CH 36

The scarlet haze that filled Qin Ruwang’s eyes made him immediately forget to pretend to be indifferent. He moved forward and pushed the palace servants out of the way, gathering Ji Ning into his arms. Blood dripped onto the back of his hand. It was so light he could barely feel it but it caused an agonising pain in his chest.

He reached out and wiped the blood from Ji Ning’s lips with his fingertips. His face was frighteningly cold as he asked the palace servants, “What’s wrong with the God son? How have you been serving him?” 

The palace servants trembled, bowing their heads and not daring to answer him. Ji Ning leaned against his shoulder, breathing shallowly. After taking the medicines, his condition improved slightly and he said, “Don’t blame them, they have always served me attentively.”

“Attentively? If they were attentive, would you look like this?!”

Qin Ruwang was filled with anger as he spat out those words. He wanted to scold Ji Ning, but seeing his weakened state his anger disappeared, replaced with grief. He had nothing left to say, so he picked up Ji Ning and carried him out of the room.

Ji Ning curled up meekly in his arms. Qin Ruwang was shocked by how light the boy was, his slender wrists and waist felt so fragile, he worried he might break them. 

Although Qin Ruwang was angry, when he felt how weak the God son’s body was, couldn’t help pitying him. He made his movements more and more careful as he carried Ji Ning back to his room, settled him gently on the bed, and sat on the bed’s edge, watching his face.

After a while, he muttered to Ji Ning.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Ji Ning shook his head and smiled slightly. Without answering, he reached out and held Qin Ruwang’s hand with ice cold fingers, his voice very soft.

“Would you keep me company?”

“…”

Qin Ruwang looked at him for a long time, a range of emotions swirling inside his eyes. Finally he took off his shoes, gently moved onto the bed and lay down next to Ji Ning.

Ji Ning took the initiative to lean into him, wrapping his thin arms around Qin Ruwang’s waist. He closed his eyes peacefully and murmured with a faint smile. 

“You’ve grown up.”

Time had passed and it had been over eight years since the two of them first met. The skinny little boy of the past had grown into a handsome young man, yet time had not left any traces on Ji Ning. He still looked exactly the same as he did that day.

But this false immortality had been paid for with the rest of his life.

Qin Ruwang hugged Ji Ning’s back, his fingers shaking slightly. Once Ji Ning had fallen into a deep sleep, he listened closely to his steady breathing. He didn’t sleep all night. 

A few days later, he met privately with the Liu family and declined their proposal of marriage to their third daughter.

“I only wish to use this body to serve the God son.” He replied.

The Liu family head had been rejected by Qin Ruwang. He naturally didn’t believe the ninth prince’s reasoning and felt insulted by his refusal. The Liu family had always intended to support a prince but the other princes of the dynasty were either too young, had died prematurely, or were extremely mediocre and unable to compete for the throne. Only the first prince and Qin Ruwang were viable options.

But the Liu family head was still reluctant to support the first prince, so chose to simply observe for the time being. As time passed, he was surprised to see that Qin Ruwang was genuine when he said he wanted to serve the God son. It wasn’t an excuse to shirk the engagement as he had really moved back into the palace of the Gods to live alongside the God son. 

Only then did the Liu family dispel their doubts and resume their cooperation with Qin Ruwang. At the same time, they were uneasy about the strong relationship between Qin Ruwang and the God son. They worried his connection with the Wushen Kingdom would affect the balance between the two parties in the future.

The Liu clan sided with Qin Ruwang, which led to a large number of associated aristocratic families to join him as well. The power of the ninth prince’s faction grew larger, frightening the first prince’s faction. Disagreements between the two sides grew fiercer as the political climate became unpredictable.

In order to overwhelm the other’s forces, the factions clashed often, competing against one another. As time passed, Qin Ruwang’s faction gradually gained the upper hand. Recently, they had solved a major corruption and fraud case where the culprit was the first prince’s right hand man and biggest supporter, prime minister Liu He.

The Emperor was furious and stripped the prime minister of his title, throwing him into prison for questioning. The first prince was also implicated and was confined inside the East Palace for a month, while Qin Ruwang was praised for his achievements in solving the case and awarded the title of Marquis. After this incident, the Emperor started to rely on him more and more. 

The power of the prince’s family had fallen by more than half, while the ninth prince’s faction had won a great victory in the struggle for the throne. The Liu family and other supporting aristocratic families were overjoyed, yet the biggest beneficiary, Qin Ruwang, was unable to show even a smile when he arrived at Ji Ning’s bedside.

