Ling Miaomiao pulled his wrist and stood up: “Come out.”
Mu Sheng let her pull him along and walked into the main hall with her. With quick steps, they reached a place under the silent curtain of the night sky. The corridor was dark, cold and quiet. In comparison to the loud ruckus inside, the juxtaposition was stark.
While Ling Miaomiao walked forward, she looked left and right constantly before finally finding what she was looking for: A small pond surrounded by small stone tiles a distance away. On top of that, there was a wooden ladle resting against the side of the pond.
“Let’s go over there.” She pulled him down then pulled his hand with force, forcing him to the water’s edge. Then, she used the ladle to ladle out some of the ice-cold water and poured it over the back of his hand.
Mu Sheng silently watched her side profile as she did as she liked. Ling Miaomiao was fully focused with her head lowered, even a thin layer of sweat appearing on her forehead. Her silk hairband had loosened a little so some of her long hair rested on her shoulders.
He reached out with his left hand to help her pick up the stray pieces of hair.
Ling Miaomiao turned her head to look at him and put down the ladle. Then, she directly forced his hand into the pond’s water.
The water in the pond was bright and clear, and one could see the beautiful, colorful stones and the lush and fluffy looking water grass peeking out between the stones. Several slender fish scurried away in shock and several even rubbed against the back of his hand as they went by. They were satiny in texture but had a toughness to it.
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Xdzu vbld eke bl qkdyzzu qllz y pwatl sq qklau bsv rykd.
Sltyaezlpp, Nkdt Ykysxkys pvkzz xykdvykdle bla rspvwal sq bszekdt esod bkp oakpv obkzl pxkzkdt yv vbl oyvla: “Nssj, vbl zkvvzl qkpb yal blal vs ckvl usw.”
“…..” Tkp zsdt zypblp xshle pzktbvzu yp bkp eyaj rwrkzp qsnwple sd bla qynl, y pvaydtl zssj sq psqvdlpp kd vblx.
Gqvla kxxlapkdt bkp byde kd vbl oyvla qsa y obkzl, Nkdt Ykysxkys qkdyzzu vssj bkp byde swv. Fbl rwzzle bkp byde nzspl vs bla lulp vs pnawvkdkgl kv nzsplzu. Mbl cynj sq bkp byde oyp pvkzz hlau ale cwv qsavwdyvlzu, kv eked’v pllx vs cl czkpvlakdt. Fbl wple vos qkdtlap vs hlau nyalqwzzu xyppytl vbl cynj sq bkp byde: “Pslp kv bwav?”
“Rv eslpd’v.” Tl zktbvzu zkle.
Nkdt Ykysxkys zlv swv y pktb sq alzklq yde alzlyple bkp byde. Fbl cawpble sqq vbl zyula sq polyv sd bla qsalblye yde vbld tzydnle yv bkx. Tla caktbv, yraknsv lulp olal qwzz sq ekpeykd: “Zsw esd’v lhld jdso bso vs rswa oyvla.”
Fbl rywple yde vbld pszknkvle: “Fbyzz ol blye cynj?”
Yw Fbldt pweeldzu tayccle sdvs bla oakpv yde vbawpv bkp byde kdvs vbl rsde sdnl ytykd: “Yu byde bwavp.”
Ling Miaomiao knew what he was up to: He didn’t want to be obedient.
She didn’t force him and merely looked askance at the pond: “Then you can soak your hand in the pond by yourself, why are you pulling me?”
The youth’s lowered eyes moved once: “To block the small fish.”
“…..” Ling Miaomiao couldn’t keep her austere attitude and burst out with giggle. As a result, some waterdrops splashed onto his face but he didn’t dodge them. He only closed his eyes, waiting for the assault to end before immediately rubbing his wet cheeks against her face.
The two of them crouched by the pond, staring at it while playing. Their figures hid the reflection of the moon and the fish within the pond were so frightened that they dispersed in all directions.
The old man started to put up away his things after finishing his performance, preparing to leave.
He had entered in a most bustling time, thrown in a burning torch and immediately caused a great ruckus before slipping out of there.
Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao both stood up and followed him outside. Then, they called out to him to stop.
The old man donned in thin cloth turned around, a little shocked. Once they got closer, they saw that on the sides of his red nose, he had many lines and wrinkles. Along with his missing teeth, it made him look particularly wizened and combined with his simple and plain clothes, he looked rather comical.
