In the painted realm.
Huang Rang finally found that swing. She sat on it, hands gripping the ropes on either side. The gentle sunlight shone through, casting a golden hue as it filtered through the maple leaves.
Beneath Huang Rang’s feet was a soft grassy ground. She lightly tapped her toes, causing the swing to sway slowly. Closing her eyes, she felt like a leaf drifting in the air.
Eventually, she rested her head on the ropes and unexpectedly fell asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, footsteps approached. Though the steps were light, Huang Rang abruptly woke upāhoping she wasn’t dreaming!
Panicking, she looked up and saw Di Yiqiu still clad in a purple official robe, adorned with a jade belt and wearing official boots. He had a black official hat with embroidered wings in gold thread.
Over the years, he rarely changed his attire.
Ah, he didn’t have any other clothes to begin with.
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Twydt Sydt tygle yv bkx, yde ewl vs bkp zsdt clyae, bl ds zsdtla alplxczle vbl kxytl kd bla xlxsau. Zlv, pbl pvkzz zywtble. Mbl rydkn qasx y xsxldv yts hydkpble kdpvydvzu.
āPk Zkikw, yp zsdt yp usw yal blal, R yx okzzkdt oblvbla kv’p y ealyx sa alyzkvu.
Pk Zkikw oyzjle clbkde bla, bydep ytykdpv bla cynj, tkhkdt y tldvzl rwpb. Mbl pokdt vbld psyale bktb.
Twydt Sydt’p zktbv tszeld ealpp qzwvvlale kd vbl nzlya callgl. Fbl takrrle vbl asrlp, psyakdt bktb kdvs vbl czwl pju yde tldvzu elpnldekdt cynj vs vbl taswde.
Pk Zkikw pvsse clbkde bla, dsvknkdt vbyv pbl oyp lhld xsal ayekydv vbyd obld bl qkapv pyo bla. Gp qsa bkxplzq… bl vwadle bkp blye yde tzydnle yv vbl pwdzktbv qkzvlakdt vbaswtb vbl xyrzl zlyhlp.
āGde bkxplzq, bl ds zsdtla zkjle pwnb caktbv zktbv.
“Pk Zkikw?” Twydt Sydt nyzzle psqvzu.
Jlbkde bla, Pk Zkikw alprsdele, “Txx?”
Hearing his answer, Huang Rang finally felt at ease. She said, “I can’t see your face; it feels unreal to me.”
So, as the swing descended to the ground again, Di Yiqiu held onto the ropes. He walked slowly to Huang Rang, knelt down, and reached out to embrace her. Huang Rang held onto his neck, gently playing with his earlobes.
With such a good atmosphere, a little intimacy was only natural.
āOne was truly impure. Achieving godhood with such behavior was a disgrace.
While Huang Rang expressed disdain, she approached, gently opened her red lips, and bit his ear.
Di Yiqiu should understand such a hint. After experiencing the third dream, he had also been through many ups and downs. But at this moment, he hesitated for a moment, immediately released Huang Rang, stood up, turned away, and said after a while, “Although this place is peaceful, it is only a virtual realm. Let me take you outside.”
After saying this, he gestured slightly, and everything before Huang Rang’s eyes suddenly changed.
The azure lake, the red maple, the swingāeverything retreated, and she returned to the yet-to-be-completed Goddess temple.
Di Yiqiu stood in front of her, slowly rolling up the scroll and putting it away.
After taking a bath and changing into fresh clothes, except for the beard on his face, which had indeed not been tended to for a long time, he looked refreshed.
Huang Rang knew he was intentionally avoiding something. Though confused, she wouldn’t directly confront him.
āDuring the several decades when she was absent, he must have had a very difficult time. Strange behavior is nothing. Holding Di Yiqiu’s hand, she said, “We can go visit my…”
She paused and then smiled again, “My mother is probably no longer here.”
Di Yiqiu remained silent for a moment and said, “After I removed the golden needle from your head, both she and Huang Yang…” He exerted force several times but still couldn’t bring himself to say the rest. Huang Rang felt pain in her heart but still smiled, “As expected. Come, let’s go see my sister, as well as Uncle and Aunt.”
The tears forced out by those wounds were slowly swallowed back. She held Di Yiqiu’s hand and said, “They should still be there, right?”
Di Yiqiu nodded, subtly furrowing his brows.
Huang Rang understood and asked, “Have you not been in contact with them all these years?”
Di Yiqiu didn’t answer. Huang Rang lifted her hand, gently
sorted out his hair, and asked, “How long has it been since you visited the Celestial Court?”
But this question was still passed over in silence.
Huang Rang embraced his neck and buried her head in his chest. After a long time, she took a deep breath and said, “Let’s go, let’s first find Uncle and Aunt! In the third dream, my sister was learning the sword with Aunt. Maybe she’s at the Ruyi Sword Sect now!”
She led Di Yiqiu forward, and he didn’t object.
Both moved swiftly, and before long, the Ruyi Sword Sect was right in front of them.
Time had hurriedly passed for thirty-seven years, but for a sect, this amount of time was not enough to change much.
Huang Rang stood in front of the sect gate, looking at the towering sword. In an instant, memories intertwined and overlapped.
Di Yiqiu did not step forward, and Huang Rang whispered, “Should we still present your greeting? My sudden death and resurrection might startle them.”
“Me?” Di Yiqiu frowned.
Surprised, Huang Rang asked, “Not allowed?”
Di Yiqiu remained silent, reluctantly sent his greeting. But soon, a disciple came out and said politely, “Forgive me, Chief, but the Sect Master and Madam are not available today. Chief, please return.”
