Formless - Part 1

Today, the headline of the Paris Daily reads: "Real Estate Mogul Luc Beroul's Only Daughter Charlotte Beroul Kidnapped at Birthday Party! Police Yet to Find Useful Clues, Wealthy Miss in Perilous Situation!!"

The fact is that for nearly half a month, nearly all major media in Paris has been dominated by similar news. The kidnapping of a rich man's child not only brings news value but also enriches the gossip of the common people. However, when dozens of top billionaires' children are successively kidnapped, the result is not necessarily the pleasure of gossip but rather a panic that swept through France and even the whole world.

Tremendous pressure, from the Elysée Palace^[1] to the Foreign Offices, has pressed down on the Paris Police Department. From the Chief of Police to the ordinary officers, everyone's hair turned gray with worry. The kidnapping cases weighing on them were not ordinary; the parents of those missing children were influential figures who could shake the global financial world with a snap of their fingers.

City of Romance, Fashion Capital, City of Luxury – these once glorious titles had become harsh jokes. In the eyes of the public, Paris was now a city of terror.

"No leads at all." André testily pushed aside the documents he had read countless times, stood up, and walked to the window. He sarcastically addressed the air outside the Paris Police Department HQ, "If this continues, the parents of those kids will probably hire an army to wipe out the Paris Police Department. Right, Liang?"

André had been a policeman for twenty years and had cracked numerous kidnapping cases. This was the first time he felt completely helpless. Without exception, the children of the rich and powerful disappeared in full view of numerous bodyguards, and the kidnappers left no trail. There were no ransom demands received afterward, which defied common sense and left the police with no starting point.

The young man sitting across from him had black hair, an Eastern face, and was leisurely sipping instant coffee while leaning back in his office chair. His tie was loosely draped over a slightly open snow-white collar, and a black suit jacket was casually thrown on the sofa, covered with a messy stack of gossip magazines.

André turned his head and realized the person behind him seemed utterly disinterested in his words. The impatient police officer stepped forward and slammed his palm onto the table, "Are you even listening to me?"

Everything on the table jumped up with the force of his slap, then settled back down with a clatter, including the man's coffee, which was scared into jumping out of the mug due to the sudden commotion and splattered on his shirt.

"Hey!" The man, awakened as if from a dream, jumped up, grabbed a tissue, and frantically wiped while exclaiming, "Senior^[2], this shirt is very expensive!"

André stared at him in silence, holding back a lot of words that finally turned into a sigh.

A week ago, the young son of a wealthy Chinese tycoon was kidnapped while touring Paris. Due to the complexity of the case and in accordance with the Sino-French Criminal Judicial Cooperation Agreement, China sent a seasoned police officer to Paris to assist in the investigation.

When André first saw Mu Yeliang^[3] standing in front of him, he simply couldn't believe that this young man who looked more handsome than a movie star could be a "seasoned police officer." His suspicions were unfortunately soon confirmed. Aside from following André around everyday like mere formality, providing occasional Chinese translation, and indulging in eating, drinking, and sleeping, Mu Yeliang seemed to have made no significant contributions. Such a person could actually become a police officer. André seriously couldn't understand how his superiors could assign him such a useless assistant.

"Senior, in many cases, the crime solving rate is inversely proportional to the temper of the investigating officer!" Mu Yeliang poured another cup of coffee, cheerfully placing it in front of André. "There must be flaws in every case; be patient!"

"I'd like to be patient, but this is a kidnapping case. Every day we delay, the victim will be in more danger. Do you have any idea of the pressure from above!" André couldn't stand Mu Yeliang's seemingly naive attitude and forcefully gulped down a large sip of coffee. "It's only been a week; there's not a single clue about the Chinese kid and now Luc Beroul's daughter has also been kidnapped. Those kidnappers are playing this game like it's a walk in the supermarket! Damn it!" The more André thought about it, the more frustrated he became, smacking himself hard on the forehead. Since the day Charlotte Beroul was kidnapped, he had barely slept for a total of three hours in three days.

Mu Yeliang sympathetically looked at André, patting his shoulder. "Senior, sometimes victory or defeat isn't about who is stronger or smarter but who can stay calm."

"What else can you do besides talking?" André got angrier as he listened.

Ring, ring, ring! The phone rang urgently. André fished the handset out from under a pile of documents, grabbing it. "Hello... What? The kidnappers sent a letter to all the parents of the victims?! Alright... I'll be right there."

Throwing the phone aside, André jumped up as if injected with adrenaline, shouting at Mu Yeliang, "Why aren't you moving yet?!"

"Where to?" Mu Yeliang asked, bewildered.

"Mortier HQ, DGSE!" André grabbed the back of his collar, dragging the kid towards the door without hesitation.

"DGSE^[4]? France's external intelligence headquarters? Hey, hey! Senior, slow down! I haven't grabbed my jacket yet!"

---

Footnotes:

[1] The Élysée Palace is the official residence of the President of the French Republic.

[2] Mu Yeliang actually uses 大叔 which translates to uncle. In Asian countries, it's common for younger individuals to address older people with a term equivalent to "uncle" or "auntie" as a sign of respect, even if they are not biologically related, reflecting a cultural norm of showing respect to elders.

[3] 穆 野 凉. Mu is a surname; as a word it means calm, solemn. 野 means limit, field, wild. 凉 means cool, cold, to let something cool down.

[4] Directorate-General for External Security (French: Direction générale de la Sécurité extérieure, DGSE) is France's foreign intelligence agency, equivalent to the British MI6 and the American CIA. The DGSE HQ is located at 141 Boulevard Mortier in the 20th arrondissement in Paris.

---

Translator:

Luc Beroul is translated from 吕克 贝鲁尔. If you know which name this transliteration (贝鲁尔) stands for, do let me know.

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Formless - Introduction

"I'm going to Paris tomorrow."

"That's not a big deal. Is it necessary to specifically tell me?"

"You might not see me for a long time..."

"I've never seen you before!"

"...You're so frank."

"Although the dessert shop is just a small business, I'm still an honest businesswoman."

"..."

It's so hot this summer. The sound of cicadas continues non-stop until dusk, making people impetuous.

It's summer vacation now, and business at the store has slowed down a lot. With nothing to do, I decided to embrace a low-carbon lifestyle, moved a rattan chair to the courtyard, shook a palm-leaf fan, and gazed at the stars.

There are two cups of tea on the coffee table next to me, one is mine, and the other belongs to the person who had just left. Her cup is empty. She's the only person I have ever seen who can drink Fleeting Life in one gulp without even wrinkling her brow.

Fatty, holding a tub of vanilla ice cream, drifted out from behind me and asked in a slurred voice, "Boss, who were you talking to just now?"

I lifted my teacup nonchalantly, "I've been alone here the whole time."

"Impossible..." Fatty blinked his small eyes and grabbed Skinny, who had been pilfering food from the kitchen, to confirm, "You also saw it just now, right? The person sitting opposite Boss?"

Wiping the greasy residue off his mouth, Skinny shot Fatty a cold glance, "What is it?"

"That person was even wrapped in thick gray cloth, like a mummy, right?" Fatty gestured.

"Yeah, so what?" Skinny impatiently pushed away Fatty's hand. There are freaks aplenty visiting 'Unceasing.' A weirdo bundled up like a mummy in summer is nothing to fuss about.

