CHAPTER 10 I digress: I want to marry you!

When it came to these matters, as long as someone repetitively said ‘And then?’, it would be very easy to continue the conversation.

But against Qin Yan’s ‘and then?’ that seemed to just be humouring[22] him, Fu Changling knew that he would never be sharing a happy and jolly chat with Qin Yan.

He knew deeply that Qin Yan’s inability to start a conversation was not cultivated after he became a demonic cultivator. By birth, he was already something not adept at speaking.

Fu Changling decided not to chat with Qin Yan. He instantly said, “So, we should form an alliance and think of a way to escape. I will vaguely describe the current situation we are in right now: We’re in a hidden realm and that hidden realm is the Hidden Realm of Xuanji. I think you know of this hidden realm.”

“I know.” Qin Yan nodded his head. “Friendship of Heavenly Palace of Hongmeng and the Golden Light Temple.”

“Then you should know that the Hidden Realm of Xuanji is the number one dangerous arena of the Golden Light Temple. There are only two ways to escape: the first was to force your way out, but this could only be done by a cultivator in his late immortalization stage. You and me, both of us are not qualified.”

That wasn’t entirely the truth, but the price to be paid was far too great. Just like in their last life, he only managed to escape at the cost of his golden core. But if he hadn’t said it, Qin Yan wouldn’t know.

Qin Yan only nodded in agreement.

Fu Changling sighed at his compliance, and continued, “Then we only have the second method, and that is to find out the laws in this hidden realm, and escape through it.”

Every hidden realm was simply a test their seniors had set for them. They would certainly have their own methods of passing it. In his last life, Fu Changling and Yanming were indeed trying to find out the rules of this hidden realm, but until the end, they hadn’t succeeded.

However, armed with foundational knowledge from his past life, Fu Changling believed that they’d have it a lot easier. As he contemplated what to do next, he told Qin Yan, “We need to leave before we could depart. Now, you and injured, and so am I, we are both injured partners. We should be walking hand-in-hand as we weather through these trials together. So, regardless of why you wanted to kill me, we should leave everything aside now and leave those discussions for later, okay?”

Qin Yan remained silent, as if he was contemplating.

Seeing how he’s unconvinced, Fu Changling asserted even more effort into convincing him. “Even if you turn a blind eye to the situation in the present, there are a lot of things you should know. For example, that wraith. Shangguan Hong had obviously died, so why is it still looking for trouble? This Hidden Realm of Xuanji had always been in the hands of the Golden Light Temple; it has never once opened itself to strangers. Now it has, so don’t you find that strange? Don’t you want to understand what’s going on? If you want to, what use would a sword cultivator like yourself be? Shouldn’t you still work together with me?”

“The two of us, specializing in different skills, could achieve great means with hearts united! It doesn’t matter whether it’s now or something that happened previously, you should work together with me.”

“When you escaped, you drew a transportation array.”

Qin Yan asked suddenly, stunning Fu Changling. He didn’t know why Qin Yan wanted to ask about this all of a sudden, but he still nodded his head and said, “Yes.”

“You transported to the Hidden Realm of Xuanji?”

Qin Yan raised his gaze and judged him, to which Fu Changling immediately said, “No, no, no. It’s not me. I only transported us to a little village about ten li away. My transportation arrays aren’t that powerful.”

“Then why are we here?”

“Maybe…” Fu Changling pondered. “It’s a coincidence?”

Qin Yan said nothing. He seriously contemplated. Fu Changling aired himself with his fan and continued to brainwash him, “Look, there are so many things you still don’t know. It doesn’t matter why you want to kill me. Whether it’s because you’re mad at me or there are other reasons for your intentions, you’re not in a hurry to kill me. Oh, right.” Fu Changling appeared as if he was simply asking, “Why were you trying to kill me?”

He was tactful with his speech. The moment he opened his mouth he already pinned it on the fact that Qin Yan came for him and continued down. If Qin Yan followed his lead, regardless of what he answered, he could be certain that Qin Yan was indeed coming for him.

But Qin Yan didn’t respond, he asked another question instead, “How did you know that aiming for his golden core could kill Shangguan Hong?”