The words were polite, but Huang Rang was stunned.
āIf the person is not present, the gatekeeper disciple will not relay the message.
Now, such a response clearly indicated that the couple, He Xijin and his wife, were unwilling to receive visitors.
Huang Rang looked at Di Yiqiu, who was not surprised. He said, “I’ll figure something out.”
“Are they… because you removed the soul-binding bone-fixing needles from me back then?” Huang Rang forcefully suppressed the trembling in her voice.
Di Yiqiu nodded, his expression indifferent, as if it was a trivial matter. Huang Rang held his hand, unable to imagine how he had lived in such a cold world after she left.
Taking a deep breath, Huang Rang forced another smile and whispered in his ear, “Do you think the two of us can sneak in?”
Di Yiqiu frowned, “Force our way in?”
As a court official, he had always been mindful of etiquette. He said, “Such behavior may not…”
Before the word “appropriate” could be spoken, Huang Rang pulled him, moving like the wind, and charged inside!
The guarding disciples hadn’t reacted yet when two gusts of wind blew in. It wasn’t until the wind had passed for a while that the two saw two faint remnants.
“Someone intruded into the sect!” The entire Ruyi Sword Sect instantly descended into chaos.
The two remnants rushed inside like mad, colliding until they sent Qu Manying tumbling!
Qu Manying first heard the disciple’s warning from inside the gate. As soon as she stepped out of the door, she was hit by a tremendous force. Stars filled her vision, and when she could finally see clearly, she saw a personāDi Yiqiu, the chief of the Celestial Court!
Seeing Di Yiqiu for the first time, Qu Manying was also stunned.
The beard on his face suggested that he hadn’t been groomed for a long time. But quickly, Qu Manying’s compassionate heart disappeared. Her willow eyebrows raised, and she coldly said, “Chief, you’ve intruded into the sect. Don’t you know the proper etiquette?”
At this moment, another remnant also climbed up from the ground and called out, “Aunt!”
Qu Manying was surprised. When she turned her head, she saw the person she was most familiar with!
“Ah, ah, ah…” She stared at the person in front of her, shocked and doubtful. At this moment, He Xijin had also arrived. Holding a sword in his hand, he was tongue-tied when he saw Huang Rang.
After a long while, he finally asked, “Wha…what’s going on?”
He was so anxious that he almost stutter. Qu Manying looked around and said, “Let’s discuss it inside.”
He Xijin, sensing that something was amiss, took the two inside first. Qu Manying reassured the disciples at the door before hurrying in.
Huang Rang held hot tea and recounted the details of her revival.
He Xijin listened with a furrowed brow and, after a while, said, “Y…you mean, you revived because of incense, worship, and offerings?”
“That’s right,” Huang Rang said. She closed her eyes for a moment and added, “Now, all my power comes from the incense of the Goddess temple.”
Even someone as knowledgeable as He Xijin felt somewhat shocked.
After some thought, he asked, “Do you… have any proof?”
Qu Manying frowned, understanding her husband’s implication. Could it be that some monster was pretending to be Huang Rang?
She carefully scrutinized Huang Rang, who said, “I found Uncle’s private chamber in the hilt of the sword at the sect gate…” Before she could finish speaking, He Xijin grabbed a fruit from the table and forcefully covered her mouth!
Qu Manying looked at He Xijin, who said, “Nonsense!”
Madam He got up and left with big strides!
The Sect Master He immediately said, “Madam…”
He wanted to follow her but hesitated! After a long while, he turned around and thumped Huang Rang on the head!
Qu Manying quickly returned, holding a handful of silver bills and pointing at Sect Master He, saying, “You wait for me!”
After that, she took Huang Rang’s hand and said, “Good child, your fortune today is truly extraordinary. Aunt will have someone fetch Jun’er, and we’ll have a lively time as a family!”
Sect Master He lost all his private money but dared not speak his anger. He said, “This… this matter, must not be made public!”
“Why?” Qu Manying said, “Ah Rang’s resurrection clearly indicates that the heavenly principles reward the good and punish the evil, it’s magnificent and just!”
He Xijin said, “No…not…”
Di Yiqiu added, “Sect Master He means that Ah Rang’s resurrection due to incense and people’s prayers might arouse greed in those with ill intentions.”
He Xijin hurriedly said, “Yes!”
Qu Manying was momentarily stunned but quickly understood.
He Xijin was right.
The path Huang Rang was now taking was one that no one had ever attempted before.
If everyone knew about it, those who sought immortality, who knew what mischief they might cause?
He Xijin said, “Inquiring about Shi Wenyu’s misfortune can only calm the storm. We must not let trouble arise again.”
Huang Rang pondered for a long time and said, “Uncle is right. It seems I cannot reveal my true identity. That’s fine. After all, Huang Rang is already dead, and in the future, I’ll change my name and surname.”
Huang Rang’s current reputation was respected by all the people. Yet, she did not hesitate to decisively abandon it.
He Xijin sighed, “This… this is also for your own good.”
Huang Rang nodded and said, “Uncle’s foresight is admirable!” Afterward, with a grateful expression, she added, “I won’t tell Aunt about the private money hidden in Uncle’s shoe soles!”
As Di Yiqiu took a sip of hot tea, he sprayed it all over the floor.
Huang rang revealed all he xijin secret stash money whereabout š even di yiqiu couldn’t handle her. Thanks hana for translating this novel. One of my fav. And you give us in bulks š
A man has to have some money in their hand. If he didn’t, the surprise gift(s) wouldn’t be a surprise (surprises) anymore. After all, money was just a dead being. Whether it’s used for good deeds or bad deeds, it’s all up to the person (human).