Ch28 – King and Consort

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Translator: transcendentwings

Editor: teaff 

Translator’s Note: Sorry for the delayed post! This chapter was suuuper looong

Xu Xingzhi didn’t waste any time, he grabbed Tao Xian, then turned tail and fled.

 

 

After only two strides, he was forced to stop again and cautiously took a few steps back.

The man who was sitting sideways on the throne was now standing before him, his long hair cascaded like a waterfall and a glass of fruit wine was in his hand.
He casually wiped away a trail of wine that slid from the corner of his mouth, leaving a bit of glittering wine residue on the back of his pale white hand. 

He asked with a smile: “Where are you going?”

 

Xu Xingzhi instinctively took a glance behind him and saw the man on the throne supporting his cheek as he directed a grin at him.

He turned back once again only to feel a hand clamped around his neck.

Both of his feet were lifted off the ground and Xu Xingzhi felt that it was difficult to breath shortly after.
Just when he wanted to brandish the blade in his hand, he suddenly felt his hand lighten.

 

“A fine dagger.” The man effortlessly weighed the dagger he had snatched in the palm of his hand, “The edge of the blade is thin and cuts iron like mud, a worthy item to eliminate ghosts and vanquish spirits with.”

Xu Xingzhi struggled and attempted to push the man’s hand away, but that arm was like steel and didn’t budge at all.

Tao Xian lunged over to fight him, but the man didn’t even bother to raise a hand towards Tao Xian.
He swung his sleeve and Tao Xian was blown away by a gust of wind, crashing into a human-shaped earthen figurine.
By the time he rolled down, he was already unconscious.

 

The man launched the dagger outwards in a backhanded motion.
It whistled sharply through the air and pierced the shoulder of another earthen figure. 

The earthen figurine let out a strange and hoarse agonized scream that reverberated dully in the empty palace.

“These are all those who have previously made me unhappy.” The man clearly didn’t want Xu Xingzhi to die right in front of his eyes.
He laid Xu Xingzhi, who had lost all his energy, onto the ground and leaned into his buzzing ears to say, “Their souls are currently trapped in this clay mud and they have to see me day in and day out whether they like it or not.
If you don’t want your friend to become my earthen statue, then you have to heed me.”

Xu Xingzhi coughed until he tasted blood and had long been convinced that this was the Lord of Hutiao Ravine, the commander of thousands of phantom soldiers, the Ghost King: “.
.
.
If I listen to you, can you let him leave Hutiao Ravine?”

The Ghost King considered it carefully: “I will kill him directly so that he will suffer less.” 

Xu Xingzhi scoffed: “You really are compassionate.”

The Ghost King heard the ridicule in Xu Xingzhi’s words, smiled, and didn’t respond.

Xu Xingzhi coughed a few more times as his four limbs gradually regained a little strength.

He sat up: “.
.
.
You need to promise that you’ll only deal with him after I die.” 

The Ghost King interest was piqued and he asked in reply: “Oh? Why?”

“I made an oath with him that he would not die before I.” Xu Xingzhi stated, “Didn’t you say that you appreciated my ‘heart of benevolence and righteousness’? So why don’t you allow me to somewhat honor that vow, is that possible?”

 

“You and him.
.
.?” The Ghost King’s expression seemed a little unsightly, “What is your relationship?”

Xu Xingzhi rubbed the throat that was choked until purple fingerprints surfaced, did some mental calculations and gave him a relatively accurate number: “I have known him for a total of ten days, more or less ba, so you can count him as an acquaintance.” 

The Ghost King didn’t believe it and sneered.

Xu Xingzhi stared at him without blinking.

Taking note of his expression, the smile on the Ghost King’s face gradually faded: “.
.
.
You want to save him?”

Xu Xingzhi supported his body with his remaining hand: “How could I save him? I can’t even save myself.” 

Ghost King: “Someone is breaking through my twenty-seven illusion formations, aiming to save the two of you.
You want to buy some time and wait for them to come?”

Xu Xingzhi wiped away the blood oozing from the corner of his lips and recklessly wiped his hands on the hem of the Ghost King’s elegant clothes: “I’m afraid I won’t be able to wait for their arrival, but perhaps he will be able.”

