Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 148
“Wait a minute!”
He Yu doubted if he was experiencing auditory hallucinations, but then he thought it was impossible. He was young and energetic. How could he have a problem that only his master could have?
“Actually, are you talking about family? There’s a big difference between family and lovers!”
Yu Buhui: “…Are you questioning my language skills?”
The two of them stood in the supermarket, holding a bag of potato chips, staring at each other.
The cashier couldn’t bear to watch and was afraid they would start fighting, so she quickly said, “We still have that kind of potato chip. You don’t have to fight over it!”
She personally walked over and took out a new bag, handing it to He Yu.
He Yu reluctantly stopped.
“Today is not April Fool’s Day, right?”
Yu Buhui asked curiously, “Who has time to play with you? If I want to play, it would be with beautiful women.”
He Yu scratched his head. “I still think you’re joking with me! Look at our master. He looks like he’s not interested in worldly matters at all. It’s hard to imagine him being in a romantic relationship. If one day he starts dating you, I wouldn’t be surprised. After all, both of you are swords, and swords attract each other!”
Yu Buhui remained expressionless and picked up his phone. “I will tell Senior Brother exactly what you just said.”
He Yu quickly grabbed his phone and said with a smile, “No, no! I was just joking! Don’t take it so seriously, brother. I was just expressing my shock. How did you know such explosive news? It’s not because the boss told you, right?”
Yu Buhui: “Yes, he did tell me. We were on the plane back from Japan, sitting together. I saw him reading a book, so I took a peek. Turns out, he wasn’t reading a book, but looking at a drawing tucked inside it. The drawing was quite nice, so I asked him who drew it. He said it was Dong Zhi. I said your disciple is quite talented, not only good at vanquishing demons but also at drawing. And guess how he responded to me?”
“I don’t want to guess. Just tell me.” He Yu’s face was numb.
Yu Buhui smiled and said, “He said, not just a disciple. I asked, then what is he? He said, a lover.”
He Yu: …
Yu Buhui: “What’s with that expression? Aren’t you happy that your boss is in love? Oh, are you secretly in love with Dong Zhi?”
He Yu: “I’m in love with your head!”
Yu Buhui: “My head won’t do. It’s too handsome. You won’t have a chance.”
He Yu: “No! Don’t you find it strange? The boss wasn’t like this before. Did you completely get rid of Otowa Yasuhiko? Could it be that his lingering spirit possessed the boss?”
Yu Buhui looked at him as if he were a fool. “Then why would Otowa say that Dong Zhi was his lover when he possessed him? Do you think Otowa loves Dong Zhi?”
He Yu became frustrated. “You’ve confused me!”
Yu Buhui calmly said, “The fact is that Senior Brother and his disciple are together. You’re overthinking it.”
The two of them muttered in the supermarket at the gas station for a while, but they didn’t buy anything. The cashier was getting impatient with their expressions, and Long Shen, on the other end, called He Yu’s phone, unsurprisingly saying they needed to leave and for the two of them to come back quickly.
So the two of them didn’t even buy a bag of potato chips and walked out of the supermarket under the cashier’s almost burning gaze, returning to the car.
Long Shen still sat in his seat with his eyes closed, seemingly deep in thought. Whether it was He Yu’s imagination or not, he felt that Long Shen’s complexion seemed even paler than before. The car continued driving forward. It was a special vehicle dispatched by the Northwestern Branch. Apart from an elderly driver, only the three of them were inside. The car performed well, but the road conditions weren’t great. As the altitude increased, the scenery outside gradually changed. They had seen enough and lost interest. What interested He Yu more was the gossip between Long Shen and Dong Zhi.
At first, he didn’t dare to ask, but after enduring for over ten minutes, he felt as uncomfortable as if he were sitting on pins and needles. Unable to resist any longer, he turned his head and asked, “Boss, there’s something I want to ask you.”
Long Shen didn’t even open his eyes; it was unclear if he was sleeping or not. In the front seat, although Yu Buhui didn’t turn around, his ears perked up noticeably.