"The problem is..." Fatty leaned in and whispered into Skinny's ear, "Boss said she's the only one here just now. Is she suffering from heatstroke, or possession, or did she hit menopause early?" Before he could finish speaking, Fatty yelped as my slipper landed squarely on his head.

"Damn Fatty, I'll definitely make you suffer a paralyzing stroke before I'm possessed!" I yawned, turned to the side, and leaned back in the chair, closing my eyes for a nap. Fatty and Skinny made a quick escape.

Neither Fatty nor Skinny were hallucinating. The person who had just sat across from me was undeniably real. And I hadn't lied; she was in front of me, but she is nothing at all. If you peel away the cloth she is wrapped in, you'll find only air.

My feelings toward her are somewhat contradictory. I know her ins and outs, and over the years, I've alternated between disdain and admiration. That year, she asked me, "What do you want for your birthday?"

I laughed, "Can I ask for anything?" I know she considers me a confidante, and even if I ask for the stars in the sky, she'll pluck them for me. She nodded hard as expected.

"Then give me a real Lu Ah-Cang." She stared blankly for a long time, forced a smile, and left sadly.

Yes, her name is Lu Ah-Cang. The cang in yincang…

---

Translator:

Our new character is called 陆 阿 藏. Lù (surname); lù means shore, land, continent. As explained in previous arcs, 阿 is a prefix. 藏 can mean zàng: storehouse, depository, Buddhist or Taoist scripture;  藏 can also mean cáng: to conceal; to hide away. So Shaluo is making it clear that the name is the character 藏 from 隐藏; yǐn cáng means to hide, to lie low.

The last line is something like this: Yes, her name is Lu Hidey, the hidey in hidey-hole…

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Lingxi - Part 6

Today marks one month since the Ding Xiaocuo crossing-the-portal incident. In the evening, Jiu Jue came to my "Unceasing" again to freeload a meal.

"Yue Lao asked you to take care of Ding Xiaocuo for nine hundred years?" I know this chap Jiu Jue. After a few drinks, he'll gossip about anything with me.

"That old guy is one of the very few old ba*tards in the heavens who don't annoy me," Jiu Jue nodded, nibbling on honey-glazed chicken wings in his hand. "He treasures that girl Ding Xiaocuo a lot."

"Yue Lao also tampered with the Lingxi sword." I smiled.

"Ding Xiaocuo messed with the red threads and disrupted mortal love affairs. She definitely couldn't continue to stay in the heavens. If we didn't send her to take refuge in the human world, she would have been caught and jailed in Heavenly Prison for the rest of her life sooner or later. But fortunately, Yue Lao sealed all of Ding Xiaocuo's memories about Beitang Ken in that Lingxi sword she brought back. Otherwise, with this level of emotional trauma, Ding Xiaocuo would definitely have become a tragic figure in front of me for nine hundred years. Who can bear that?" He happily chewed on, "However, no matter what, if it weren't for Yue Lao's showing mercy and taking away her memories, this girl, even if not severely punished by the heavens, would have been tormented to death by her own actions. You know, no matter how severe a wound is, it'll heal one day. But regrets are different; they will follow you until the end of your life. Nine hundred years ago, watching her beloved man die in front of her, this kind of pain and regret is hard for anyone to bear."

I took a sip of wine and said, "Ding Xiaocuo has more than just Yue Lao to thank; there's also you, the pervert."

"I haven't done much. Just borrowed the Vermilion Bird Lamp from the Time-observing Fairy to let my stupid disciple play around with time travel," he shrugged indifferently, attacking the spicy ribs. "If, in the end, she still refuses to use her true self to appear in front of him, I can only sigh over my failed experiment and admit that fate is unalterable."

I may not be from the heavens, but I know that the Vermilion Bird Lamp in the hands of the Time-observing Fairy, capable of traversing time, only lights up once every nine hundred years. If one wants to use it, they need two things: first, friendship and second, the cost. Although he had a good relationship with the fairy, extracting the magic power of time-reversal from the Vermilion Bird Lamp, disguising it as a charm, and borrowing my hand to quietly send Ding Xiaocuo back nine hundred years required him to expend not only time but also at least a century of cultivation. "Is it worth doing all this for a stupid disciple?" I chuckled, "You don't look like such a kind person at all."

"I told you, I'm just conducting an experiment. I just want to see if events that have already happened, the so-called predetermined fate, can really be changed." Jiu Jue wiped his mouth and burped, "Besides, Yue Lao told me that the woman connected to Beiting Ken's original red thread that was cut off... is that idiot Ding Xiaocuo! Fated union between a demon and a mortal only happens once every five hundred years! Tell me, how can someone be so foolish that they cut their own marriage thread without even looking at it, causing so much trouble!"

"Are you sure Ding Xiaocuo's current situation is as you expect?" I asked the most crucial question. Jiu Jue's usual sly smile appeared on his lips, "I'm not sure. I only know that if this stupid disciple continues to be like she was nine hundred years ago, choosing to retreat rather than advance because of her appearance, then her subsequent fate won't change. She'll be taken back by Yue Lao and end up in my hands again. But you see, she still hasn't come back until now."

"Since the moment you sent her back, you haven't thought about bringing her back, have you?" I snatched the last piece of ribs from the plate, "You, this shifu, are destined to be cast beyond the clouds^[1]."

"So what. She has been making my bed, folding my blankets, cooking, and doing my laundry for so many years. There's still a bit of sentiment there. This..." he heaved a sigh, glanced at the calendar, and said self-deprecatingly, "Let's just treat this as the last Children's Day gift from teacher to disciple."

"Well, to compensate for the sadness in your heart over losing your disciple, I won't charge you for hiring me as an accomplice." I raised my glass to him, "To the most perverse and kind shifu in history; cheers!"

Northern Song Dynasty, the fifth year of Qianxing^[2], a ranch twenty miles north of Yanmen Pass.

"Gave birth! Gave birth! Little Black gave birth!!" A young woman dressed as a female farm worker, jubilantly shouted in the stable.

"Hush! Why so noisy!" A man with a felt hat and handsome features, crouched in front of a mare that had just given birth, and glared at the woman, "You're going to scare them!"

"Oh, sorry." The woman quickly covered her mouth, squatting down beside the man, "Husband, I'm just too happy! It's like I gave birth to a child myself!"

"Er..." The man looked at his wife very seriously, "I don't know if the child born to a demon and a mortal will be what you often say... a half-demon^[3]?"

"Who curses their own child like that!" The woman grabbed a handful of hay and threw it at her husband's head, angrily saying, "If I had known earlier, I would've never come back to you! Perhaps the heavens should have just let a heartless guy like you be scared to death by my appearance back then!"

"Have you forgotten what my title was back then? The Jade-Faced Ghost King, not afraid of even the fugly and formidable centipede demon, would be afraid of you, a foolish lingxi who is incompetent in both pen and sword?" The man gave her a disdainful look, then smiled, pulling her into his arms. His tone suddenly softened, "Fortunately, you came back."