Since entering the savage wasteland, Xu Xingzhi had always felt that his life was hanging by a thread.
Now that the ax hanging over his head had already dropped on him, he would be taking a big loss if he didn’t use this opportunity to speak his mind, after all, he wouldn’t be able to let loose after he died.

“Hutiao Ravine possesses twenty-seven illusion formations, and no one residing in the wasteland has been able to break through all of them even to this day.
There is only one, who has come the farthest, but right now that person is deranged and trapped in the illusion on the thirteenth level.” The Ghost King was sizing up Xu Xingzhi as if he had discovered something very fascinating, “.
.
.
Your companion’s death is set in stone.” 

Xu Xingzhi replied nonchalantly: “Oh, that’s very impressive oh.”

The Ghost King: “.
.
.”

After a long period of silence, the Ghost King threw a punch and knocked Xu Xingzhi flat onto the ground without warning.

This punch was very solid, making Xu Xingzhi unable to hear or see anything for an extended period of time. 

When the cobwebs cleared from his vision, he had already been dragged into an inner chamber and was tied to the bedpost.
He didn’t know what kind of poison he was given, but his hands and feet were already paralyzed and weak.
He was unable to move at all.

.
.
.
Ever since he’s entered the savage wasteland, Xu Xingzhi hadn’t been able to relax for even a split second.
If he wasn’t tied up, then he was handcuffed.
Even in these past ten or so days they were rushing to Hutiao Ravine, Meng Chongguang had to use the silver chains to bind him to his side before he was willing to fall asleep.

Thus at this moment, Xu Xingzhi was still able to maintain his emotional stability despite being tied up like a dead pig.

The Ghost King studied Xu Xingzhi from top to bottom. 

There was no longer any expression on his face as he muttered: “.
.
.
Except for him, no one can talk to me like that.”

This person’s moody nature was revealed in a few encounters, but Xu Xingzhi still only did what pleased himself.
He used his tongue to nudge against the bleeding abrasion in his mouth created by his teeth and returned vaguely: “Then you sure are pitiful.”

 

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“You are a very peculiar person.” The Ghost King revealed a wicked smile as cold as a snake, “Speak more ba, after your soul is purged, I’m afraid you won’t have a chance to say these cynical words again.”

.
.
.
Cleansing the soul. 

Xu Xingzhi’s taste in books have always been mixed and sundry so he couldn’t recall which nook or cranny of a documentation on uncanny and supernatural things he had perused regarding such a secret art.
However he at least clearly remembered that “cleansing the soul” was a technique commonly used by the ghostly and demonic clans.

This art moves a strand from an incomplete remnant soul into a body that possesses a complete soul.
It is then stimulated by spiritual arts so that the memory in the remnant soul will gradually penetrate into the complete soul.
Soon after, the remnant soul will extend branches and vines, clinging to the complete memory shards, restoring its whole entity and washing away the original memories of the complete soul.

After the dove occupies the magpie’s nest, the caster only needed to lead the soul out of the body and place the still warm heart of the vessel in the shell of the original corpse of the remnant soul and then the person could be successfully brought back to life.

In short, the Ghost King set levels and painstakingly screened in order to use a heart and the soul cleansing technique in order to revive a person. 

Without waiting for Xu Xingzhi to resist, the Ghost King couldn’t wait to take out a linen handkerchief with a worn corner from his left breast pocket and spread it out flat.

A piece of the dried flower that sat in the center of the handkerchief took flight from the movement and landed on Xu Xingzhi’s chest.

Also lying on the handkerchief was a small jade bottle that was used to lock souls and some dry and withered Luohan flower petals.

The Ghost King cherishingly removed the lid of the bottle inlaid with jade, then cupped it protectively in his palm before inserting the meager remnant soul that was down to a sliver into Xu Xingzhi’s forehead. 

The moment the remnant soul entered into his body, Xu Xingzhi felt as if his forehead was split open by a giant ax.
He arched his body and let out a heart-rending scream of agony.

Alternating light and shadow flashed across his eyes and many vague details became clearer under the erosion and sieve of time.
After Xu Xingzhi fumbled through the bewildering beginning, he finally ushered in a vivid and colorful tale.

Following that, Xu Xingzhi had a long dream.