He Yu didn’t expect Long Shen to proactively ask him what was on his mind, so he continued, “Do you think the next time I see Dong Zhi, I should call him ‘Madam Long’ or ‘the Deputy Bureau’s husband’?”
Yu Buhui coughed loudly from the front seat, causing a commotion, but Long Shen lazily lifted his eyelid.
“Whatever you want.”
He Yu was shocked. With this attitude, did that mean he was accepting his words?! But with Long Shen’s attitude, he shouldn’t mind others knowing about it, right? He Yu’s eyes turned, and he smiled mischievously. “Boss, don’t blame me for being nosy and gossiping, but it’s just so unexpected. But no matter how you look at it, it’s a good thing. Me and Chaosheng used to worry that you would never marry, ah no, find someone who understands you. But now, it’s perfect. Your disciple is also your wife, killing two birds with one stone. As the representative of Team 2, I sincerely congratulate you on behalf of everyone!”
Before Long Shen could tell him to shut up, He Yu quickly continued inquiring, “How did you two reach this point? Did Dong Zhi pursue you, or did you pursue him?”
Finally, Long Shen opened his eyes and looked at him.
He Yu reflexively moved to the other side of his seat and covered his mouth, pretending to be pitiful.
What audacity! Yu Buhui looked at him disdainfully and took matters into his own hands.
“Boss, we don’t care about those conventional views. We’re genuinely happy for you.”
Long Shen’s complexion softened slightly, and along with that gentle change, He Yu’s anxious and fearful heart calmed down.
“Thank you.”
Upon hearing those words from Long Shen, the flame of gossip in He Yu’s heart began to burn fiercely once again.
“Boss, I guess it was Dong Zhi who pursued you first, right? But how did you agree to it? You weren’t moved, were you? Before that, Li Han’er also had genuine feelings for you, she persisted…”
Long Shen: “Stop talking.”
He Yu: “Huh?”
Long Shen furrowed his brows. “If you keep blabbering, I’ll throw you out of the car and let you walk to Kunlun.”
He Yu: …
Yu Buhui gave him a look that said, “You deserve it.”
Although he was curious himself, asking gossip required the right timing, location, and strategic speaking skills. He Yu’s straightforward and crude way of inquiring, fueled only by gossip, would definitely not yield any results.
The car fell silent again after Long Shen’s words, but He Yu’s attempt at pretending to be calm lasted only three seconds before he broke character. He didn’t dare to ask Long Shen any further, but he couldn’t contain himself. He picked up his phone and started sending messages one by one to the members of Team 2 from his contacts.
The first message was sent to Kan Chaosheng: [Do you know that the boss is together with Dong Zhi?]
Then to Liu Si: [I have some big news for you. The boss is dating Dong Zhi.]
Finally, to Zhong Yuyi: [Lao Zhong! Lao Zhong! Dong Zhi will be our Deputy Bureau’s wife from now on!]
Kan Chaosheng wasn’t required to go to Kunlun Mountain, as the General Administration Bureau still needed someone to stay behind. He was currently in the capital city and received the message first. Kan Chaosheng, who had transformed into a big yellow cat, lazily lounged on He Yu’s desk, swishing his tail back and forth, teasing the white cat under the desk that wanted to pounce on his tail. When the message appeared, the big yellow cat was in the middle of a gaming session, and he only spared a fraction of a second to glance at the message. He deemed it irrelevant to the matter at hand and didn’t know what He Yu was talking about, so he immediately dismissed it as spam and ignored it.
It was only after He Yu sent the messages that he realized something. Kan Chaosheng was already five hundred years old, which was considered immortal in human terms, but for monsters, five hundred years was just the age of understanding things. Kan Chaosheng’s temperament could be described as naive, almost childlike. Telling him about this was a complete mistake. Most likely, he was currently immersed in the game and couldn’t be bothered to discuss it with He Yu.
As for Zhong Yuyi, his reaction time was just too long. It wouldn’t be surprising if he only responded tomorrow.