Fu Changling was at wit’s end. He didn’t know whether Qin Yan didn’t understand or that he was just pretending not to. But he did know that Qin Yan and himself are just trying to lure the other into giving out information. If he wanted to form an alliance with Qin Yan, he should be showing some sincerity.

And so, he sternly explained it to Qin Yan starting from logic, “Shangguan Hong’s skills are to absorb someone else’s spiritual energy and turn them into his own. Touching any part on his body could suck spiritual energy out of you. However, once spiritual energy enters the body, there must be a place to allow them to operate. There is nothing more suitable on a body than the golden core.”

Actually, there are other places.

Fu Changling thought in his heart.

After all, the golden core was far too obvious. Any normal cultivator could come to that conclusion, so during the early battles between cultivators in Yunze and the demonic cultivators of the Avici, the cultivators of Yunze did not suffer too terrible losses. It was until these demonic cultivators from the Avici, too, realized this point, they transferred their spiritual energy to other places of the body, only then did Yunze begin to lose in vast numbers.

Only, Shangguan Hong’s skill had only been an embryonic form. He could never have thought about transferring his spiritual energy to other places of his body.

After Qin Yan heard Fu Changling’s explanation, he obviously had other thoughts, then he asked, “The array you tossed at Shangguan Hong after that; where had it come from?”

“Since he’s using spiritual energy as his primary attacking method, then I only broke his spiritual root.” Fu Changling explained the purpose of that array, and couldn’t help complimenting himself, “That array is easily thought of.”

In truth, that array was what the Immortal Realm of Yunze would eventually use against the demonic cultivators of the Avici. But the creator of this array had been himself, so as only a foundation establishment stage cultivator now, he had to make minor changes to his arrays and made it look like an embryonic form of the original.

As soon as he finished these words, Qin Yan remained silent. Fu Changling observed him for some time and it seemed like he wasn’t against being partners. Fu Changling then pushed his luck and placed a hand onto Qin Yan’s shoulder and said in all seriousness, “So it's decided. From now on, you and I are brothers in this array. We will go through all sorts of difficulties together, death shall not do us apart; we will trust and protect one another and never again fight. Alright? You couldn’t kill me in the meantime anyways, so why make it difficult for yourself?”

Qin Yan didn’t reply to him, and Fu Changling furrowed his brows. “You can’t still be thinking of killing me, could you?”

“You… do make sense.” Qin Yan let out an unwilling breath and nodded. “I will protect you on the way out but you have to promise me one thing.”

“Speak.” Fu Changling got excited and instantly said, “It can be anything you like, but don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Regardless of what situation we’re in, you cannot destroy the array in this hidden realm and force your way out.”

Fu Changling’s heart froze upon hearing this. There was no other reason other than in his last life, he and Yanming did force their way out, and because of that they had paid grievous prices. He didn’t know why Qin Yan would make this request from the beginning but if there were other ways, he didn’t wish to tread the same path they did last time either.

So he nodded his head, raised his hand and said, “Deal!”

After Qin Yan heard his words, he obviously relaxed a bit. He looked at the hand Fu Changling had placed in front of him and contemplated for a while, then raised his hand and placed it on top of Fu Changling’s. Fu Changling smiled and gave him a pinch, then he said, “Then in the future, or at least in this hidden realm, we are brothers.”

Just as Qin Yan was about to speak, a loud commotion came from the outside. Fu Changling immediately turned and saw a plump maiden in a flowery dress bringing a group of noisy people inside.

Qin Yan furrowed his brows. Fu Changling looked at that maiden and placed a note in his head, then he turned to Qin Yan and said, “Brother Qin, as present events urge, we must first leave this place only then could we find out what the laws of this hidden realm are. Here, I need a little amount of compliance from you, can you do it?”

“I can.”

Qin Yan nodded. “I still have fifty percent of my cultivation to use.”

“There’s no need for that. All you need to do is say nothing.” Fu Changling released Qin Yan’s hand and turned to look at Wu Sisi, who was bringing a group of women inside. Before Wu Sisi made her way to the wooden cage, Fu Changling lunged over and grabbed hold of the wooden bars, then, looking at Wu Sisi excitedly, he said, “Young Mistress Wu! Young Mistress Wu! You finally came!”

Wu Sisi was shocked. She took a step backwards and almost fell.