Ding Xiaocuo still had lingering fears. On that snowy night, she could only vaguely feel that she had to find him, and had to appear in front of him. However, after she changed back to her true form, she almost chose to retreat, just like nine hundred years ago. She was afraid that her love would be ruined by her ugly appearance, and the sudden and deep inferiority complex made her panic. However, a voice in her heart kept shouting — Go over! Go over! It doesn't matter if he dislikes me, it's okay if he's repulsed, I just want him to live well! Beiting Ken's anxious calls finally stopped her from retreating. She appeared in front of him, in her true form, before he encountered the real enemy.

He instinctively raised his sword. "I am... Ding Xiaocuo," she looked into his eyes and said only this. Her shifu had said, "Heart has eyes; eyes have heart." The two stared at each other for a long time. He lowered his Lingxi sword and walked toward her. In his eyes, she saw herself; not an ugly lingxi, but her own winsomely smiling face.

When Zhao Zhi's subordinates led the Khitan people back to the original location, the snowy landscape was desolate, with only the unconscious Ye Nichang lying there.

Three years later, she regained her human form and became his wife. A ranch, livestock, a free life under the vast sky; the fantasies on the haystack that day became a reality.

The Lingxi sword went from being one sword to two. In fact, it was originally a pair of male and female swords fused together. Beiting Ken and Ding Xiaocuo opened it not for the key to the treasure but for the convenience of the couple having one sword each for chopping down trees for firewood. This sword was truly fast and proved to be a handy tool for farm work!

Oh, by the way, the last point in "Yue Lao's Guide to Love" says — no matter what you become, in the eyes of the one who truly loves you, you will always see yourself at your most beautiful moment. As long as you're alive, there's a chance for change. People who reject themselves before others do are the most foolish. Cast away your feelings of inferiority, take one more step, and you'll be able to see how beautiful the sunset over the desert is.

The above is Ding Xiaocuo's insight learned through experience.

---

Footnotes:

[1] Completely abandoned, neglected, or left far away.

[2] 1022 A.D.

[3] Beitang uses the word 人妖 which literally translates to human-demon. This term is often used colloquially in (modern) Chinese to refer to transgender individuals. This term is generally derogatory and can mean bad/strange person, man-made disaster, tranny, she-male.

---

Translator:

In case you're confused with the timeline:

DX goes to the mortal realm-> She meets BK, uses her powers to learn about him-> Returns to Heaven, cuts BK's red thread and ties it to YN(the person Baitang Ken hates the most)-> She has interfered in mortal affairs so Yue Lao sends her to the mortal realm to correct her mistake-> She meets the grownup BK. She turns into her true form (a lingxi) because of using her powers. So she doesn't respond to BK when he's looking for her. BK dies. She returns to Heaven along with the Lingxi sword-> Yue Lao seals her memories in the Lingxi sword and sends her to Jiu Jue. She becomes his disciple and stays with him for 900 years-> Jiu Jue sends her back in time-> She faces BK in her true form and stays with him this time around.

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Lingxi - Part 5

She got out of bed, dragged out a rectangular gold-lacquered wooden box from underneath, and placed it in front of Beitang Ken: "The masked man threatened me before your arrival. He insisted that I must keep you here and personally hand this box to you. He... he forced me to swallow a pill. If I obeyed, he would give me the antidote. If I refused, my appearance would be completely ruined within three days. I..."

"Get behind me," Beitang Ken interrupted her, then slowly opened the gold-lacquered wooden box. A familiar light flashed, it was not a hidden weapon or a poisonous mist; lying in the wooden box was his own Lingxi sword! Beitang Ken was startled and grabbed the Lingxi sword, his five fingers sinking deeply into the grooves on the hilt.

"Ah?! Is it really the Lingxi sword?!" Ye Nichang turned pale, and she reached out in surprise, placing her five fingers in the remaining five grooves on the hilt. The Lingxi sword was thus naturally held by the two of them at the same time.

"Beitang Ken, let go! Ye Nichang will use you again!" The door of their room banged open, and Ding Xiaocuo, panting heavily, shouted. Beitang Ken stared at this girl who was yelling like a madman with confusion.

On the other hand, Ye Nichang seemed as if she hadn't noticed Ding Xiaocuo at all, just staring blankly at the Lingxi sword and murmuring, "Why... no response at all?" Her nails were almost digging into the sword hilt, "Impossible... impossible..."

"The Beitang family's Lingxi sword can only be opened by Beitang Ken and a woman who truly shares a heart-to-heart connection with him!" Ding Xiaocuo angrily pointed at her. "You'll never understand what a heart-to-heart connection is; you only exploit him!"

"You..." Ye Nichang's face turned deathly pale. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Ding Xiaocuo squinted at Ye Nichang disdainfully. "The one you admire has always been that old man named Zhao Zhi!"

Ye Nichang was struck as if by lightning. Her previously calm and charming demeanor vanished in an instant, and forgetting herself, she shouted, "What did you say?"

"The fourth son of Emperor Zhenzong^[1], Prince Xin: Zhao Zhi^[2], the older brother of the current emperor," Ding Xiaocuo's tone was certain. "Many years ago, he failed in his attempt to seize the throne and was exiled beyond the Great Wall. However, his ambition to become the emperor never died. He colluded with the Khitans while searching for the underground treasure left by Taizu^[3] Zhao Kuangyin outside the Great Wall. Once successful, he plans to work hand in glove with the Khitans externally and use the treasure as military funds internally to easily conquer the Imperial City. And the key to the treasure is hidden in the Lingxi sword!"

Ye Nichang rushed at Ding Xiaocuo as if possessed, but Beitang Ken grabbed her. "Continue," he urged.

Beitang Ken remained strangely calm. Ding Xiaocuo walked up to him with a throwing caution to the wind attitude, and continued, "Your family has been the Royal Swordsmith for generations. In the past, under the command of Taizu, the Beitang family forged the Lingxi sword and concealed the key to the treasure within it. After Taizu's passing, the Beitang family, following a secret imperial edict, has guarded this sword from generation to generation to protect the treasure from falling into the wrong hands. Ye Nichang's father was originally a Khitan spy infiltrating the Song kingdom. Zhao Zhi has had dealings with the Ye family for a long time, and upon learning that the key to the treasure was within the Lingxi sword, he, aware of your, the Jade-Faced Ghost King's, exceptional skills, feared it would be impossible to snatch it by force. Hence, he began planning a perfect kidnapping, with the full cooperation of Ye Nichang of course."

Ye Nichang's breathing became erratic, and even cold sweat broke out on her nose. Ding Xiaocuo disdainfully added, "You've never truly liked Beitang Ken. In your eyes, he'll always be nothing more than a tool to obtain countless treasures for you! Even if he were to bring you all the treasures in the world, you'll not be satisfied. What you truly desire is to become the empress of the nation and wield power over the world!"

"I..." Ye Nichang's body began to tremble. She looked in horror at Beitang Ken who was frozen like a statue, "Don't... don't listen to her nonsense! It's not like that!"

"Isn't this exactly what Zhao Zhi promised you? Once he becomes the emperor, you would be the empress, the mother of the nation. This kind of man is your 'love,'" Ding Xiaocuo mercilessly pushed on, "You guys thought that by knowing the location of the hidden treasure beneath this stone house and obtaining the Lingxi sword, everything would fall into place. However, you didn't anticipate that this sword couldn't be opened by sheer force! The ten indentations on the hilt weren't designed for aesthetics but were prepared for the descendant of the Beitang family and his true soulmate. Only when both of them simultaneously place their fingers in the indentations can it be opened. You've always been confident in Beitang Ken's feelings for you, thinking you're the only one in his life. So, you continued acting, 'painstakingly waiting' for Beitang Ken to come and rescue you. Once he arrived at the stone house, you planned to deceive him into opening the sword with you, obtaining the key!" Ding Xiaocuo paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "In case of any obstacles, you even considered cutting off his arm to fulfill your ambition of becoming the empress!"