Apart from these two people, the slightly more normal one in Team 2 was Liu Si. However, he was currently on the return journey with Dong Zhi on a ship, and the signal wasn’t good, so he might not be able to reply immediately.
But He Yu was already burning with a fervor of gossip that he couldn’t extinguish. He wished he could find someone with the same interests to discuss it endlessly, but it wouldn’t be interesting to talk to unfamiliar people. The people on Kunlun Mountain were probably already in a frenzy, so he couldn’t bother them. After thinking for a while, he reluctantly sent a message to Yu Buhui, who was in the same car.
He Yu: [I still feel like I’m dreaming right now.]
Yu Buhui: [I can tell. Your butt has been twisting and turning as if you’re sitting on pins and needles. If Senior Brother hadn’t kicked you out of the car, it would be out of sheer mercy.]
He Yu: …
He secretly glanced at Long Shen, who still had his eyes closed, showing no signs of awareness. He Yu breathed a sigh of relief and continued sending messages to Yu Buhui.
He Yu: [The boss, forget about him being in a romantic relationship. Can you imagine him looking at someone, especially a man, with tender affection? I feel like I’m covered in goosebumps.]
Yu Buhui: [Why are you, a grown man, so interested in your boss’ love life?]
He Yu: [You casually mentioned it earlier just to get me to ask, didn’t you? Don’t think I don’t see through your evil intentions!]
Yu Buhui: [Although I’m also interested, I’m not as excited as you. I can feel from head to toe that you’re radiating ‘I want the whole world to know that Long Shen is dating’ vibes. Be careful not to be scolded by Senior Brother.]
Just as He Yu finished speaking, he heard Long Shen say, “Why do you need to send text messages when you’re sitting right in front and behind each other? Can’t you just talk directly?”
He Yu stiffened, silently cursing Yu Buhui for jinxing it, unaware that Yu Buhui was also cursing him for being a gossipmonger and exposing himself.
“Boss, how did you know that we were exchanging messages?” He Yu forced a smile, not daring to lie.
Long Shen coldly replied, “Because the expressions on your faces and the smiles on your lips are exactly the same.”
He Yu forced a laugh. “We were afraid of disturbing your rest with our conversation!”
Long Shen said, “In this extraordinary time, you can say whatever you want, but don’t go disturbing people outside of Team 2.”
He knew He Yu’s nature for gossip and was certain that he would spread it everywhere.
He Yu hurriedly said, “Understood, I’ll only tell Kan Chaosheng, Zhong Yuyi, and Liu Si!”
Yu Buhui rolled his eyes in the front seat, thinking, ‘Is he stupid? He’s practically confessing.’
As expected, Long Shen glanced at He Yu, and He Yu’s body shivered. He could only reveal a silly smile.
Seeing that Long Shen didn’t show any further annoyance, He Yu couldn’t help but cautiously ask, “Boss, do you really like Dong Zhi? I mean, do you like him as a lover? Just don’t confuse your affection for your disciple with romantic love, cough cough. Of course, I’m not questioning your feelings, but I’m concerned as a friend and brother.”
After coming back to his senses, he began to worry about the two of them.
Dong Zhi was fine. He Yu could tell that Dong Zhi had admired Long Shen from the beginning. There was often no clear boundary between admiration and adoration, and it wasn’t surprising that someone as outstanding as Long Shen would be liked by Dong Zhi. As for a romantic relationship between a master and disciple, it was trivial compared to all the other issues in the world nowadays.
But He Yu couldn’t understand Long Shen’s thoughts. It wasn’t that Long Shen was very deep—on the contrary, He Yu felt that their boss was someone easy to understand. He never shied away from responsibility, and his sense of duty was even stronger than many humans’. He had his own set of principles when it came to ethics and work. From this perspective, Long Shen was pure, righteous, and principled.