Since the day Ji Ning vomited up blood, his body had been slowly weakening. The Goddess daughter was also getting worse. The palace of the Gods was in mourning. It was clear the two divine envoys would soon return their souls to heaven.

Qin Ruwang couldn’t accept it. When he heard several of the palace servants lamenting that the God son would soon die, he lost his usual gentle demeanour and tried to execute them. It was only because Ji Ning sent people over to stop him that they survived.

His cold brutality shocked everyone. For the first time, they saw how terrifying this gentle ninth prince could be when he was angry. 

He couldn’t die.

How could he die?

Hlc Eekjcu tjio xcffifv yfrlvf Al Rlcu’r yfv, mieamtlcu tlr tjcv. Lf ibkfgfv tlr ojmf rb atja tlr fzqgfrrlbc mbeivc’a yf rffc.

“Ktlr lr vfralcs. Tbe mjccba mtjcuf atlr.” 

Al Rlcu ragbxfv Hlc Eekjcu’r vjgx tjlg, “Ktfgf’r cb cffv ab uejgv wf. Xb, sbe tjnf wbgf lwqbgajca atlcur ab vb. Ktfgf’r cb cffv ab rajs tfgf.”

His voice was calm to the point of indifference, as if he didn’t care about his own life and death.

“…I have nothing else to do.” Qin Ruwang spoke in a hoarse voice, refusing to leave.

“Then don’t be sad.” Ji Ning said, “You hate me, there’s no point in being upset.” 

Yes, he should hate him. But why did his heart hurt so much for this person?

Even though he was suffering so much, the God son barely noticed. Just like in the past, except to put him on the throne, he never cared for anything else. Whether it was sadness or joy, life or death, in his eyes, there was no difference.

He was too cruel.

As if Qin Ruwang’s heart had sunk to the bottom of a frozen lake, his chest felt numb with pain. Yet at that moment, a message came from a palace servant outside the door, saying the Emperor had summoned Qin Ruwang to urgently discuss some matters. 

“His Majesty has called you.” Ji Ning patted the back of Qin Ruwang’s hand, “Go, don’t let His Majesty wait for you.”

Qin Ruwang wiped his red eyes, got up and silently left. Before leaving the palace, he heard the God son heave a quiet sigh and mutter to himself.

“If I can just see Ruwang become Emperor before I die, I won’t have any regrets.”

Qin Ruwang swayed, unable to listen any further, he fled from the palace. 

The Emperor had summoned all nine of his sons to discuss the arrival of the new divine envoys from Wushen Kingdom.

“Ruwang, I have always valued your close relationship with the palace of Gods. This matter will be entrusted to you to undertake, are you willing?”

Qin Ruwang bowed his head deeply, following the will of the Emperor, but his throat felt choked.

He was not close to the envoys. He had never forgotten his hatred, and one day he wished to completely destroy the Kingdom of Wushen. The only one he cared about was that person… 

“Father,” he bowed and spoke in a low voice, “Forgive my insolence, but the elixir of life…”

Can I take some to the God son?

Before he had finished speaking, the Emperor cut him off and said.

“Although I don’t have much left, the Goddess daughter is in no condition to be making more. Such filial piety is commendable, but there is no need to worry for me. The new divine envoys are on their way, and soon there will be a new Goddess daughter to refine medicine for me.” 

He patted Qin Ruwang on the shoulder and walked away. Qin Ruwang remained frozen in his posture of bowing. His pupils shrank, while the rest of his body stayed motionless, unable to move half an inch.

The Emperor didn’t care about the life or death of the two current envoys. All he cared about was the elixir for his own longevity.

Qin Ruwang couldn’t move, the sound of Ji Ning’s sigh echoing in his ears.

“If I can just see Ruwang become Emperor before I die, I won’t have any regrets…” 

He suddenly clenched his hands.

Ji Ning gently caressed the mask. Thinking about the past left an ache in his chest. He was only pulled from his thoughts by a light knock on the door, and a girl’s cheerful voice. He hurriedly washed up and put on the mask before opening the door. Qin Ruwang, the murderous corpse, followed behind him.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to see the fun.”

Yun Dao beamed, grabbing Ji Ning’s hand and pulling him outside, “Today the city lord of Tiandu is visiting. Cangshan is busy preparing, but I don’t have to show up for a while. They’re going to spend ages greeting him, we only need to be there for the dinner. Let’s go and take a look first.” 

As a Saintess, her status was second only to Ying Qianqiu. If she really wanted to see, she could just stand next to Ying Qianqiu to greet the visiting Tiandu city lord, but Yun Dao liked to be sneaky.