"You..." Ye Nichang's face was almost green, as if she had been stripped naked in public. She shouted uncontrollably, "Who the hell are you?"

"I am..." Ding Xiaocuo's brain worked quickly, "I am just born with divine power. Believe it or not, I can pry into people's hearts."

Pry into people's hearts? She didn't appear to be joking. Both Ye Nichang and Beitang Ken were startled. Ding Xiaocuo smiled, "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is, Ye Nichang, you don't deserve his affection. If you truly love each other, the Lingxi sword wouldn't have remained unresponsive just now!"

A deathly silence filled the room. "Beitang, do you... do you believe her?" Ye Nichang rushed to hug him. "After all these years of knowing me, do you really believe her?"

Beitang Ken stared into Ye Nichang's eyes, pushed her away, and said, "I don't know the secret of the Lingxi sword, nor do I know how to unlock it. My parents never mentioned it. I just wanted to come and save you. The Ye family raised me, and I don't want to say anything more... just go." For no reason, he believed every word Ding Xiaocuo said. There was a kind of honesty in her eyes, in her demeanor, that made him see the truth. He wasn't saddened by being deceived, nor did he harbor resentment; he was actually a little relieved.

"You bi*ch! You ruined my plan!" Seeing Beitang Ken treat her this way, Ye Nichang went mad and charged at Ding Xiaocuo, knocking her to the ground. Just as Beitang Ken moved forward to intervene, a gust of cold wind swept in from the doorway, extinguishing all the lights in the room.

When the lamps were lit up again, Beitang Ken discovered that both Ding Xiaocuo and Ye Nichang were nowhere to be found.

"Sir, please stay Sir!" Ye Nichang staggered on the icy ground on the empty land, chasing after the masked man and hugging his leg, pleading, "I'm Beitang Ken's fiancée, the woman he loves most in this life! I can definitely open the Lingxi sword! Please tell the prince to give Nichang another chance! Nichang can definitely..."

"The prince will find another way. Miss doesn't need to trouble herself about opening the Lingxi sword anymore," the masked man interrupted, coldly pushing Ye Nichang away, then disappearing into the snowy wind.

"No... No!" Ye Nichang lay prone on the ground, her heartbreaking screams of a beast shot in the heart by a hunter. Ding Xiaocuo rubbed her neck, coughing as she sat up from the snowy ground. When the masked man appeared earlier, Ye Nichang was gripping her neck desperately, and somehow, he managed to lift her away as well.

"You bi*ch!" Ye Nichang turned around, her eyes red, and despairingly lunged at Ding Xiaocuo. "It's you! If not for you, I would have been the future Empress of the Song Dynasty, bringing honor to my ancestors! Bi*ch! Bi*ch!" Despair made Ye Nichang's strength become unusually immense. Straddling Ding Xiaocuo, she tightly clamped her neck, seeking to kill to vent her hatred.

Ye Nichang, you and Beitang Ken should never have had any connection at all! It was my youthful ignorance, fueled by resentment, that bound Beitang Ken to you with a red thread! Beitang Ken's feelings for you are just forcibly imposed by that red thread, existing only in name but lacking substance, tangible but without true emotion! I'm originally a lingxi, having come to this world only to rectify Beitang Ken’s fated marriage, which I ruined! Ding Xiaocuo struggled, and the things that had been stirring in the depths of her heart finally surfaced. Memories dormant for nine hundred years surged forth like a lightning storm, striking every vein in Ding Xiaocuo's body.

A ball of white light burst from Ding Xiaocuo's feet, rapidly spreading throughout her body. Wherever the white light passed, her clothes dissolved, revealing thick scales on her exposed skin. A wave of intense heat lifted Ding Xiaocuo into the air. Ye Nichang covered her mouth in shock, watching Ding Xiaocuo spin uncontrollably in the air. The intense light turned half the night sky into daylight!

When Ye Nichang opened her eyes again, there was no trace of Ding Xiaocuo. Standing before her was a monster she had never seen before — a creature with the body of a tiger, the head of an ox, the feet of an elephant, and snow-white scales covering its entire body, with a curved horn growing from its forehead, marked with a white stripe in the middle. It looked not only strange but also incredibly grotesque. The monster shook its head, emitting an unpleasant low growl from its throat, and its forelegs anxiously kicked the ground.

"You... you..." After Ye Nichang regained her senses, she stared blankly at the monster in front of her. After a while, she suddenly burst into insane laughter, clapping her hands and shouting at it, "You're actually a monster! A monster! I see! Oh, I see!"

The monster's small eyes observed this almost deranged woman, and hot air puffed out from its nose. "You're so ugly! He won't like a monster! Hahaha!" Ye Nichang clapped loudly. "Heaven has eyes! Ugly monster! You'll scare everyone away! Everyone!" She actually started singing in excitement, happily spinning in place.

"Ugly monster! Ugly monster! Shame shame shame! Haha, I can be the empress! I can be the empress!" She laughed and cried, collapsing on the ground in a faint.

The monster lowered its head, hesitated for a moment, then quickly ran towards the stone forest.

She almost remembered everything.

Yue Lao's Palace, being a matchmaker, and cutting Beitang Ken's red thread. From the first day she traveled back to the Northern Song Dynasty and encountered him, the path she walked, the things she did — this entire trajectory existed as early as nine hundred years ago. Virtually the same, and different routes to the same destination. Nine hundred years ago, to atone for her own mistakes, she descended to the Mortal Realm and met Beitang Ken. Nine hundred years later, she returned to the past to make up for her mistake, and once again encountered Beitang Ken. The trajectory of nine hundred years and the fate nine hundred years later overlapped because of the lost Lingxi sword.

Yue Lao had warned that when rectifying this mistake, she must not use her magic powers, or her human form would be lost and her true form revealed, irrecoverable for three years. In the stone house, she had used the powers of a lingxi to pry into Ye Nichang's heart and learn all the truths. With little regard for anything else, she had only one thought: Save him! Beitang Ken, leave Endless Plains! Don't seek me! Don't go up that mountain wall!

From afar, she saw him. In the faint light on the horizon.

His black attire stood out vividly against the snowy landscape, and he shouted her name loudly. Filled with joy and anticipation, she was about to take a step when she suddenly halted.

"Monsters are really so ugly and disgusting," he had said. "He won't like a monster!" Ye Nichang's mocking laughter still echoed in her ears. She was a demon, an ugly lingxi; a fact that would never change. Beitang Ken, the outstanding Jade-faced Ghost King, who hoped to herd cattle beyond the Great Wall and roam the world with someone by his side, would not choose an ugly monster…

In her heart, the deepest fear of her lifetime emerged. Her steps involuntarily began to retreat. Three years; she would come back to find him in three years. If, at that time, he still remembered her... she turned away before he discovered her.