The reason why He Yu found him hard to understand was because his way of doing things sometimes differed greatly from the majority. He often had unexpected behavior. Just like now, He Yu couldn’t comprehend Long Shen’s feelings towards Dong Zhi. Was it love or a mix-up of love and familial affection? Perhaps in the eyes of a sword, as long as it was affection, there seemed to be little difference between love for a disciple and love for a partner.
Long Shen tilted his head, propping his forehead with his hand. His complexion seemed a little listless, but he didn’t refuse to have a conversation with He Yu nor did he simply brush it off. Instead, he asked, “What do you think liking someone means?”
He Yu was taken aback and then said, “Um, wanting to see the person every day and being happy when you’re together, I guess.”
It was cruel to ask a single dog like him to answer this question. He Yu felt like crying and getting off the car.
He could only answer after immersing himself in his favorite game and struggling to find an answer.
Long Shen said, “When you’re unsure about which kind of liking it is, would you choose to speak up?”
He Yu thought for a moment and shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
If later on, it turned out that what he thought was liking wasn’t really liking, wouldn’t that be awkward?
Yu Buhui let out a contemptuous laugh.
Long Shen said, “Mortals’ lifespans are limited. I can afford to wait, but he can’t.”
Yu Buhui applauded. “Well said! Instead of wasting time on idle speculation, it’s better to cherish what we have now.”
He Yu was unconvinced. “But what if you meet someone you like more in the future and realize that Dong Zhi is just a relationship between master and disciple? How would you handle it then?”
Long Shen shook his head.
Just as He Yu thought he wouldn’t receive an answer, he heard Long Shen say, “No.”
Because he had already given all the little selfishness he had in this lifetime to Dong Zhi. From heaven to earth, there wouldn’t be another person like him.
After not hearing Long Shen continue speaking for a while, He Yu turned his head to look, and the other person had already closed his eyes as if he had fallen asleep.
He pursed his lips and noticed that he had received a new message on his phone.
Yu Buhui: [Pay up.]
They had made a bet in the supermarket earlier. He Yu bet that Long Shen would never voluntarily admit his feelings, while Yu Buhui bet that he would.
Obviously, Yu Buhui won the bet.
He Yu calmly added the other person to his block list and then tucked the phone into his pocket, pretending to sleep.
Yu Buhui: …Just you wait.
The relaxation in the car was just a small interlude. From night to day, and from day to evening, disregarding the driver’s rest breaks, when He Yu grew tired of looking at the scenery outside the window and couldn’t even muster interest in playing games, the car finally came to a stop.
But this wasn’t their final destination. They had stopped because they couldn’t go any further, and they needed to enter the depths of the mountains on foot to reach the Lengele Gorge.
There was a military outpost not far ahead, with soldiers on patrol. Long Shen showed them their credentials, gained permission, and they were able to continue.
Since the incident with the eye’s array, this area had been taken over by the military to prevent adventurers from accidentally entering and to ward off those with ill intentions. The Special Administration Bureau had focused all its efforts on repairing the gap in the eye’s array.
The three of them walked at a brisk pace and reached the Lengele Gorge in less than half a day. Compared to the desert sand outside, this place used to be covered in lush forests, with a spring-like climate all year round. But now, it had been mostly destroyed in the last earthquake. There were dead and withered plants and the remnants of animals along the way. Some had been charred by lightning strikes, while others had their eyes wide open, their bodies preserved but stiff, as if frozen in their final moments before death.
They soon saw familiar faces as they went deeper.
The more they walked, the more people they encountered—practitioners who had come from various places in response to the Special Administration Bureau and the various sects affiliated with the Bureau.
He Yu saw the figures of the elders from Mount Longhu and Maoshan, as well as the living Buddha dressed in a monk robe. He even saw his master, Sect Master Xin, from the Hezao Sect.
The incident this time had caused a great disturbance, and even Che Bai was sacrificed. Unable to seal the gap in the eye’s array, the Special Administration Bureau had no choice but to bring in more powerful individuals to handle the situation.
