Chapter 40: Qingyun (6)

—Have you realized yet? We seem to really enjoy begging for food!

Yan Qing never thought that Xie Shiyi would remember the words he had spoken in Heishui¹ Pool all the way until today. Inwardly, he cursed at Xie Shiyi, You’re so petty, huh, Yaoyao? Do you really need to hold a grudge this long?

Yan Qing said, “I’m seriously asking.”

Xie Shiyi replied, “Okay.”

Yan Qing was incredulous. “Just ‘okay’?”

Xie Shiyi gave a low laugh. “What do you want me to say?”

Yan Qing: “…Forget it.”

Sure enough, Xie Shiyi had absolutely no recollection of that bowl of congee from his childhood. So, what in the world was Phantasms of the Heart exactly? After returning to Yuqing Peak, Yan Qing gave Xie Shiyi a heads-up and ran to the plum tree forest to select a tree. He only wanted a weapon to keep up appearances for outsiders anyway. Rather than spending money, it would be better to make one himself.

“Can I really chop down these trees of yours?” Yan Qing lifted his head and looked at the flourishing plum blossoms amidst the fine snow as he curiously asked.

Xie Shiyi’s tone was impassive. “As you wish.”

Yan Qing replied, “Then I’ll start chopping.”

He could see that there were arrays erected within the plum blossom forest—simply touching a tree could cause a severe crisis. However, within all of Wangqing Sect, there indeed was no material better than Yuqing Peak’s plum trees to make swords out of.

Xie Shiyi sat down across from him, his snow-white robes pooling around him. The cold glow of moonlight seemed to trickle down his raven-black, satin-like hair.

As Yan Qing was carving his sword, he suddenly thought of something. “Xie Shiyi, do you still remember that umbrella you made in Zhang City?”

Xie Shiyi said, “I remember.”

Yan Qing smiled. “If only that bamboo forest at the time were like this one and could be cut down at will.”

In order to make that umbrella, the two of them had truly suffered immensely back then.

They had to evade and hide from the bamboo forest’s owner, in addition to avoiding the vipers within.

Xie Shiyi, after hearing him mention the events of Zhang City, froze, panic-stricken, for a moment, before suddenly letting out a soft laugh.

Yan Qing used a thin razor blade to shave the splinters from the wood and said, “I remember, at the time you merely wanted an umbrella.”

Xie Shiyi replied, “En.”

Yan Qing blew off the sawdust on the wood and only now decided to discuss the important matters with Xie Shiyi. With a low voice, he said, “Tonight, in Nan City, I drew some information out of that demonseed’s mouth. Ten years ago, while you were in seclusion, the Qin Family secretly sent some people down to the Demon Realm to establish Mei City, and they’re currently colluding with and gaining the support of the Hundred Cities.”

After hearing this, Xie Shiyi stilled slightly. “Mei City?”

Yan Qing nodded. “Right. The most crucial part is, they’ve discovered another path leading from the Demon Realm to the Upper Heaven.”

Xie Shiyi frowned.

Yan Qing asked, “Do you know what the Qin Family wants to do? They’re connected to Huai Mingze, they’ve developed a phantasm-purging technique, and now they’ve invaded and taken over the Demon Realm. I suspect it might be bad news for you.”

Xie Shiyi’s fingers were propped up on the table. He was always the one who made the final decision behind the scenes in Xiaoyu Palace, separated by countless steps and concealed by heavy curtains, his multitudes of thoughts unfathomable to all. This was perhaps the first time he had discussed these matters with others. He dropped his gaze, his tone clear and distinct, as he calmly spoke.

“Back then, the Qin Family proposed the phantasm-purging technique and established the Four Hundred and Eighty temples. However, in the many years since then, there hasn’t been a single instance of success, and their inner workings have also never been revealed to outsiders. Although the Upper Heaven has its doubts, the Four Hundred and Eighty Temples remain the sole reason demonseeds are able to continue living. They function like a prison, and the Nine Sects and Three Clans won’t investigate further.”