The next day, she kept feeling uneasy and wanted to go see him, to check if he was still searching for her whereabouts in the Endless Plains. Passing through the stone forest, she was shocked by the bodies and blood strewn everywhere. Most of the dead were Khitan soldiers, with a few Han people among them. She ran wildly along the blood trail, chasing all the way to the mountain wall that resembled a thrusting sword. The accumulated snow on the ground had been torn apart by some sharp force, revealing the soil underneath. The masked man leaned against a large stone, his body stiff, one of his arms severed, and a deep wound on his throat. And he… Half kneeling on the ground, a bloody hole exposed in his chest, he was tightly holding the Lingxi sword in his right hand; he had plunged it deeply into the ground, supporting him from falling.

She walked up to him dazedly. His eyes were open, stubbornly fixed on the direction she had walked. Beitang Ken was dead.

---

Footnotes:

[1] He was the third emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty. He ruled from 997-1022 A.D.

[2] Zhao Zhi is the name while Prince Xin is the title. Xin means trust or faith, so ironically, he is the Trustworthy Prince.  

[3] Taizu means Great Ancestor, a posthumous title for Zhao Kuangyin, the founder of the Song dynasty.

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Lingxi - Part 4

On the third day, they encountered a group of bandits on the dusty and narrow mountain road, who were in the midst of robbing a caravan. The bandits were violently attacking the men in the caravan and groping the women. Unable to stand by, she jumped out to play the hero, but caused chaos and ended up being chased by the bandits, shouting for help.

After dealing with the bandits, Beitang Ken told her that if you're unskilled, don't try to save others; there are endless troubles in the world. She replied, "I'll handle as much as I can." Letting someone die without helping would make her feel guilty, she explained. He shook his head.

On the fifth day, they stayed overnight at a farmhouse. She volunteered to cook dinner and, after a few hours, not only did the food completely disappear, but she also managed to burn down the kitchen. He paid for the damages. That night, she knocked on his door, presenting a sweet potato roasted beyond recognition, claiming it was the most successfully roasted one from the ones she had stolen from the field. It was compensation for causing him to miss dinner earlier. He looked at her face covered in soot, dumbfounded.

On the tenth day, they, travel-worn, passed through a marketplace. Her eyes were glued to the dazzling array of goods, especially the well-made women's clothing with a distinct nomadic style which she couldn't look away from.

He bought a set for her. A snowy white and thick gown, with cloud patterns embroidered in gold along the edges. She draped a cloak over herself, flipped the hat with its fluffy fur-lined edge over her head, and the purest colors accentuated her porcelain-like face. Grabbing the hat brim, she grinned at him, saying thank you, it looks really good. He had never seen any woman smile as unattractively as she did. Yet, surprisingly, he found himself liking it a little.

On the way forward, her new clothes fluttered in the wind, carrying her unique fragrance — faint and lingering, unlike any cosmetics. Leaning in the crook of his arm, she remained noisy, saying whatever came to her mind — her drunkard master, the tree demon witch, Avatar. That world was beyond his comprehension, and he unexpectedly felt a subtle sense of loss.

On the twentieth day, they were not far from Yanmen Pass. They took a rest in a village on the way to replenish their supplies of water and food. The villagers were simple and hospitable, and sniffling children giggled around them, curiously observing the two foreigners.

The desert sunset was more striking than anywhere else. The undulating lines on the ground extended towards the distant horizon, blending with the hues of the sky to form a perfect composition. She shared candy with the children, played and frolicked with them, teaching them a song that sounded like pleasant goat Jonie^[1]. A few lambs by the earthen wall bleated, turning their heads in the direction of the singing. Smoke from kitchen chimneys rose in spirals from the village, and he and she sat side by side on a hay stack next to an earthen wall. In the boundless desert lonely smokes rise straight; over an endless river the sun sinks round^[2]; watching the poetic scenery before them, their hearts couldn't help but expand with a sense of openness.

"Build a small house here and surround it with a fence. Then, farm a piece of land behind to grow vegetables," she tilted her head and swayed her feet, casually yet earnestly gesturing, "and over there, build a barn for cows, a pen for sheep, a coop for chickens and so on, and also keep a shepherd dog. Then I'll lead the flock to graze every day, and while the sheep eat grass, I'll sit on the hillside reading with my dog running around in front." She spoke with increasing enthusiasm, her cheeks stealing bright roses in the sunset. "Of course, it's best to have someone by my side. We'll herd horses and sheep, work at sunrise, rest at sunset; go on a trip every now and then, visit bustling markets, or return to the lively city for some indulgence, experience a bit of worldly warmth, and then come back to our home, continuing our tranquil and peaceful life."

"Later, this house will become a ranch because we'll have more and more animals. There's a fool who cooks terrible food every day, and then pesters the other person like a crow, making noise all the time. One day, he's frantically helping a mare give birth, and looking at the newborn foal, she ends up crying and laughing at the same time," he watched her with a wistful face, naturally taking over the narrative, and pointed ahead, "Right there, she jumps around as if she's gone mad." His demeanor was composed, as if he truly saw the scene he was describing.

"How can I have such a corrupt image!" She glared at him then immediately froze, saying, "Hey, these words don't sound like something the Jade-faced Ghost King should say, do they?"

"This kind of life is good," he said, reclining on the hay, taking a deep breath, contentedly gazing at the sky. Though it was a response, it seemed more like he was talking to himself.

Throughout the journey, under her persistent questioning, he intermittently told her many things. This included his identity, Ye Nichang, and the fact that they were about to get married. Who he married shouldn't concern her, right? All she had to do was firmly "stick" to him and retrieve the Lingxi sword so that she could return to her own world. Nothing here would leave any trace in her life. Because that's how it should be. But why were some ingrained thoughts, things that seemed impossible to change, now starting to waver, as if melted by the evening sun? The life she imagined, with a wooden house, a fence, a flock of sheep, and the person by her side, suddenly shifted from a light and ethereal nothingness to something with weight, slowly sinking into her heart. If it could really be a vast and open sky, riding on a bumpy horse, and peaceful years; if they could truly understand and cherish each other, growing old hand in hand... then what did it matter whether she found the Lingxi sword or returned to her world?! She startled herself with these thoughts and quickly changed the subject, "You must love your fiancée very much."

"Before I was ten, I even hated her." He fell silent for a moment, then smiled. "My parents were old friends with the Ye family. After they passed away, Nichang's father found me from a mass of beggars and brought me back. At that time, she was a wealthy heiress, arrogant and domineering, ordering me around all day. Later, maybe due to age, the feelings between us changed. She became gentler towards me, and I always wanted to give her the best. Does that count as love?"

She shook her head. "I don't know either." He looked away, waiting for the tired horse to eat and drink its fill before they resumed their journey. In reality, he wanted to stay and build a ranch, follow where his heart led, watch the clouds roll and unwind, be truly free — that was his most genuine wish. He had mentioned it to Ye Nichang long ago, only to be ridiculed by her for lacking ambition. What she wanted and what he wanted had never been the same.

Ding Xiaocuo imitated him, lying down and looking at the sky, humming a few lines from an old song repeatedly—

I think of the way you described your dream paradise,

pointing your finger into the distance and drawing room after room.