The servant girl behind her managed to catch her and Wu Sisi instantly soothed her own chest, and after a while, she unhappily complained, “What are you yelping about! You scared me!”

“I am just being happy!” Fu Changling excitedly said, “I’ve waited for you for a long time!”

“Waited for me?” Wu Sisi curiously looked at him, and then she looked at him from head to toe for a while, the next time she spoke, her voice was gentle and careful, “Young Master…. Have we… have we met before?”

“We did!” Fu Changling resolutely answered. “In the afternoon, outside the god’s shrine, you even spoke on my behalf.”

Wu Sisi contemplated for a moment after she heard this, and then her eyes widened as she looked at him in disbelief. “How come you’ve grown so handsome?!”

Fu Changling found these words incredibly enjoyable. He lightly coughed and felt a little embarrassed. “This morning I hit the god’s shrine with my face and my injuries weren’t fully healed. I’m feeling much better now, thanks to the Young Mistress for her worry.”

“You’re feeling better now? Then that’s brilliant! Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? What do you want to eat?”

“Young Mistress,” Fu Changling sighed. “I am very hungry, as well as thirsty, but now there are something else that’s giving me a headache.”

“Oh, what are they?”

Puzzled, Wu Sisi asked. Fu Changling turned towards Qin Yan with an extremely concerned look. Qin Yan felt confused, only to then hear Fu Changling say, “Now, I am worried for this little brother of mine. He’s injured and cooped up with me here. Just now his injuries have worsened, and I’m worried that he…. He…”

Fu Changling almost forced himself into crying; he hinted wildly at Qin Yan using his gaze, only then did Qin Yan realized what he meant and coughed twice to prove how fragile he was.

Wu Sisi grew sympathetic as she listened to Fu Changling’s description and said, “Then… Then what should we do?”

“Young Mistress Wu.” Fu Changling turned to her and after a moment of thought, he finally said, “I have a request to make…”

“Speak, and I will surely realize it!”

Wu Sisi pressed a hand to her chest. “Seeing how both of you great beauties are being abused, my heart really aches!”

“Young Mistress Wu, could we trouble you to pull the strings with the authorities of this town so we could deliver my brother out to receive medication?”

“Then what about you?” Wu Sisi asked, concerned. “You are injured too!”

“I’m fine.” Fu Changling pressed a hand to his chest and coughed twice. “Although I’m heavily injured and my life hangs by a thread, I cannot let my brother die! If out of both of us, one of us must die, I hope…” He lifted his gaze to Wu Sisi, and passionately said, “It’s me.”

“I’m touched.”

Wu Sisi looked at Fu Changling. “But the authority is my own father. My father would never simply let anyone out.”

When he heard this, Fu Changling knew that he needed to draw his trump card.

He’s been waiting for so long, now’s the chance!

“Does Young Mistress Wu know why I must bring my little brother out?”

“Why?”

“I wish for him to live. This is the first reason. There is a second reason, and that is… it is…”

“Is what?”

“Is that I wish the Young Mistress happiness!”

Fu Changling described it in an incredibly touching manner, “I hope that my little brother’s feelings are realized. Young Mistress, I know that my brother has a place in your heart, his heart also has…”

“Fu…”

Popping green veins were visible on Qin Yan’s head. He couldn’t hold back any longer, but just as he parted his lips, Fu Changling leaned in close and covered his mouth, “Don’t be shy and let me tell Young Mistress Wu!”

“Young Mistress Wu.” Fu Changling turned around to look at her and resolutely said, “He likes you! He’s willing to marry you!”

Qin Yan’s mouth was clasped shut. He wanted to draw his sword but Fu Changling was faster. In the tight, narrow space and concealed by his wide sleeves, he pushed Qin Yan’s sword back down and whispered, “Sacrifice the small part of me to achieve an even greater cause!”

Wu Sisi was struck by this flatter. She momentarily froze, then raised her finger and pointed at a very angry Qin Yan, whose mouth was muffled by Fu Changling, and said in disbelief, “You said… that he… he likes me, and is willing to marry me?”

“That’s right!” Fu Changling nodded his head, and said with a serious expression, “He fell for you in love at first sight, and another meeting only made him fell further; one could see that in this lifetime of his, he would never marry someone else who isn’t you!”