But as far as He Yu’s gaze could see, he noticed that everyone’s expressions weren’t good. The living Buddha was sitting on the ground, chanting softly, turning the prayer wheel. It didn’t look like he was setting up a formation but rather reciting scriptures for salvation. There were disciples supporting him by his side. He couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Because halfway through the journey, he had contacted Song Zhicun and heard that with the concerted efforts of everyone, the demonic qi had been suppressed to the maximum extent. It seemed like they were on the verge of success. At that time, he had breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that there was still a chance to salvage the situation.
He Yu found Master Xin and saw that he looked exhausted, even more haggard than Long Shen. He appeared as though he hadn’t slept for days.
“Master, what’s going on? Wasn’t the gap about to be filled?” He Yu asked.
Sect Master Xin sighed. “It has split open again.”
“What?” He Yu was dumbfounded.
Sect Master Xin: “Zong Lao sacrificed himself.”
He Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and the brief relaxation he had during the journey vanished completely. “What happened?”
It was needless to say that, with such a big event, Zong Ling had been here all along. After Che Bai’s sacrifice, Song Zhicun also rushed over. It was he who took charge and gathered practitioners from various sects to assist. None of the three deputy directors were at the bureau, and the current director didn’t handle specific affairs. Zhang Xiankun, the retired former director, was appointed as the temporary acting deputy director to stay in the capital and maintain order. In addition, even Li Rui, Li Ying’s father, had rushed over to help.
After the demise of Che Bai and the Phoenix, the gap in the passage still remained, and the demonic qi continued to spread outward. Zong Ling, with her own strength, had guarded it for three days and nights, barely suppressing the outward flow of demonic qi.
Three days later, reinforcements from all sides arrived. They jointly set up a formation, led by Mount Longhu, Maoshan, the Hezao Sect, and Yuanming Palace, as the first line of defense to temporarily seal the demonic qi. Then three living Buddhas reinforced it as the second line of defense, and finally, Zong Ling personally used the Four Symbols Star-Setting Lamp to completely seal the abyss and the underworld. Long Shen and the others had traveled a long distance to deliver the Four Symbols Star-Setting Lamp to Zong Ling.
Originally, everything was going smoothly. Sect Master Xin, along with other figures such as the leader of Mount Longhu, hadn’t slept for three days and nights, tirelessly performing sealing rituals. They had finally managed to suppress the surging demonic qi. However, an unexpected incident occurred at that moment. In the dead of night, the ground of the passage suddenly cracked open, causing a large-scale collapse in the almost blocked gap. The demonic qi gushed out once again.
This time, it was even more severe than the previous eruption. The demonic qi contaminated an area of tens of miles, turning the sky into a hazy gray. It also triggered tremors in the earth and thunderstorms. Under the combined force of lightning and demonic qi, nearly all the animals near the canyon perished. The group was at a loss, and it was only when Zong Ling jumped into the pit alone, using the ancient power of the Four Symbols to barely prevent the further spread of the demonic qi. Sect Master Xin and the others were trying to reinforce the seal from the outside, which eventually led to the current state of calm.
He Yu’s face was filled with disbelief. “Zong Lao is the Four Symbols of ancient times. Is sacrificing oneself the only solution?”
Sect Master Xin replied with a heavy tone, “All beings in heaven and earth have a limited lifespan. Zong Lao’s life is nearing its end, and her divine soul has already been infused into the Four Symbol Star-Setting Lamp. Her power isn’t as strong as before. Besides sacrificing herself to seal the demonic qi, there is no other way.”
While the master and disciple were having their conversation, Long Shen and Yu Buhui had already walked inside. As they entered the valley, they could already sense the intense demonic qi. However, the closer they got to the edge of the pit, the stronger the demonic qi became. It rushed at them like a fierce wind, causing Yu Buhui’s face to pale in fear.
Most of the people present had their qi protecting them, as well as talismans and Buddhist dharma to shield themselves. For the time being, they weren’t in great danger. However, if the demonic qi continued to leak out and the gap continued to expand, not only would the animals in this area be affected, but even ordinary people outside would be in danger. It would truly become the dark world that Otowa Yasuhiko and Songen had anticipated.