He was a person who had withstood the grinding of life.
Mu Yao’s eyes were open wide, clear and bright. However, there was a hidden current flowing through her eyes along with a slight anxiety: “May I ask where you heard that story you told from?”
After going through the hands of rumors, it only resembled what she knew. However, there were many details that had all been secrets to the matter yet he had managed to speak of them in such clarity, as if he had been there himself…
The old man’s eyes went hazy but alert immediately.
Liu Fuyi took a step forward: “We don’t have any ill intentions, I am Liu Fuyi….”
Amongst the common folk, many of them had heard of the stories about Liu Fuyi and his Demon Restraining Pagoda. His eyes opened wide with terror: “Taoist Liu?”
Liu Fuyi’s expression was still modest and rational: “Don’t be afraid. We Demon Hunters are just here to investigate a case, we heard a few clues from this story of yours and we had a few questions in regards to it so we’re troubling you to help us clear up our doubts.”
“……” The old man was silent for a moment before sighing. He put both of his hands together in a praying posture: “This old man depends on my small skill of ventriloquism to make a living. Could I please trouble you to two to keep this to yourselves?”
Liu Fuyi sincerely replied: “Of course.”
“This old man originally was just an ordinary storyteller in the public teahouses, mainly telling myths and history. About ten years ago, the most famous brothel beside the teahouse suddenly caught on fire and burnt down to a crisp. The owner, Madam Liu, died a rather unnatural death and her only surviving daughter had to flee and just like that, Huazhe fell.”
“Some people managed to salvage female jewelry from the ruins and brought them to the market to sell for a low price, making small profits.”
“It was during that time that I managed to buy a beautiful and exquisite trousseau. I originally wanted to bring it back for my wife to use…” He hesitated for a moment, “But who knew that after I opened it, I’d discover that there was a hidden compartment inside. Inside the hidden compartment were nearly 100 different brilliant and luscious beads inside. I felt curious upon seeing that so I tried to pick them up for a closer inspection but one of them was different. I was unable to hold onto it and it slipped out of my hand, shattering on the ground. Immediately, it felt like a memory was imprinted onto my brain, as if I was there to experience it myself.”
Mu Yao sighed softly: That’s a Lady’s Teardrop. That was a place Madam Liu brought young girls in to become prostitutes and at the same time, she was probably there was collect their bitter memories.” She was a little agitated as she pinched the bridge of her nose: “—I’m afraid that Madam Liu wasn’t a normal human.”
Liu Fuyi didn’t say anything, only comforting her by squeezing her hand.
“Afterwards…. Huazhe changed owners and turned into an ordinary winehouse. I just went to try out my luck, just changing a few details to the memory and changing the story a little… but who knew it would receive such great welcome? I then also gained some shares from the boss and the days became much more prosperous than before.”
His tone was filled with some regret, as if he knew that using the past grievances of the dead wasn’t a very righteous thing.
However, the souls had long dissipated and no one could be held accountable.
“Was Murong Shi’s story different wrong the others?” Mu Yao asked.
At first, she thought that it was just some other story but when she heard “Your name will be Ziqi, for you hold our expectations.”, she was immediately shocked and suddenly realized that for them to rush here and get here just in time was probably no coincidence.
“…. I won’t hide it from you two. This Murong Shi’s beads were different from the other girls….” His face flashed with terror, “Only her beads were blood-red….”
The princess sashayed out the door with light steps, noble and graceful. She was wearing a dress whose edges glimmered in the light due to its embroidered gold thread while carrying a foodbox.
“Your Highness, are you sending food to the Empress Dowager again?” The Imperial Guard facing her asked with a nervous tone, trying to start a conversation.
In the rumors, the princess was extremely bossy, arrogant, spoiled and willful. In the last few days however, this wasn’t what he witnessed with his own eyes — There was even a strange soft graceful…. feminine aroma on her body. It would make people unable to help themselves and look her way.
In the past few days, the princess would bring exquisitely made cake and visit the Empress Dowager, which could be considered extremely filial.
The princess slightly turned her head his way, an innocent kindness flickering in her eyes. At the same time however, there was this inviolable elegance to her as she replied in a gentle tone: “That’s right. Mother Consort misses this princess and this princess also misses Mother Consort.”