The beginning of the dream told him that in it, his name was Ye Buyi and the other person in the dream was called Nan Li. 

Ye Buyi met Nan Li when he was carrying a corpse thirteen years ago.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection.
If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Nan Li had been tuning his Sheng on a cliff when he lowered his head coincidentally and saw Ye Buyi, a young cultivator stumbling around with a body slung over his back.

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Nan Li suddenly called out to warn him: “Hutiao Ravine is up ahead, are you sure you still want to proceed?”

 

Ye Buyi suddenly heard a human voice and was startled.
He lifted his gaze to look at him, his peach-like eyes swollen resembling some sort of small animal.

He and Nan Li had a staring contest for a period of time before Ye Buyi realized that the person that stood in front of him was a denizen of the savage wasteland. 

He unsheathed his sword in a shaky manner: “You, don’t you come over here.”

Nan Li rose to his feet and leapt off the cliff.
Ye Buyi was so frightened that he closed his eyes, but when he reopened them, Nan Li had already disappeared.

Just as he was puzzled, Ye Buyi was so perturbed by the voice coming from behind him that he almost couldn’t keep a firm hold on his sword.

Nan Li glanced at the corpse on his back: “Who is this to you?” 

Ye Buyu hastily backpedaled a few steps, sticking to the edge of the cliff, squeezing his sword nervously as he answered: “.
.
.
I don’t know who he is either.”

Nan Li was curious: “If you don’t know who he is, why are you carrying him?”

Ye Buyi replied in a small voice: “As a fellow practitioner, it’s the noble thing to do by lending a helping hand.
.
.
This is what Xu-shixiong taught us.”

Nan Li smiled: “Then did your Xu-shixiong also teach you that it’s also proper manners for a man of noble character to look at someone’s eyes when speaking to them?” 

Ye Buyi felt that it made sense and wanted to look at Nan Li, but was forced to look away again when met with his incomparably handsome countenance: “.
.
.
.
You, you are a resident of the savage wasteland?”

Nan Li took a closer look at his dodgy eyes and didn’t comment.

Seeing that Nan Li was staring at himself, Ye Buyi’s face started to heat up: “I’m leaving.”

Nan Li grasped his wrist: “Where are you going alone?” 

Ye Buyi was very skittish and blathered: “Let go of me.
I heard from the present world that Hutiao Ravine of the savage wasteland is the residence of the Ghost King and that he has lived here for hundreds of thousands of years, there’s no way I would be able to beat him.”

Nan Li asked: “Where are you planning to go with a corpse on your back?”

“Go to a place where the water is abundant and the flora is lush.” Ye Buyi answered naively, “I want to bury this fellow cultivator properly.”

“Then I’m afraid that you’ll be bustling around until death.” 

Nan Li sneered: “The recent days have sure been strange, many cultivators have been thrown into the wasteland one after another; six or seven cultivators even died in this area a while ago.”

Ye Buyi’s eyes widened: “Really ah? .
.
.
Then who will bury their bones?”

 

Nan Li: “The wasteland doesn’t have the habit of erecting tombs.”

Ye Buyi: “.
.
.
Why?” 

Nan Li didn’t understand himself why he would patiently explain everything to Ye Buyi: “There are always ghosts and monsters with low cultivation who can’t compete for food successfully and these dead bodies are their feasts.
If you bury them, then they’d have to painstakingly dig them out again.
So wouldn’t you just be causing trouble to others?”

Ye Buyi stammered: “Then what would happen to this fellow cultivator.
.
.
I can’t just abandon him.”

Nan Li pondered it for a while and told him: “I know that there is a freshwater lake in Hutiao Ravine.
It is surrounded by mountains, water, and verdure, the scenery is very pleasing.
If you believe me, then follow me.”

“The Ghost King is in Hutiao Ravine.” 

“I’m an acquaintance of the Ghost King.” Nan Li stated, “If I put in a good word for you, he will definitely agree to your request.”

“Liar.” Ye Buyi’s dark eyes flickered, “.
.
.
You’re lying, you’re the Ghost King.”

This time it was Nan Li who was stunned: “How did you.
.
.”

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As soon as he uttered that, Ye Buyi turned pale in shock, then picked up the corpse and dashed away. 

