punished will be myself.

Thinking about this, I don’t want to pay any attention to Feng Yi anymore. I shook the paper fan in my hand and continued to ponder about what I just thought… But what did I just thought of? I can’t remember at all, it’s annoying. 

“Imperial Uncle, I want it, I want it…” Feng Yi, who doesn’t know whether to live or die, tugged at the corner of my clothes and acted coquettishly. Being shaken for some time made me feel a little bored and even more annoyed.

“Little boy go play, If you want to eat apricots, just pick them yourself. Don’t you see I’m thinking big things? Don’t bother me. ” I frowned. 

Not knowing what to say, I turned around and walked into the pavilion. Behind me, I heard Feng Yi’s call of ‘Uncle Huang’, followed by a loud cry. I was so frightened that I hurriedly turned around and covered Feng Yi’s mouth so as not to mess with his mother. Looking at the wet eyes with teardrops and the grievances and flattery in them, I sighed. 

“Forget it, I lost to you, let’s talk about not crying first, and also, even if you eat red apricots, you are not allowed to cry,” Feng Yi nodded in agreement , I then let him go, got up and looked at the red apricot Feng Yi pointed out earlier—it was actually growing on a branch in the middle. My face sank. “It’s too high for me to reach. ” “

Looking at Feng Yi’s big eyes that seemed to be able to cry the next moment, I hurriedly said, “In this way, I will hold you and you will pick it, if you can’t pick that apricot, you can choose another one, okay?”

Feng Yi nodded as if pounding garlic, stretched out his fat little short arms, and happily shouted “Imperial Uncle hold, Imperial Uncle hold”. I resisted knocking on his little head with the paper fan in my hand, and picked him up. Put him down when he’s done plucking.

“Have you picked it now? Don’t eat it yet, take the red apricots into the kitchen and let the cook wash them. Eat them after washing them.” I said.

Feng Yi reluctantly stopped feeding the red apricots into his mouth, and ran to the kitchen with the red apricots in his hand.

I breathed a sigh of relief and finally got rid of this clingy child.

However, the other princes were naturally not reconciled, but they were afraid of me staring at people, so they didn’t dare to go forward, and I was happy to get some peace and quiet.  

Unwilling to recall what I was thinking about before, I really couldn’t think of it. I had no choice. As soon as I turned around, I saw a person picking apricots holding a prince. When the prince was done picking, he put them down. The other princes who disappeared from the inner courtyard must have run to the kitchen with the apricot picked with the help of the person.

Seeing the man turn around, his face was much prettier than that of the girl. I smiled. “Si Ran, I haven’t seen you for two years, you’ve become much prettier.”

“Imperial Uncle is also a lot more beautiful! I haven’t seen you for two years. Whom did Uncle learn from?” Si Ran raised his eyebrows and deliberately accentuated the words “beautiful”.

I pouted and stopped making trouble.

Translator’s Note

The flame stick is ubiquitous in wuxia novels. Called huo zhe zi (火折子 or 火摺子) in Chinese, it’s the olden days equivalent of the cigarette lighter or flashlight, a convenient, portable, easy to use source of quick light and a means to start other fires (such as lighting a lamp)

Kunlun Mountains (located in western China)