Wu Sisi lifted a hand to cover her mouth, full of shock. The ladies by her side persuaded her, “Wu Jiejie[23], let’s quickly report this to the mayor that this Young Master is infatuated with you. It would be too hurtful for him if you declined.”

Their persuasions made Wu Sisi unable to clearly think. After a long time, she seemed to have realized something and told Fu Changling, “What about you?”

Fu Changling was stunned, and he was a little puzzled. “Me?”

“You said that you wished me happiness.” One didn’t know what Wu Sisi was thinking of, as pain surfaced her eyes. “Isn’t that because you love me?”

“Ah?”

“I saw your woes and saw your pain, I know that you are in love with me as well, but because your brother was in love with me, so you dare not tell me, is that right?”

“Wait, wait…”

Fu Changling was in for a shock. He found this woman’s logic incomprehensible. Qin Yan’s expression calmed down as he stole a glance at him from the corner of his eye like he was watching a show.

“I’ve decided it,” Wu Sisi resolutely said., “I cannot betray such deep passion you have for me, I’m sorry, little brother,” Wu Sisi lifted her gaze towards Qin Yan and apologized. Then, her gaze fell on Fu Changling. She raised a finger and declared, “I digress: I want to marry you!”

Fu Changling, “Ah?”

“It’s decided.” Wu Sisi nodded. “Men, take them both to my manor. I will take them and tell my father in person!”

Author’s Notes:

Fu Changling: From now, you and I are brothers in his hidden realm. We will go through difficulties together and shall not be parted even by death. We will trust and protect, and never leave each other.

Qin Yan: Are you sure you meant brothers?

Fu Changling: Right.

Qin Yan: How many such brothers do you have?

Fu Changling: You are the one and only.

Qin Yan: …

Wu Sisi: Why do I feel like both your conversations are so gay.

[1] 仙师 translates literally to “Immortal Master”.

[2] 璇玑密境 a sort of secret dimension that runs parallel with the real world. 璇玑 (Xuanji) refers to the four stars on the big dipper. It will be explained in future chapters.

[3] 筑基 is a stage in cultivation where the disciple had just begun to build their cultivation base.

[4] 渡劫修士 a type of cultivator that has already managed to ‘pass God’s test’. It’s the highest stage of cultivation.

[5] This isn’t a literal translation. The original was 业狱 which is something along the lines of ‘Karma Prison’. Avici refers to the lowest and most severe level of Hell in Buddhism, a place of nothingness, where the deceased are sent to if they committed one of the 5 gravest offenses.

[6] 元婴: 元 (yuan) from 元神 (primordial spirit), while 婴 (ying) means 婴儿 (baby) refers to one of the stages in cultivation when the cultivator is trying to preserve their primordial spirit and form a core formation stage. Nascent soul is a stage in cultivator one rank above core formation.

[7] 师兄 translates to ‘Martial Brother’

[8] 师弟 translates to ‘Younger Martial Brother’

[9] Note that the actual raws are 老爷 [lao ye] which sort of means ‘old man’ but in this case it’s a form of addressing her husband.

[10] 儿 is a suffix added as a form of endearment, such as a parent addressing their child.

[11] Note that in the raws it was 感阴盘 (Literally Yin Detector). It’s probably the author’s own invention of something that detects supernatural presence (aka Yin or Ghosts). Btw, I tried MTL and it says ‘vaginal disc’ so please… just no.

[12] 清骨扇 (lit. Qing Dynasty styled fan) which basically looks like this.

[13] 无尸罗 (lit. without buddist ethics) seems to be completely made up by the author.

[14] 子时 (zishi) is one of the twelve shichens zishi is between 2300-0100.

[15] 庄主 (lit. ‘Master of the Villa’)

[16] 子时 11PM - 1PM

[17] 乙丑 [yichou] is the second year of the Sexagenary Cycle.

[18] 弟弟 (lit. little brother) but could also mean referring to oneself as someone more inferior.

[19] 软饭 refers to men who rely on women financially.

[20] 秦哥 lit. ‘Big brother Qin’

[21] 剑尊 a title. Translated literally.

[22] 敷衍 refers to someone who replied in a non-committal manner in an attempt to just humour the other person. Kind of like when the person you’re speaking to keeps giving half-assed answers.

[23] 姐姐 lit Elder Sister