Nan Li realized his blunder instantly and with a flash, made Ye Buyi who was escaping like a bunny slam solidly into him, almost making the other fall on his behind.

The corner of his mouth curled up slightly: “.
.
.
Little cultivator, you dare to deceive me.”

The blade in Ye Buyi’s hand trembled like candlelight in the wind, his eyes began to fill with tears: “Don’t come over here, you.
.
.”

Nan Li laughed at him: “Has no one taught you how to wield a sword?” 

Ye Buyi quivered: “I’m an outer sect disciple, my talent isn’t high.
.
.”

Nan Li tried hard not to laugh: “Then what do you do in those immortal mountains of yours?”

Ye Buyi’s voice was quavering: “.
.
.
Sweep.”

Nan Li roared in laughter. 

He stopped acting secretive and openly paraded his identity around, declaring his conditions blatantly: “I’ll give you a place to take shelter in, and let this strange fellow cultivator rest in peace.
However, you must come with me.”

Ye Buyi instinctively refused: “No.”

 

Nan Li countered: “Where will you go otherwise? Go find those fellow cultivators who have died? Or do you want to get kidnapped by some of the creatures in the wasteland and be tortured to death? In the savage wasteland, it’s not easy to find a safe haven.
I meet eye to eye with you so I’m willing to accommodate you.
You should know to appreciate my favor.”

Ye Buyi contemplated it and thought that it made sense as well: “.
.
.
But, I’ll mention in advance that you absolutely can’t force me to kill other cultivators with my own hands.
.
.” 

Before he entered, he had heard that the inhabitants of the savage wasteland were brutal and abnormal.
These exiled prisoners were all imprisoned here after they were sanctioned by the cultivation sects and so their enmity with the sects had fermented for quite some time.
Whenever disciples of the cultivation sects committed a grave error and were thrown in, they would be unavoidably taken to be toyed with, and once the denizens had their fun, the disciple would be slaughtered.

He was very afraid that Nan Li had sinister plans and ulterior motives in wanting to bring him back.

Nan Li: “.
.
.
Don’t worry, with your third-rate swordsmanship, you’ll only take on the role of the killed.”

Ye Buyi considered it again and felt that these words also made a lot of sense: “En!” 

Nan Li’s mood improved when he took in his foolish expression: “.
.
.
Silly cultivator.”

Ye Buyi launched another inquiry: “.
.
.
But as I am, what would I be able to do for you?”

Nan Li patted him on his head: “Sanitation.”

Nan Li swindled the muddleheaded Ye Buyi back to Hutiao Ravine, and even accompanied him to bury that unfamiliar fellow practitioner by that lake with the excellent scenery. 

The very same night, Ye Buyi spent all night cleaning up Nan Li’s room and also cried all night, bawling his eyes out until they turned into little peaches again.

.
.
. The path full of flowers and verdure hasn’t been cleaned up to welcome guests, the door has been opened for the first time to welcome you.

Ye Buyi, who had suffered a big loss, didn’t want to deal with Nan Li anymore and shrank into the quilt, trembling.

Nan Li stroked his damp hair: “Be good.” 

“You lied.” Ye Buyi complained tearfully, “The reason why you brought me back was because you wanted, you wanted.
.
.”

Ye Buyi couldn’t find a suitable word to describe the current situation as his cheeks turned pale with anger: “.
.
.
You, will suffer from karmic retribution.”

Nan Li pounded the bedside and laughed uncontrollably.

Ye Buyi buried his flushed face in the quilt and grumbled softly: “Liar.” 

Nan Li laid down on his back and pinched Ye Buyi’s chin, making him look directly at himself: “I won’t lie to you anymore in the future, I’ll treat you well, okay?”

Ye Buyi didn’t believe it: “Then pinky promise.”

 

Nan Li asked: “.
.
.
What’s a pinky promise?”

Ye Buyi taught him hand-in-hand, and so, very quickly, the two’s pinkys were hooked together and after being entangled for a while, their thumbs also intertwined to stamp the seal. 

Ye Buyi, himself blushed in embarrassment at such an ambiguous action and wanted to pull his hand back, but Nan Li seized his hand tightly, not letting go.

Nan Li queried: “Again?”

Ye Buyi leapt off the bed in fright and fled, but was hauled back in an embrace by Nan Li mercilessly.