Not far away, an area of collapsed ground, about the size of half a football field, appeared in front of them.
With a cursory glance, Yu Buhui noticed the presence of the leader of Mount Longhu and a living Buddha from a Tibetan sect sitting around the collapsed area. These people were all famous figures in the practitioner world, and it wasn’t easy to gather them together. However, they had come from all directions, willing to use their half-lifetime of cultivation to resist this impending catastrophe.
In the center of the collapsed pit, black demonic qi pervaded the surroundings, sometimes dense and sometimes faint. However, the people remained vigilant and didn’t relax their guard. Demonic creatures were cunning and deceptive, and even the demonic qi was adept at misleading people. Often, they would intentionally show weakness, only to launch a counterattack at the opportune moment. With many powerful individuals gathered here and the suppression from Xuanwu’s* power, the demonic qi seemed weak and on the verge of extinction.
*Also known as Zhenwu or Zhenwudadi, is a revered deity in Chinese religion, one of the higher-ranking deities in Taoism. He is revered as a powerful god, able to control the elements and capable of great magic.
Long Shen stood on the side, watching as everyone worked hard to set up the formation. He could tell that Zhang Boyuan, the leader of Mount Longhu, and Chi Sang, the Living Buddha, were the leaders of the formation. They were like the two ends of a string, maintaining the balance of the formation. If one of them were to suddenly lose control, the entire formation would collapse.
At that moment, an evil thought suddenly emerged in Long Shen’s mind. Zhang Boyuan was defenseless and no match for him at all. If he were to approach him now, it would only take half a second to kill him. What would the situation be like afterward? If the formation collapsed and the demonic qi, which was barely contained, was completely unleashed, the demonic creatures in the abyss would break free and rampage in the human world. Everyone here would become sacrifices to the demonic creatures.
Many people have had this experience: once a certain thought arises, it takes root like a seed in the ground and cannot be removed.
Long Shen had never experienced this before. He never had uncontrollable thoughts. However, this evil thought came on aggressively and momentarily took over his mind.
He didn’t realize that his expression had become unpredictable, and he had even taken a step forward.
“Director Long!” Song Zhicun’s voice came from behind.
Long Shen’s body trembled imperceptibly, and he closed his eyes for a moment. When he turned around, his expression had returned to normal, showing no signs of anything unusual.
“What’s the situation now? I brought the Four Symbols Star-Setting Lamp,” he said.
“It’s not looking optimistic.” Song Zhicun’s face turned serious. “After Zong Lao sacrificed herself, most of the demonic qi have been brought under control. Sect Master Zhang, the head of Mount Longhu, and the others are intensifying their formation in an attempt to completely seal the demonic qi. However, there is still a small amount of demonic qi leaking out. If we can’t come up with a better solution, even if we manage to temporarily control the situation, the passage will still collapse completely in a short time, and the gap may become even more severe than it is now.”
In simple terms, no matter how powerful the formation of these cultivators was, it couldn’t compare to the ancient stone monument. Without the stone tablet of the eye, the formation was like a bottle without its stopper. No matter how hard they tried, the new stopper they made would never be as effective as the original. Once the bottle was tilted, the water would continue to seep out. If the water pressure increased, the stopper could be washed away.
“What should we do now?” Long Shen asked.
Song Zhicun sighed and shook his head. “Now is the time when the demonic qi is weakest. I plan to hold an impromptu meeting to gather everyone’s ideas. Maybe we can come up with some solutions.”
Long Shen nodded and handed the box containing the Four Symbols Star-Setting Lamp to Song Zhicun. “That’s fine. I’ll go rest over there for a bit.”
Song Zhicun knew that Long Shen had rushed back after his confrontation with Otowa Yasuhiko in Japan. Wu Bingtian and the others could stay in Beijing to recover, but Long Shen had no time to rest. Song Zhicun said, “The red tent over there is mine. Go inside and get some rest. I’ll call you when the meeting starts!”
<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>
Kinky Translations 