Your silly smile was so honest,

Our promise started at that moment.^[3]

He had never heard such a tune, but he found himself liking the lyrics and her calm humming. Strangely, in that imagined life, the person riding with him through wind and snow wasn't Ye Nichang.

In "Yue Lao's Guide to Love," there is a saying — when you fall in love with someone, you naturally agree with and continue their dreams, even if it's just a seemingly casual chat.

The Endless Plains were densely covered with countless tall and strange natural stone pillars, isolating the barren land into a maze of intersecting paths. It was noon when they arrived.

Beitang Ken slowed down, threading through the two ferocious-looking giant stones on the north side. Ding Xiaocuo's brows had never been so deeply furrowed. The moment they entered this stone forest, an uncomfortable oppression, like a rough hand tightly gripping her heart, made her a little breathless.

The weather wasn't bad, but this place was devoid of sunlight. The bizarre and rugged stone pillars around them resembled lurking monsters, hidden in a color of lifelessness, emitting a dangerous scent. However, Ding Xiaocuo's discomfort wasn't due to fear but sadness. It was like a drop of ink falling into water, spreading into a gloomy cloud from a single point. Especially when they emerged from the stone forest, and a mountain wall resembling a drawn sword pointed directly at the sky, the sadness became suddenly overwhelming. That sword-like mountain wall pierced not through the empty air but her heart! She hastily turned her head away, not daring to look at it again as cold sweat formed in her palms. Beitang Ken sensed that something was amiss with her.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she breathed unevenly in his arms, shivering.

"Ah... nothing," she quickly shook her head, trying to dodge the question, "Maybe I'm a little horse-sick..." Only Ding Xiaocuo could coin the term "horse sick" in the whole world! Beitang Ken burst into laughter. Ding Xiaocuo was momentarily stunned; this was the first time she heard him laugh like that. Without looking back, she buried her head even lower. The further they went, the more uneasy she felt.

A grand fortress-like mansion built of stone appeared domineeringly in their sight. Who would construct such a luxurious house in this wilderness? Ding Xiaocuo clicked her tongue. A figure approached them from afar.

Ye Nichang was indeed a stunning woman. Beautiful with an air of nobility, beautiful with sharpness. Even her gaze seemed to carry rose thorns. She threw herself into Beitang Ken's arms, complaining, "What took you so long?"

"Are you okay?" he lightly supported her arms, discreetly creating a bit of distance between them.

Ye Nichang shook her head, her gaze shifting to Ding Xiaocuo behind him, frowning. "Who is she?"

"Friend. I promised to lend her the Lingxi sword." He never concealed anything from Ye Nichang. Ding Xiaocuo smiled perfunctorily at Ye Nichang. She didn't like this woman, just like she didn't like this Endless Plains. Jealousy?! The word was a bit scarier than time travel, not entirely fitting. Beitang Ken, Ye Nichang, these two names suddenly seemed to be engraved like branding irons in her brain.

Beitang Ken... Ye Nichang... That fish is mine! I know your name is Beitang Ken! I also know who you hate the most! Fragmented sentences gradually echoed in Ding Xiaocuo's buzzing ears.

In front of her, Ye Nichang was expressing her anger towards him, vehemently opposing Beitang Ken lending the Lingxi sword to Ding Xiaocuo. Beitang Ken neither nodded nor shook his head.

The man behind them, dressed in black robes and his head wrapped in a scarf, stood respectfully. He had welcomed them outside just now, guiding them into the house, traversing through winding corridors and passing through dozens of doors before reaching this incredibly spacious domed room. The furniture inside was luxurious and splendid, with everything needed available. A long-legged bronze flying crane lamp was burning in every corner.

"My master has instructed me to take good care of Miss Nichang and wait for the arrival of Master Beitang," the masked man bowed his head, "The master also ordered that, due to adverse weather conditions at night, distant guests should rest for the night and continue their journey tomorrow morning."

"No need. We’ll leave now," Beitang Ken clasped his fists towards the masked man. "Thanks for your care. Farewell." Just as he was about to leave, his arm was grabbed by Ye Nichang. She frowned slightly and covered her chest, saying, "Beitang, I..." Before she could finish, she fainted in Beitang Ken's arms.

"Nichang!" He quickly carried her to the bed and lay her down, anxiously calling her name.

"Miss Nichang has a delicate constitution and is already infected with the cold. Adding to the joy of reuniting with Master Beitang overwhelmed her for a moment. There's no need for the gentleman to worry. After I prepare a bowl of ginseng soup for Miss, she should wake up in a few days," the masked man approached to check Ye Nichang's pulse, then continued, "If the gentleman insists on leaving, I will prepare an extra winter coat for Miss Nichang to guard against the cold outside and prevent further harm."

After a brief consideration, Beitang Ken waved his hand at him and looked at Ding Xiaocuo, who had been silent all this time. "Let's rest here for the night. We'll be on our way again once Nichang has recovered."

Spending the night in the kidnapper's territory felt so awkward. The light from the bronze lamp flickered strangely, and thin white smoke wafted out from the lampshade, resembling white snakes gracefully wriggling in the air, unsettling Ding Xiaocuo's mind. Trap! Don't stay here! She wanted to shout. But when the words came out, they turned into, "Alright..."

"This young lady, please follow me to another guest room," the masked man walked up to Ding Xiaocuo. "This way, please."

"Ding Xiaocuo." Beitang Ken suddenly looked up. "Stay by my side. Don't go anywhere." She turned her head, slightly surprised. Perhaps she was being overly suspicious, but she happened to see Ye Nichang lying on the bed furrowing her brows — not in pain, but in anger.

"Oh, it's okay. You stay here to take care of her. It's not good for me to stick around here." She chuckled at him and then turned to the masked man, saying, "Please lead the way."

Beitang Ken rushed up in a single stride, grabbing her arm and scolding in a whisper, "Do you know where you are?"

"I'm just a bystander and have nothing to do with this kidnapping case. No one should harm me, right?" She said nonchalantly, then leaned towards his ear. "But I'll remind you, don't forget what you promised me."

"Fine." He looked into her bright and determined eyes and let go of her arm. "Watch yourself." He couldn't keep her after all. Before leaving the room, she looked back at him again, and found that he was also looking at her.

Late at night, heavy snow fell on Endless Plains, instantly turning the whole expanse white. A squad of Khitan^[4] mounted soldiers gradually approached from a distance…

A roaring fire warmed the room. Beitang Ken sat on a chair by the bed, closing his eyes to doze. Ye Nichang, who had been unconscious, opened her eyes and tentatively called out to him a few times. Beitang Ken opened his eyes, was pleased, and approached her, "Awake?"

"Beitang..." Ye Nichang's face was tense.

"What's wrong?" Beitang Ken asked.

---

Footnotes:

[1] Jonie is a character in the Chinese cartoon series "Pleasant Goat and Big Gray Wolf" and its derivative works.

[2] From the poem: On Mission to the Frontier (North of Great Wall), by Wang Wei.

[3] Lyrics from the song “Awaken” by Na Ying. YouTube link.

[4] An ethnic group in ancient China.

Previous ┃ TOC ┃ Next

Lingxi - Part 3

He did his martial arts meditation, and she quietly watched from the side. The more she looked at this man's face, the less willing she was to avert her gaze. It wasn't because he was good-looking… Something strange was stirring at the bottom of her heart, wanting to unearth a long-buried seed, eager to break through the soil.