.
.
.
And just like that Ye Buyi settled down in Hutiao Ravine. 

He was only in charge of cleaning the Ghost King Nan Li’s room and once he tidied it up, it was another round of staying in bed for several days.

Nan Li treated him very well and also came to learn a lot of things about him.

Ye Buyi was originally the son of a big-time merchant.
He had a frail body since birth so his father listened to the words of a wandering cultivator and came to believe that only by practicing cultivation would he be able to preserve his life.
Thus his father traveled for thousands of kilometers, carrying a lot of funds and sent Ye Buyi into one of the world-famous four immortal sects, Yingtianchuan.

However, Ye Buyi stayed at Yingtianchuan from the age of five to seventeen years and still didn’t learn any decent cultivation arts, only his body did indeed become stronger and healthier because of all the cleaning he did daily. 

The ghost pawns of Hutiao Ravine all knew what the young cultivator, who was dressed in the navy blue robe with golden clouds gilded on the shoulders and brought back by the Ghost King, was here for.
The more staid were reverent and respectful of Ye Buyi while the more liberal ones referred to him as consort in private.

Every time he heard someone call him that, Ye Buyi’s face would always be flushed thoroughly red and then he would scamper off instantly, scurrying away at the speed of light.

Occasionally, he would visit that fellow practitioner whom he had never been acquainted with before and when he returned, he could always diligently bring back a bouquet of flowers picked from the lakeside to Nan Li: “For you.”

Nan Li accepted them: “Why?” 

“Because.
.
.” The young cultivator blushed, “Because I think it is very suitable to be put on display in our home.”

Nan Li chuckled, noncommittal, brought him into his arms and kissed his forehead.

As a result, the young cultivator’s face burned up again and he obediently ran away to the courtyard to take deep breaths.

Nan Li would take the young cultivator to the clear lake to swim. 

Nan Li enjoyed throwing some varying treasures into the lake and then ask Ye Buyi to dive into the water to find them as a pastime.

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Ye Buyi couldn’t swim, but the lake wasn’t very deep, so he docilely jumped in and groped around blindly at the bottom of the lake while holding his breath.

 

This kind of boring game didn’t have any special meaning.
If there was one, the reason would be that Nan Li just liked to see the troubled look on Ye Buyi’s face when he was struggling to find his things.

Whenever he found something that Nan Li had dropped in, Ye Buyi would proudly climb ashore with his little tail raised high in the sky and boast while dripping wet: “Nan Li Nan Li, look!” 

At that time, Nan Li would hold the completely soaked Ye Buyi down and use the sky as a quilt and the earth as the bed to roughly and wildly want him, forcing him to tuck his little tail away.

From winter to spring, from the cold to the heat, Ye Buyi spent three years in Hutiao Ravine before he knew it.

One day, when he was holding Nan Li’s clothes that he had personally washed and took advantage of the rare good weather to dry them in the courtyard, he overheard a conversation between a pair of ghosts.

They mentioned “consort” in their chat. 

Ye Buyi thought they were gossiping about him at first, but just when he was about to run away shyly, he heard one of the ghost servants sigh: “If only the consort and the child within the consort were still alive.
.
.”

The other replied: “That’s right, if they were still alive, the King wouldn’t have given up on himself like this, hanging out with the same man all day long.”

Ye Buyi staggered away in a daze with the wet clothes still in his arms.

He covered his mouth for fear that he would let out the slightest noise and disturb the two ghost servants. 

Had Nan Li ever had a wife and child before? Why hasn’t he ever heard him mention them?

After Ye Buyi hung the clothes up elsewhere, he was very confused and upset.
He didn’t want to go back to the room, so he simply began wandering around aimlessly, rambling to himself for comfort.

When he passed by a magnificent stone palace, Ye Buyi halted his footsteps.

Nan Li had once given him an order in a half-joking manner while on the bed that he could go anywhere in Hutiao Ravine, all except the stone palace on the east side. 

At that time, Ye Buyi questioned curiously: “What will happen if I go in?”

Nan Li grinned until his eyes turned into crescents: “Then I’ll gouge out your eyes.”

In that charming atmosphere, Ye Buyi only believed that he was joking, but now, looking at the palace before him, a chilling feeling started to become more and more distinct in his heart.