The face of the imperial guard talking to her turned slightly red. He lowered his head to hide his face and said no more. The imperial guard standing behind her scrunched up his brows secretly —- On the princess’s beautiful and exquisite pink backside, there was a single black stain.
What is that? He asked himself mentally and at a first glance, it almost looked like a blood stain.
“Your Highness!” Someone caught up from behind them, panting and gasping for breath. The person in question was an old eunuch with white and greying hair in a mess. His silvery strands flashed under the sunlight and his face was covered with thick creases. His facial features were droopy while being skeleton thin at the same time, bones nearing sticking out. In fact, his shoulders could barely even hold up his official eunuch’s clothes and looked all in all like a decrepit and senile old man.
“Xu Gonggong?” The two imperial guards were shocked and spoke in unison. 1 [1] Xu Gonggong: Gonggong isn’t actually his name just to remind y’all again. Gonggong can be understood as a higher level of Eunuch. Basically, an Elder Eunuch if you will lol.
The old man’s breathing was as strenuous as the blowing of the bellows. He stared stiffly at her as a murky teardrop flowed down, traversing the hills and gorges on his face. It looked like he held in his breath for a long time before finally managing to gather up the courage: “Your Highness, how could you…. how could you treat the Empress Dowager like this?”
“What are you saying? This princess doesn’t understand.” The princess held tightly onto the food box and took a step closer to the imperial guards by the door. She was filled with a grandeur yet seemed frail at the same time. It was as if the brittle night pearl within the small box needed one’s wholehearted care and worry.
The imperial guard pulled out the sword on his waist with a ‘shwing’ and cautioned: “Xu Gonggong, you cannot be so rude to her highness.”
“You… you…” Xu Gonggong’s fingers shook terribly as he pointed at the princess. His voice was filled with deep grief: “Your Highness! Even crows take care of their parents when they’re old and lambs show filial piety by kneeling and suckling. Even if her highness the Empress Dowager were to have made more mistakes, she’s still your mother how could you do something like this….”
The princess’s lips tilted up at the edges in an almost imperceptible manner. She raised her eyes and her pupils were bright with a pitying smile: “I apologize for offending the elder…”
Her cinnabar lips parted as the look in her eye turned slightly icy. A word came out in softly, almost like it floated out slowly: “Execution.”
When the word came out of her lips, they were soft and gentle like an intimate kiss surrounding them.
“……” The imperial guard hesitantly placed his hand on his scabbard, heard trembling with fear as he looked at the princess’s face.
“There’s no need. This old slave has served the Empress Dowagers faithfully for my whole life…” He uttered those words with a dry, hoarse voice and before the others could register what he meant, hot tears streaked down his face as he smashed his own skull into one of the pillars in front of the palace. Hot blood sprayed out in all directions.
The imperial guard’s hand shook as a shiver traveled up his spine.
The princess heard the sound of bone being crushed but didn’t make a single reaction at all. She continued forward with the food box in her hands. She took two steps and then turned around to look at him with a naïve yet charming look in her eyes: “Tomorrow as well, this princess will bring food for Empress Dowager.”
“Ah Sheng isn’t your blood related brother?” Liu Fuyi was struck into a daze.
There were many people in the world with the same surname and name so at the time he wasn’t that shocked.
But now, he finally understood why Mu Yao was so persistent in chasing them.
Mu Rongshi’s story was… complicated to put it lightly. The storyteller had already split the story into four parts and even if they listened to him tomorrow and the day after, he might still not finish. So, once the terrified storyteller left, Mu Yao suddenly revealed this shocking secret.
He thought about it carefully for a while before suddenly feeling coldness seeping into his heart: “Yao’er, tell me everything about Ah Sheng’s past in detail, just what exactly happened?”
“I heard my mother and father say that when Ah Sheng was three, they saved him from a nest of demons and monsters. And at the time, he had no family nor relatives there.”
Liu Fuyi pinched his finger and went quiet for a moment. It was only when he encountered prickly situations like this one would he make such an action.
He muttered irresolutely to himself: “…. why haven’t you mentioned anything about this to me before?”
There was a hint of worry in Mu Yao’s eyes flickering under the moonlight: “You’re not the only one that doesn’t know. No one else knows — I’ve always treated Ah Sheng as my own little brother from a young age. I didn’t want him to feel like an outsider in front of others either. Later on, the clan suffered a disaster and I spent every day stressing over matters so I didn’t have anytime to think about this.”