“Zijin Continent is near Cangwang Sea, and the location of the Four Hundred and Eighty Temples is suspicious. The Qin Family has taken many layers of precautions, and all this time I’ve been unable to find a good opportunity to enter.”

“As for what you just said.” Xie Shiyi lifted his gaze, his eyes cold, clear, and resolute. “I don’t necessarily believe that the Qin Family has the ability to discover another path. If the Qin Family truly had the ability to move freely between the two realms, then Qin Changxi wouldn’t be beating around the bush trying to determine my current condition.”

“There is only one path leading from the Deamon Realm to the Upper Heaven. The exit is at the Giant Demon Slaying Formation bordering Xiaoyu Palace.” Xie Shiyi said, “Either they’ve taken control of Yuqing Palace. Or, what they’ve brought out from the Demon Realm isn’t human.”

Yan Qing followed his train of thought, and he knew the former option was impossible. “You’re saying that the Ming City’s City Lord, whom I saw, wasn’t human?”

Xie Shiyi hooked his lip mockingly and plainly said, “It’s known that once Great Ascension stage is reached, cultivators and phantasms can coexist. Actually, I’ve always been curious if humans are able to temporarily suppress the phantasms or if the phantasms gain sentience and devour the humans.”

Yan Qing froze, and his expression grew grave. Previously, in Shifang City, he had the same doubts.

Upon reaching Great Ascension, to actually be able to coexist with the phantasm in their consciousness, and even control whether or not it awakens—beneath the sack of skin they wear, is such a demonseed truly a human?

Phantams were a curse, a parasite, devoid of reason, only harboring a desire for slaughter. However, people forgot that phantasms within a person’s consciousness grow more powerful along with their cultivation. A Great Ascension phantasm…what exactly would it be like? Perhaps only demonseeds themselves know.

In his previous life, from start to finish, he had never once allowed the phantasm in his consciousness to awaken, and regarding phantasms, he only understood half the story.

Xie Shiyi saw his expression and indifferently pulled his hand back into his sleeve. He softly said, “Your current cultivation level is too low. In the future, don’t act rashly on matters regarding the Qin Family.”

Yan Qing snapped out of it and smiled. “En, relax. Isn’t my top priority the Qingyun Conference?”

The Heaven-tier Qiandeng Lantern was in Xie Shiyi’s hands.

Each of the Nine Great Sects had its own Earth-tier celestial artifact for detecting phantasms hidden away in their forbidden grounds.

The Mystery-tier celestial artifact nearest to him that had yet to recognize an owner was perhaps the Liuguang Qin.

Xie Shiyi reached out a hand to probe his dantian and spiritual arteries and veins, and after confirming they were in good health, he got up to leave.

As Yan Qing saw him get up from behind, he thought of something and curiously asked, “Yaoyao, will you participate in the Qingyun Conference?”

After saying this, he felt quite interested. If Xie Shiyi were to participate in the Qingyun Conference, then it would surely cause quite a stir. He would likely be the first Soul Formation cultivator to participate in the last ten thousand years.

Xie Shiyi cooly said, “No thanks. I’ll leave it to you to take this opportunity to make a name for yourself.”

Yan Qing stifled his laugh for a long while and gave a few test swings of the wooden sword in his hand. “Oh, I definitely won’t let you down.”

He had already given his token to Tianshu, and would set out for Futai Sect in roughly around in two days. Maybe the Qingyun Conference would be the beginning of his truly getting to know Nanze Province.

Red plums, fine snow, faint candlelight.

Perhaps because he had spoken to Xie Shiyi about that umbrella, when Yan Qing closed his eyes to cultivate, his thoughts couldn’t help but drift back to Zhang City.

*

Zhang City, the Trial at Buhui² Cliff. In the eyes of outsiders, the infallible proud son of heaven finally faltered. However, to the people involved, this was nothing out of the ordinary.

The pride had long been whittled away to nothing in a dark, isolated room over the course of forty-nine days. Any feelings of gratitude and loyalty had also been completely severed as he walked the long Springwater Peach Blossom Road.