After changing into an inconspicuous outfit, Yun Dao pulled Ji Ning and Qin Ruwang into a quiet corner. The Tiandu city lord had arrived to see Ying Qianqiu with great fanfare. Ying Qianqiu stepped forward to greet him as the lord of Cangshan.

Cangshan had become very lively. Yun Dao disguised herself and had a great time playing around everywhere. It wasn’t until dinner time that she changed into her holy maiden outfit and brought Ji Ning to the dinner party. As Qin Ruwang was a murderous corpse, having him attend the banquet could send the wrong message, so he was told to remain inside Ji Ning’s room.

The visit of the Tiandu city lord to Cangshan was equivalent to announcing to the world that he would cooperate with Ying Qianqiu to eradicate the remains of the twelve aristocratic families. 

During the dinner celebration there was a vast array of gongs and music. The Tiandu city lord and Ying Qianqiu sat at the head of the great hall, sitting on both sides of their respective confidants. Yun Dao and Ji Ning sat on the closest table to Ying Qianqiu.

When more than half of the wine had been drunk, the Tiandu city lord clapped his hands and called for the dancers to begin. At the end of the dance, one dancer presented a long, ornate box to Ying Qianqiu and said softly, “Your grace, please look at this.”

The city lord spoke with a pleased smile, “This evening, I specially brought this item for the honourable lord. It is a sword with a peerless divine blade. I hope the lord will accept it.”

“Many thanks to the city lord.” 

After Ying Qianqiu thanked him, he immediately ordered the sword to be swung left and right. The Tiandu city lord looked at the full moon above and told the servants to stop moving the sword and instead hold it in front of Qing Qianqiu. He chuckled.

“This sword has an interesting history. Its name is ‘Qiyue’, and it is rumoured that on a full moon, it will glow with pure celestial light. Tonight it is a full moon, won’t the lord unsheathe the sword?.”

That sword was called ‘Qiyue’ and glowed under a full moon? Could it be…

Hearing the name of the sword, Ji Ning raised his head, staring at the long box without blinking. 

The silver haired demon lord nodded slightly, stretching his hand out towards the long box. The moment he opened it, Ji Ning felt that something was wrong. The next second his heart jumped as a dark light burst like lightning from the box, aimed towards Ying Qianqiu’s forehead.

Bang.

A powerful qi collided with the black light.Ying Qianqiu had long been prepared for an attack, surrounding himself with profound qi to prevent the black light from touching him.

But the next time the black light came into contact with the profound qi, it didn’t dissipate. Instead it melded with Ying Qianqiu’s power, dyeing his profound qi black and drilling into his body. 

The Tiandu city lord laughed loudly. With building murderous intent, Ying Qianqiu formed a ball of spiritual energy in his hand and stabbed it throught the city lord. The spiritual energy broke through his body, but there was no blood. The inside of the body was empty, with no flesh or blood inside, just a skeleton clad in human skin.

“Is this a flesh and blood puppet of demon lord Dongyou?! How could he?!”

Yun Dao stood up and rushed towards Yin Qianqiu alongside the servants of the palace. The Tiandu city lord’s laughter finally stopped and his empty body collapsed, horrifying every person that came from Tiandu city as they were unaware that their city lord was merely a puppet.

The sword dropped to the ground, clattering against the tiles. Once the black light had disappeared, the stunning glow from the sword was visible, yet no one paid it any attention. 

Ji Ning sat rooted to the spot, his eyes wide in shock. He stared both at Ying Qianqiu, who had been poisoned by the black light and the sword with the name ‘Qiyue.’

After breaking his power seal, Ji Ning had regained his spiritual qi from the world of cultivation, and could tell that the black light was not from this Xuanhuan world but from the cultivation world. It was a corrupted energy, created by a forbidden formation that was used to imprison a person’s qi.

Sure enough, even though several Cangshan doctors declared Ying Qianqiu was unscathed, he was unable to use his profound energy and no one could find the reason why.

Because they couldn’t detect the forbidden formation, they couldn’t find anything wrong with the sword’s casing. This was because spiritual qi was completely different to profound qi. 

Ji Ning guessed that the person who planned this attack was unaware of the forbidden formation. It seemed as if they found the sword by chance, and after discovering that it could seal profound qi, used it to plot against Ying Qianqiu.

But even so, Ji Ning still didn’t know who was behind this.

In the original novel, the Tiandu city lord was an ally of Ying Qianqiu and the two shared a simple but sincere friendship. The ‘Dongyou demon lord’ that Yun Dao yelled for was someone who also followed the demonic path. He was one of four demon lords, including Ying Qianqiu, and used strange and unpredictable means. Yet he hadn’t been an enemy of Cangshan and had even once helped Ying Qianqiu.