He carefully pushed that dust-sealed palace open. 

Two hours later, he stumbled out of the palace with a pale face.

The hall was filled to the brim with numerous memorabilia, all of which belonged to Nan Li’s wife during her lifetime.

 

She was a woman, a woman who could give birth to a child in her womb.

.
.
.
Yet he was a man. 

She was Nan Li’s childhood sweetheart, a ghost.

.
.
.
But he was a human.

She loved to laugh.
Through the extensive murals covering the entire wall depicting her laughing countenance, Ye Buyi suddenly felt that he could hear her crisp laughter echo.

.
.
.
However, he loved to cry. 

Her biography stated that she was a woman on par with Nan Li in terms of spiritual power.

.
.
.
And he was a waste who hadn’t cultivated to any notable level after practicing for twelve years.

The only thing Ye Buyi could be comparable to that woman was his eyes.

The outlines of their eyes were so similar that when Ye Buyi faced the huge mural, he felt as if he was being observed by himself in a mirror, making his whole body turn cold. 

After returning to the room, Ye Buyi was in a stupor for a long time.

He strangely thought of the game of tossing things into the lake that Nan Li always took him to play.

This time Nan Li lost a very important person that Ye Buyi wanted to find for him again.

No one taught the silly little cultivator how to like a person, and so, he started to learn everything about that deceased woman. 

He imitated her, wearing clothing dyed indigo blue from floral dyes.

In order to learn embroidery, he pierced his hands full of holes.

He learned to smile without showing his teeth, seeming generous and forgiving.

The changes in Ye Buyi were so obvious that it was impossible for Nan Li to not see it. 

And after Nan Li discovered this, he began to treat Ye Buyi with indifference.
He stopped inviting him into his room often and seldom teased him as frequently as he did in the past.

Ye Buyi became more and more panicked.
He didn’t understand what he was doing wrong, so he practiced needlework more and more diligently and tried to discover other species from various plants that could be utilized to knit soft fabrics.

 

One day, Nan Li came to see him and had only spoken two sentences when he frowned: “Why are you putting your hands behind your back?”

Ye Buyi stuttered in a panic: “No, No, Nothing.” 

Nan Li no longer let him be and yanked his hand over to take a look.
The expression on his face sank immediately.

Ye Buyi’s palms and the back of his hands were all swollen, covered with stings from poisonous plants until they were red and puffy.
New ones were stacked upon the old ones, looking especially horrifying.

Ye Buyi was too perturbed to look at Nan Li: “I.
.
.
I.
.
.”

After a short while, he heard Nan Li’s evaluation full of repugnance: “So disgusting.” 

Ye Buyi believed that he had heard incorrectly and shifted his gaze over, looking at Nan Li blankly.

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Nan Li got up in a very poor mood: “I’m leaving.”

After Nan Li left, Ye Buyi was so lost that he went to the backyard to scrub his hands desperately with the Zaojia, trying to scour the swelling and marks off his hands physically.

The saponins in the savage wasteland were made from animal and vegetable fats, extremely rough.
Under the intense friction that lasted for an hour, both of Ye Buyi’s hands became very tingly and painful. 

He wept in pain as he washed his hands.

.
.
.
However his actions were self-defeating as he had scrubbed his hands into an even more red and swollen state.

Ye Buyi returned to his room in frustration, paced back and forth a few times before making a decision with great determination.
He brought out the linen handkerchief he originally planned to give Nan Li today from under the pillow and quickly trotted to Nan Li’s palace.

.
.
.
He wanted to make peace, he didn’t want Nan Li to abhor him. 

Yet when he approached the palace, Ye Buyi could clearly hear the sound of things shattering, as well as the comforting voice of Nan Li’s personal attendant Zhu Dongfeng.
Ye Buyi lost the courage to enter at once and was about to leave after lingering for two laps.

But just as he turned around, he heard Nan Li’s voice distinctly in the hall: “.
.
.
You know? He actually wants to become Yun Hua.”

.
.
.
“Yun Hua” was the name of Nan Li’s consort.

Ye Buyi stuck his ear to the door as if directed by a mysterious force and listened with rapt attention. 