The place Beiting Ken was heading to was beyond a strategic pass, a winding journey that would take about thirty days from Bianjing. His fiancée was still in the desert called "Endless Plains," waiting for him to bring her back.

Outside Bianjing City, he asked Ding Xiaocuo to stay in the capital, and after his return, he would definitely bring back the Lingxi sword. Ding Xiaocuo refused; she wanted to accompany him.

That night, he carried her on his back, leaping layer by layer from the cliff. His broad back felt every heartbeat of Ding Xiaocuo without any barrier. The bottomless cliff became nothing to fear because of his body temperature. Wasn't it just like this at some point in the past when she silently leaned on his shoulder, letting him take her in any direction? But weren't they strangers who had just met? Was there something wrong with her?

"I won't give you any trouble!" she promised, patting her chest. "Besides, the journey is long and arduous, so it's good to have someone to chat with along the way!"

"I don't like talking. I don't need anyone to accompany me to chat," he mounted his horse. "Going to Endless Plains is a long journey with dangerous terrain. It's too much for a frail child like you who can't stand a gust of wind. Wait for me at Yijian Inn." With that, without giving her a chance to object, he swiftly departed.

Over the years, he had grown accustomed to a solitary life. Jade-Faced Ghost King was the title given to him by people in the jianghu. No one in the jianghu could make Beitang Ken work for them, no matter how much they offered as payment. However, there was one exception. As long as it was something she wanted, Beitang Ken would spare no effort to obtain it for her, even if it meant taking the pearl from the emperor's crown. That person was Ye Nichang. She was the daughter of an ordinary jewelry merchant and Beitang Ken's childhood sweetheart. When Beitang Ken's parents passed away, it was Ye Nichang's father who had adopted him and even entrusted him with the apple of his eye. Later, the Ye family moved from the capital to the vicinity of Yanmen Pass for some reason, and kept away from the jianghu, avoiding worldly affairs.

Legend has it that Ye Nichang was exceptionally beautiful and enchanting, and the prodigal sons who wanted to get close to her had never ceased. However, due to Beitang Ken's reputation, these chaps dared only to admire the beauty from afar and did not have the nerve to offend her. Yet, someone finally dared to risk it all. In one night, breaking through the heavily guarded Ye residence, they kidnapped Ye Nichang. In the letter sent to Beitang Ken, there was only one demand — to exchange Ye Nichang's name and innocence for his Lingxi sword. The letter was signed by Zhao Si.

Beitang Ken had no interest in who Zhao Si was. He only wanted Ye Nichang to be safe and sound. In truth, thinking about it occasionally, being good to Ye Nichang seemed more like a habit and obligation, with seemingly little connection to romantic feelings. However, he would eventually marry her. Before Ye Nichang's father passed away, he personally promised to take care of Ye Nichang for the rest of her life. This year's Lantern Festival was supposed to be the day of their wedding, but now it seemed that the wedding date would have to be postponed. At the moment he handed over the Lingxi sword, he had a fleeting thought of reneging. This sword was a legacy left by his parents, and the last words his father said to him before passing away were, "This sword must be protected with the lives of the Beitang family!" Yet, for her sake, he had ultimately handed over the Lingxi sword. Heading to Endless Plains, Beitang Ken had a premonition of danger.

The white horse galloped, kicking up a trail of dust along the way. Under the morning light, Beitang Ken swiftly moved towards his destination. Turning onto a winding mountain road, Beitang Ken suddenly pulled the reins, and the white horse let out a sharp neigh, its front hooves lifting high in the air. If it weren't for his excellent riding skills, he might have been thrown off the horse.

Without the slightest warning, Ding Xiaocuo stood on the path he must pass, hands spread wide and her body forming the "大" character, blocking his way. The raised horse's hooves were just inches away from her. Beitang Ken thundered, "Do you want to die!"

"Take me with you," Ding Xiaocuo lowered her head and rubbed the corners of her clothes, pursing her lips as if about to cry, "I'm scared of people when alone." To deal with a domineering man like Beitang Ken, playing the pitiful card worked better than anything else.

So, on the back of the white horse, Ding Xiaocuo nestled safely in Beitang Ken's arms, and they rushed forward. As the sky gradually darkened, in the vast wilderness, aside from the sound of their horse hooves, there were distant howls of wild beasts and the cold wind that cut like a knife. Ding Xiaocuo, with her thin clothes, shivered in the cold. The wind and sand hit her face, causing stinging pain. She began to genuinely miss her home, including that hateful drunkard of a shifu. If she safely returned, she would definitely tell those silly girls who are obsessed with time-travel novels to cherish life and stay away from time-travel! Just as she was lost in these wild thoughts, Beitang Ken suddenly stopped the horse on a barren hillside.

Ding Xiaocuo turned her stiff neck and looked at him suspiciously. He released the reins and began unbuttoning his outer garment, staring at her with a rather impure look as he did so. This, this... her current identity was that of a man!!!

"Hey hey, what are you doing..." Ding Xiaocuo instinctively protected her chest, nervously shouting, "I'm not a cut-sleeve^[1]!"

With a whoosh, his outer garment "flew" over and tightly wrapped her up, and Beitang Ken also casually picked up a sleeve, winding it around her face as a makeshift mask. In a matter of seconds, Ding Xiaocuo turned into a rice dumpling^[2].

"You..." Ding Xiaocuo looked at him in surprise. "Giddyup!" he shouted, continuing on the road. The sand blown by the wind continued and the bitter cold was as before, but Ding Xiaocuo, smelling the unique scent emanating from his clothes, felt all the previous chill swept away. It was alright to just follow him, even with no purpose or direction. With his clothes to keep out the cold and his arms around her, it didn't matter where they went. Let's just keep going like this. On the bumpy back of the horse, her weary eyelids gradually grew heavy…

Before descending to the Mortal Realm, Yue Lao once told Ding Xiaocuo that "restoring" is thousands of times more difficult than "destroying." Each person has only one original red thread, and once it breaks, there is only one way to revive it — you, Ding Xiaocuo, must use every possible means to make this man's heart shift from Ye Nichang, who was mismatched to him, to yourself. Only when Beitang Ken truly falls in love with you, the instigator, will the red thread between him and Ye Nichang be severed, and the original red thread cut by you will be revived. If you fail, there's only one outcome — a life worse than death. Besides this, there's an additional condition: you cannot use any magic to interfere with his emotions. You must approach Beitang Ken as an ordinary mortal woman and make him fall in love with you.

The senior matchmakers in Yue Lao Palace advised her that to make a man fall in love with you, the more time you spend with him, the better, the so-called "love develops with time." This was the reason why she insisted on accompanying Beitang Ken to Endless Plains even if it meant risking her life. Was a month's time enough for familiarity to breed fondness?

They traveled through the night until the next evening when they finally reached a roadside inn at a fork in the path. Ding Xiaocuo, who was almost dying of hunger, was lifted down from the horse and thrown into the inn by Beitang Ken. The simple little inn had no other guests. The white-haired old man dozing by the stove quickly came to greet them when he saw new customers. The aroma of piping hot food gradually filled the air.

"Have I seen you somewhere before?" Beitang Ken twirled a pair of chopsticks in his hand, glancing at Ding Xiaocuo who was looking around, "A long time ago."