Right or wrong, innocent or guilty, was left for others to judge.

They said he was guilty, they said he was innocent, they guessed at his vulnerable despair, and awaited his lowly misfortune. However, in the overcast, gloomy, ceaselessly rainy March in Zhang City, when Xie Shiyi lifted his head to look at the sky, all he wanted was an umbrella.

When making that umbrella, Xie Shiyi and Yan Qing were both very calm. The only sound between the earth and the heavens was the patter of fine rain falling from the eaves onto limestone slabs. Drip drop, drip drop, as if counting past memories.

The past was like a fleeting, grand dream, going from a blessed genius to a petty thief, from soaring above the clouds to groveling in the mud, from a person marveled at by thousands to a rat by the side of the road. Due to an original sin he didn’t commit, his wings were forcefully snapped off, and he suffered all kinds of twisted torment and hardships.

It was truly like a dream.

After his spiritual arteries and veins were crippled and he was locked in Youjue Prison, Xie Shiyi’s eyes that were injured in his childhood became blind once again.

Youjue prison was devoid of both light and sound.

Above them was pitch-black, stagnant water that exuded a chilling aura. All the people from generations past who were banished to this place could only walk the road to ruin, driving themselves insane under the ceaseless silence and oppression.

Xie Shiyi sat upon a stair that was overgrown with moss, his face pale and his eyes downcast. His expression was indiscernible, like a lifeless jade statue.

Yan Qing could already control the wind by then and used the wind to rustle the baby hairs on Xie Shiyi’s forehead, lightly brushing past Xie Shiyi’s dim, ash-blue eyes.

After thinking for a while, he said in a quiet voice, “Xie Shiyi, how about I tell you a story?”

For forty-nine days, Yan Qing racked his brains, scratched his head, and told every story he had ever listened to or read.

Towards the end, even he was muddle-headed and spoke whatever came to his mind. He had no idea if he was repeating anything, nor if what he said even made any sense.

He didn’t even know if Xie Shiyi was listening at all.

Xie Shiyi just sat on that limestone slab, his eyes murky, listening to his voice, his fingers lightly tracing over something on the wall. Pale white fingers glided over the damp, pitch-black facade, stroke by stroke, like a butterfly gently flitting over a broken wall, peaceful and tender.

The fifteenth year of Jinghong, when they emerged from Youjue Prison, the day of the trial, it rained in the Springwater Peach Blossom Road. Xie Shiyi’s eyes had yet to fully recover, and were half clear and half dim. Through his hazy field of vision, there was only a single perfectly straight path leading forward. He couldn’t see where it led, and he also didn’t know what conclusion awaited him.

That was his first public appearance after his identity was exposed and he was reduced to a useless cripple.

Many people had gathered to watch. Some were familiar, others were unfamiliar. Some were friends, others were enemies. Some had worshipped him, others had envied him.

Many lines of sight criss-crossed amidst the rain.

Yan Qing muttered, “If in the next few moments the Five Great Families refuse to pardon you, we should just jump off of Buhui Cliff.”

Yan Qing actually made Xie Shiyi smile then.

No matter how astonishingly talented and brilliant, how naturally gifted and intelligent they were, at the time they were merely two fifteen-year-old teenagers, and could only trudge on alone against the ruthless blizzard of fate.

Xie Shiyi said, full of amusement, “If we jump off of Buhui Cliff, wouldn’t we surely die?”

Yan Qing coldly said, “Even if I die, I don’t want to die at the hands of the Bai Family, that disgusting group of people.”

Xie Shiyi reminded him, “Aren’t you scared of pain? Falling to death is very painful.”

Yan Qing retorted without hesitation, “I’m not scared! All manly men die, whether the death is as light as a feather or heavy as a mountain!”

Xie Shiyi laughed again.

Yan Qing used reverse psychology. “What? You don’t dare?”

Xie Shiyi said, “I dare.”

Yan Qing said, “Then it’s decided. Don’t back out when the time comes!”

“En.” Xie Shiyi walked forward.