Zhu Dongfeng replied: “A parrot trying to mimic the tongue, making an embarrassment of itself, he’s unworthy.”

Nan Li was very annoyed: “Who wouldn’t be good to imitate? Why does he stubbornly impersonate Yun Hua? Does he think that I will like it if he does this? Is he a woman? I loathe men who think they’re so clever and pretend to be women!”

 

Ye Buyi opened his mouth, but found that his strength had slipped away from him and couldn’t make a sound.

.
.
.
He tried so hard to become the person Nan Li truly loved and wanted to make Nan Li a little happier, but Nan Li had set such a criticism for him. 

Really repulsive, distasteful.

Before Ye Buyi could even take a breath, he heard Nan Li’s furious voice from the inside: “To put it bluntly, he and Yun Hua only have a similar pair of eyes and the rest are simply worlds apart.
If he didn’t have those eyes, I wouldn’t have bothered with him even if he died in some random place in the wasteland!”

Nan Li was really angered until he was out of breath.

When he found out that Ye Buyi started to learn the various behaviors and habits of his dearly departed wife, he knew that Ye Buyi must’ve entered the palace that he disallowed him to step foot in. 

Nan Li detested people who rebelled against him the most, not to mention that this time it was Ye Buyi, who was the most obedient to him.

Though he didn’t want to admit that he had become very afraid when he discovered this fact.

It was actually quite hilarious for the dignified Ghost King to be afraid of an inferior little cultivator.

But Yun Hua was Yun Hua and Ye Buyi was Ye Buyi.
He didn’t like Ye Buyi becoming anyone else and didn’t want him to become Yun Hua even more. 

Driven by such emotions, he even speculated broodingly whether Ye Buyi wanted to blackmail him through this imitation game, implying that he already unearthed his secret.

Was he waiting for him to explain it to him?

Was he secretly laughing at how restless he seemed?

Did he really think that he was that important to him? 

Nan Li really detested this feeling of being threatened, but after he lost his temper and blew up at Ye Buyi just now, his mood not only failed to change for the better, on the contrary, it became even worse.

.
.
.
It was indeed because of those eyes that he fell in love with Ye Buyi.

But who would live three years inseparably with a human being just because of a similar pair of eyes?

After gulping down a glass of bitter wine, Nan Li smashed the silver wine glass against the ground. 

He was so full of annoyances that he didn’t even notice that a little cultivator with insufficient spiritual power had already stood by the door for a very long time.

However Zhu Dongfeng still noticed the thin and short figure in the gap of the door.

 

He exclaimed in surprise: “.
.
.
Consort?”

Nan Li abruptly lifted his head. 

The little cultivator at the door took two steps back, turned, and fled.

Before he could contemplate how much was overheard just now, the color in Nan Li’s face changed drastically and with a wave of his sleeves, he forgot to control his strength for a moment, making Ye Buyi, who was caught off guard by the gust of wind, fall heavily onto the ground, even spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Nan Li shot up and didn’t grasp the wine glass in his hand firmly enough, causing it fall to the ground with a clang.

He even uttered in a low voice, panicked: “.
.
.
Ye Buyi.” 

Nan Li really loved to lie to Ye Buyi.

Sometimes he deliberately did bad things, tricking Ye Buyi, saying that he had accidentally thrown something into the lake, when in fact the object was still sitting in the palm of his hand.
Watching Ye Buyi perking up his little butt, doing his best for himself, would always be very entertaining to him.

Ye Buyi had also whined about Nan Li tricking him and had complained many times before.
Every time he made it seem like he had suffered a great grievance as he glared at him tearfully.

However, this time, there was no trace of sorrow or resentment in Ye Buyi’s tone. 

Or maybe it was because he was earnestly stating it this time around.

“.
.
.
Nan Li, you really are a liar.” Ye Buyi wiped the corner of his lips and slowly climbed to his feet from the ground as he muttered, “.
.
.
You’ve been lying to me all these years.”

The author has something to say: The broken story of an overbearing king falling in love with a foolish little cultivator

Author's Chapter Summary:
Longing, soul purging, Ye Buyi 

The translator has something to say: Xu Xingzhi sure has a lot of “children” who listen to his words like a decree, he is a child-rearing master

The editor has something to say: Lying is bad