"Definitely not!" Ding Xiaocuo shook her head like a rattle drum, forcing a smile, "How can a nobody like me have the honor of being a former acquaintance of the Jade-Faced Ghost King."

He narrowed his eyes, "How do you know my alias?" Oh no, she couldn't tell him that she had thoroughly investigated his details long before she descended to the Mortal Realm.

"I heard the green-clothed woman call you Beitang Ken. Who in the jianghu doesn't know the Jade-Faced Ghost King Beitang Ken? With your handsome appearance and exceptional skills, you can't deny it!" She pretended to be calm, finishing her words before immediately turning her head away.

He smiled lightly and asked again, "You said only the Lingxi sword can save your parents. What makes you think I'll help you get the Lingxi sword back?"

"Ah, didn't you just promise me?" Ding Xiaocuo was stunned.

"I only promise those who tell the truth." Beitang Ken's gaze changed as he seized her wrist, "The reason you gave me is too low in credibility."

"Ouch!" Ding Xiaocuo let out a cry of pain and blurted out, "I mean no harm. I'm just here to help you..." As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she quickly shut up.

"Help me?" Beitang Ken pulled her closer. "Help me with what? Who are you exactly?"

"I, I..." Ding Xiaocuo stuttered, unable to say anything for a long time. Just as the two were deadlocked, a shout came, "Guests, your meal!"

Beitang Ken slowly wiped off the stains on his sword. In the chaotic roadside inn, tables and chairs were overturned, broken bowls were scattered everywhere, and a red-legged centipede half a person long lay in a pool of murky slime, with a large hole in its head, thoroughly dead. It was still encased in a split human skin, showing the outline of the white-haired old man.

There are always monsters in desolate mountains and forests. Ding Xiaocuo sniffed out a queer smell from the dishes brought by the old man. Those ordinary dishes and drinks were mixed with the centipede demon's venom. Beitang Ken should thank her because she stopped him from eating that fragrant braised beef in time. Of course, she should be even more thankful to Beitang Ken for his extraordinary swordsmanship. Her superficial martial arts were no match at all. He swung his sword back to its sheath, and the last rays of the setting sun on the horizon stretched his shadow awfully long.

Ding Xiaocuo looked at his profile, and suddenly her mind was filled with confusion. The inexplicable feelings that had been stirring in her heart surged more and more intensely. She involuntarily tried to recall, desperately recalling, as if she'd realized something crucial.

The landscapes along the way, the bumpy horseback ride, his clothes, the roadside inn with the centipede demon at the fork in the road, and even the last sliver of the sunset on the horizon at the moment, all hinted at one thing — she had been here. She had walked the same path. She had seen the same people. She had done the same things. But she couldn't remember the details. The only thing clear to her was that a person stood under the evening sun, his shadow stretched very long. Moreover, he had always been there, never leaving, unaffected by time.

"Mount up!" He reached out to her from horseback. "We'll reach West River Town before dawn."

During the night, sporadic snow began to fall. Along the way, she became silent. She recalled the words Beitang Ken spoke after killing the centipede demon. He coldly looked at the centipede demon's corpse and said that monsters are really so ugly and disgusting. There was undisguised disdain and rejection in his eyes. What would he do if the person he was now holding in his arms was also a monster in human form?

Ding Xiaocuo tightly pressed her lips, burdened with heavy thoughts. She found herself starting to crave his embrace. In her memory, she had seen too many handsome men, but none had ever evoked such feelings in her. This was really bad. They had only known each other for a few days. Was she already having an outbreak of infatuation even though spring was far away^[3]?

When passing by a river with a thin layer of ice, he stopped, dismounted, and walked towards a pile of rocks on the riverbank. When he returned, he had a red fruit with icicles hanging on it in his hand. "This is a sour fruit, the only edible thing in the wilderness in winter." He stuffed the fruit into Ding Xiaocuo's hand. "Your stomach's growling is quite annoying." Ding Xiaocuo, whose stomach was rumbling with hunger, gulped and took a bite, her facial expression instantly twisted. So sour! She forced herself to swallow the pulp. With the second bite, it became sweeter, and the third bite even more so. Spitting out the pit, she licked her lips in satisfaction. Besides the lingering sweetness in her mouth, there was also a strange sense of emotion. When Beitang Ken gave her the sour fruit, she clearly saw a few reddish scratches and the small thorn stuck in his hand.

As he said, before dawn, they finally arrived at a decent town, West River Town. The buns at the small tavern in the town were really delicious, and they had glutinous rice wine too. She ate a whole dozen buns and three bowls of glutinous rice wine. He leisurely ate a chicken leg and said, "You're the most voracious woman I've ever seen."

Ding Xiaocuo almost died choking on a bun. He knew she was a woman?

"How... how do you know?" Ding Xiaocuo scanned herself up and down; there was no flaw in her male attire.

He downed a bowl of strong liquor and said, "I carried you all the way from the cliff to the mountaintop, your chest to my back. So wouldn't it be strange if I can't tell whether you're a man or a woman?"

Ding Xiaocuo blushed and lowered her head, hastily munching on the bun. Her embarrassed appearance had a touch of cuteness. A slight curve formed at the corner of Beitang Ken's mouth uncontrollably. She claimed to be a person from nine hundred years in the future. This reason was really absurd; even more absurd, however, was the fact that he actually believed her a little. Facing this Ding Xiaocuo, who appeared out of the blue and had unconventional behavior, Beitang Ken admitted that he was becoming curious.

In a book called "Yue Lao's Guide to Love," there is a line that says: "Love usually begins with curiosity." Unfortunately, neither Ding Xiaocuo nor Beitang Ken had read this book. Nine hundred years ago, Yue Lao had not yet published that book.

On this night, Beitang Ken sat in his room, polishing his sword, sleepless throughout the night. Endless Plains, Ye Nichang, and the mysterious Zhao Si kept circling in his mind.

On the other side of the wall, Ding Xiaocuo lay soundly asleep. Beitang Ken could even imagine this young girl who could sleep on horseback, having an ugly sleeping posture while drooling at the moment. In fact, Ding Xiaocuo was currently sleeping in the exact manner he imagined, snoring away cocooned in the covers. His guess was absolutely correct.

Ye Nichang would never have an "unsightly" moment. She cherished her beauty like a bird cherishes its feathers. Her silk dress was the most perfect, so detailed that every embroidered flower on it bloomed just right; the pearls and gemstones embedded in it were all of the highest quality; her rouge and liquid powder were specially made, with a unique fragrance and color that was unparalleled. She didn't allow anyone else to possess the same gorgeousness as her.

Putting down his sword, Beitang Ken walked to the window, opened it, and let the cold wind, accompanied by snowflakes, touch his face, feeling comfortable. Endless Plains is not the end, but the starting point. He suddenly had this strange premonition.

Leave West River Town.

---

Footnotes:

[1] 断袖之癖 (duàn xiù zhī pǐ): euphemism for homosexuality.

[2] Zòngzi: a kind of Chinese dumpling made of glutinous rice, stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.

[3] In case the meaning is unclear: Ding Xiaocuo wonders if she is experiencing a strong infatuation or crush despite the relationship being in its early stages. The use of outbreak emphasizes the intensity of her crush.

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