Step by step, he tread past the road where thousands before him went to trial, tread past the stained, chaotic first chapter of his life. Lifting his gaze, his dark and gloomy pupils peered through the mist, as if silently staring at some mirage in his imagination from afar.

—Like the strokes on the walls of Youjue Prison.

Everyone was debating whether he was innocent or guilty, as if trying to peer through his bones and soul. They looked down from above and condescendingly commiserated with his every emotion.

Yan Qing still wasn’t at ease and said again, “If we die, we die together, no regrets.”

Before Buhui Cliff, everywhere was water covered with peach blossoms.

Xie Shiyi softly smiled and said, “No regrets.”

The Bai Family wanted his life.

However, they didn’t die. They were saved by Le Zhan, who was passing by.

Actually, even if Le Zhan hadn’t arrived, Xie Shiyi didn’t believe that he would die anyway.

After the umbrella was finally made successfully.

He and Yan Qing started arguing over whether or not to draw on the umbrella’s surface.

Yan Qing felt they should properly celebrate finally shaking off that group of villains from Zhang City, and wanted to paint the umbrella a bright red!

Xie Shiyi didn’t even think before refusing. The reason he gave was also direct and to the point—”It’s ugly.”

“You shut up!” Yan Qing wanted to jump out and throttle him to death for calling his tastes into question.

Xie Shiyi simply wanted an umbrella and had planned to directly cover it with a white cloth. Yan Qing refused to accept it, no matter what.

Yan Qing attempted to persuade him, “Where I’m from, white umbrellas are used for funerals! It’s not good luck!”

Xie Shiyi was as cold as ice. “Aren’t red umbrellas used for marriages? Are you getting married?”

Yan Qing: “…” One day, he would definitely poison Xie Shiyi into shutting up!

Eventually, Yan Qing gnashed his teeth in fury and threatened, “Xie Shiyi, if you dare leave the house with this white umbrella, forget about either of us going to Liuxian Continent!”

Xie Shiyi pursed his lips and compromised at last.

He used a brush dipped in red ink and painted a few plum blossoms on the umbrella’s white paper.

The day they departed from Zhang City, the rain was pouring down. Back then, he was a mere mortal. He left nothing behind in Zhang City and walked out in solitude, holding only an umbrella. Some children by the road watched him, and with strange expressions began singing a song taught to them by adults. “Every single case, every single detail, case by case, detail by detail, matter by matter, item by item, who is loyal, who is treacherous, who is right, who is wrong, only by telling all the particular details can both sides be vindicated!”³

Their voices were sharp and full of malice.

Xie Shiyi, still recovering from his serious illness, wore an ambiguous, unreadable smile on his lips.

Yan Qing took control over his body and spun the umbrella at a tilt, scattering water droplets everywhere, the plum blossom oil-paper umbrella parting the misty rain and gloom. Quietly, he said, “Xie Shiyi, don’t look, don’t turn back, let’s go.”

Don’t look, don’t turn back.

Let’s go.

When they arrived at Liuxian Continent, Yan Qing asked him what he was drawing at the time in Youjue Prison.

Xie Shiyi blandly replied, “I was drawing you. I was wondering, since you make such a ruckus, what you looked like.”

Yan Qing scoffed in anger and immediately shamelessly said, “Anyway, it’s not like your drawing could capture my tall, graceful, handsome, refined, dashing, elegant appearance. When you see me, you’ll definitely be awestruck and have such low self-esteem that you won’t even want to look in the mirror.”

Xie Shiyi heard what he said and retorted, “I never look in the mirror.” At the same time, he mocked Yan Qing, “Oh, you just keep waiting for the day I’m awestruck.” His looks had been outstanding ever since he was a child, and he was accustomed to words of praise and amazed looks. It was always he who left others awestruck. Even if he never cared about his looks, no one truly beautiful could be entirely unaware of their own beauty.

1. 黑水, Blackwater ↩

2. 不悔, no regrets (like Xie Shiyi’s sword) ↩

3. Tongue twister from 狸猫换太子 (The Crown Prince Replaced by a Cat) ↩