But now, one of these allies was dead, and the other had changed the Tiandu city lord into a puppet and used him to attack Ying Qianqiu. None of these plots had appeared inside the original book. 

And that sword…

Ji Ning stood up from the table and walked slowly towards Qiyue, bending down to pick it up.

“Don’t touch it, it’s dangerous.”

Ying Qianqiu moved Ji Ning behind him, preventing him from touching the sword. Although he couldn’t use his qi, his expression remained calm, as if he was completely unaffected. 

“But you…”

Ji Ning looked at Ying Qianqiu with a worried look in his eyes. He could tell that Ying Qianqiu’s qi had been blocked by the forbidden formation, but the cultivation base of the person that cast it was so strong that he couldn’t undo it.

More importantly, the moment the black light flashed forward, Ji Ning had caught a glimpse of an illusory figure in the air that no one else did.

It was a young man with dark hair and white robes. His face was handsome and his movements elegant. When Ji Ning saw him, as if he sensed it, he looked toward Ji Ning with a smile, disappearing the next moment. 

Ji Ning not only recognised Qiyue, he knew this man.

His name was Yun Yuan.

Yun Yuan was the protagonist of a cultivation world novel, but that figure wasn’t the real Yun Yuan. It was just a fragment of consciousness he had left inside the sword. This meant the formation’s curse couldn’t be lifted by anyone but him.

If they wanted to reverse the curse, they would have to find the real Yun Yuan. 

Ji Ning didn’t know how the Dongyou demon lord got his hands on Qiyue, but he was certain the demon lord had never met Yun Yuan himself. Yun Yuan would have killed anyone who tried to take Qiyue, because Ji Ning was the one who gave it to him…

Inside Cangshan, Qiyue was returned to its casing and locked inside the underground palace. Until they could discover the reason why Ying Qianqiu lost his profound qi, the sword couldn’t be touched.

Cangshan’s many outside contacts soon found out the cause of the incident. After the attack on Ying Qianqiu succeeded, the Dongyou demon lord smugly revealed his grand plans.

He had joined forces with the remaining three families of the twelve clans in order to eradicate Ying Qianqiu. They schemed together in order to murder the Tiandu city lord and turn him into a flesh and blood puppet and attack Ying Qianqiu. 

Now, the demon lord Dongyou and the three families had gathered men and horses to take advantage of Ying Qianqiu’s weakness and Cangshan’s panic, to completely exterminate Ying Qianqiu’s clan.

Ji Ning knew that the reason why the plot had changed so drastically was because of him.

In order to resurrect him, Ying Qianqiu had to create a new body. The materials used for the body was extremely precious and even included a treasure of a demon lord. In order to obtain such a treasure, Ying Qianqiu had killed that demon lord.

Although the outside world was not aware of their friendship, the Dongyou demon lord and the demon lord Ying Qianqiu killed were close. The Dongyou demon lord therefore harboured deep resentment towards Ying Qianqiu and conspired with the three aristocratic families to attack him using Qiyue. 

Knowing that this was all his fault, Ji Ning couldn’t let this matter go. That night, after everyone else fell asleep, Ji Ning lay on his bed and separated a fragment of his own consciousness to enter the underground palace and approach Qiyue.

He wanted to speak to the piece of Yun Yuan’s consciousness inside the sword and ask where the real Yun Yuan was.

However, as soon as he moved his consciousness to float in front of Qiyue, he was sucked inside the sword.

When he next opened his eyes, he was inside a gorgeous peach blossom forest. The surrounding trees were in full bloom, their faint fragrance lingering in the air. Their pink and white petals scattered across the sky in a dazzlingly beautiful array. 

A handsome man with long dark hair spilling across his white robes sat in front of a peach blossom tree. In front of him was a low table that held a pot of wine and two glasses.

He held a glass elegantly between two fingers and raised his chin slightly, draining the peach blossom wine from his glass, petals falling from his clothes. He turned his head to look at Ji Ning and raised the corners of his lips happily.

“I’ve waited for you to come.”

Introducing protagonist number ten…Yun Yuan!! 

I’m really hoping I’m translating the different qi’s right, but this is how I’ve understood it, so for anyone else who’s lost:

Profound qi – used by Ying Qianqiu/Yun Dao inside the Xuanhuan world

Spiritual qi – used by Yun Yuan in the Cultivation world

Ningning has unblocked his power seal and has a mix of both, so he can sense spiritual qi, while Ying Qianqiu can’t.