“…..” Liu Fuyi became silent for a long pause. He caressed her shoulders consolingly and said: “What else do you know? If you don’t mind, you can tell me and I’ll try to think.”
Mu Yao leaned into his arms, hesitant: “Do you remember the hairband that Ah Sheng uses to tie up his hair?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes turned a little blank: “When he was young, every day my mother would call him to her room. Back then, Ah Sheng was still young so when he sat in a chair, his feet wouldn’t even touch the ground. I vaguely remember —- Back then his hair was loosely spread all over his shoulders. His looks were soft and warm; He basically looked like a little girl.”
“Mhm.” Liu Fuyi cupped the back of her hand.
“Mother then took out a hairband from a box and right in front of me, tied up Ah Sheng’s hair in a very slow manner. After combing his hair, she started to cough and did so for a good while before finally putting her hand on Ah Sheng’s shoulder and saying to him: ‘No matter what happens, you absolutely cannot take off his hairband. Do you understand?’”
Liu Fuyi scrunched up his brows: “That hairband….”
“I know. It’s not a normal hairband because after using it to tie up his hair, other than he himself taking it upon himself to take it off, there’s no other way to remove it.”
“And then?”
“And then….” She strenuously recalled the memories, brows deeply furrowed, “And then, mother pulled Ah Sheng by the hand and then said to me ‘Yao’er, you have to watch your brother. You cannot let him take off his hairband.’ Then, she even had me face the family’s disciplinatory wall and make an oath.”
“In swearing the oath, I had to pledge to never break it for my entire life. That has always stuck with me clearly. Later on, after Ah Sheng and I got closer to one another, I made him promise to me that he’d never take off his hairband. Over so many years, I’ve repeated this to him….”
Liu Fuyi let out a sigh: “Have you never asked your mother? What the use of that hairband was? And why he couldn’t take it off?”
“Mother told me before that before they saved Ah Sheng, a demon had already started pouring their demonic power into him. That his physique was not one of normal children. That his personality would be more extreme. I would have to guide him much more otherwise it’d be easy for him to become crooked. That was what I had to remember at all costs.”
Liu Fuyi paused for a moment: “Those were just constraints, to get him to follow the rules?”
Mu Yao nodded and thought for a long time. Recalling the figurative claws and teeth that Ah Sheng had revealed in front of her, she felt her heart grow cold. “In the end, it was because I was a bad sister to him.”
Liu Fuyi shook his head and hardened his expression, then shook his head again: “That’s not right.”
Mu Yao turned her head to look at him with a bit of doubt in her eyes.
“Think about it some more. Ah Sheng from a young age all the way till this day.”
“……” Mu Yao followed his train of thought and began recalling. From the moment Mu Sheng joined the Mu clan, tied up his hair, grew up, went out on adventures with her, was scorned by outsiders and all the way until that night ‘she’ revealed her identity….
That night…
“Why… why are there some things that I can’t remember?”
She suddenly massaged her temples, alarm flashing over her expression and eyes.
She very rarely had the time to think back upon matters of her childhood and her life back then. However, once she opened up her memories like a scroll, she found, to her shock, that there were several pieces of the scroll missing, completely empty.
Even when Mu Sheng started getting called by his literary name, Ziqi, and why his name was Mu Sheng….. Basically, everything that happened before he turned 7 was a completely blank. She had no impression or recollection as if the only early memory she had of him was of her mother tying up Ah Sheng’s hair in front of a mirror.
Mu Sheng and ‘her’ intersection…. was completely muddled and unclear.
In addition, after so many years, why did she subconsciously think that them being together so closely and logically was only natural and expected?
The author has something to say:
The truth will definitely be revealed. It’s just that it won’t be that quick lah.
Don’t be tricked by the younger brother’s sweet and naïve self the past two chapters and forget his original personality.
[1] Xu Gonggong: Gonggong isn’t actually his name just to remind y’all again. Gonggong can be understood as a higher level of Eunuch. Basically, an Elder Eunuch if you will lol.
TLN: Well well well… everything is starting to come together and hopefully make sense lol cuz I definitely got confused while translating this.
Thank you once again 🙂
Yes, this chapter definitely jumped around a lot and was a bit hard to follow. Hopefully we get some big reveals soon 😊
Basically Sheng isn’t entirely human then?
Would be even crazier if one of them realized they are in a story.