Chapter 28
TN: Unedited & will probably come back and fix the flow of the language more, because it feels clunky. Alternating between calling the ranking board the ‘gold ranking board’ and ‘gold list’ because the literal translation ‘gold board’ is way too unspecific. Also, bold words are how they were in the original raws. LEL, mixing in English.
The Immortal Alliance Conference this time was the most casualty and injury-laden one since its inception.
The new cultivators from all the partic.i.p.ating sects numbered 1,313 people total. Among them, Huan Hua Palace lost 140 people and Tian Yi Overlook lost 90 people. Apart from the people who didn’t partic.i.p.ate in the Conference, the diligently-working Zhao Hua Temple that held up the enchantment was spared. Among the three great sects, Cang Qiong Mountain sect suffered the lightest casualties: only 39 people.
As for the miscellaneous other sects, those new cultivators who had mediocre martial powers and techniques almost all made up the majority. They were the true sufferers who felt the losses most deeply.
Originally, being on the gold ranking board was a joyous thing. But another look revealed that nearly a quarter of the names on the gold list had all perished in Jue Di Gorge. In particular, there was the name hanging high above at first place: Cang Qiong Mountain sect, belonging to Qing Jing Peak, Shen Qingqiu’s beloved disciple Luo Binghe. His sword was broken and his person perished; how could his heart not ache?
And these things didn’t even take into account the cultivators who’d entered after everything occurred, and been lost inside.
After this battle, each sect could be said to have been wounded deeply.
Qing Jing Peak was sent a crimson proclamation list.
On that crimson paper, the first name at the very top was ‘Luo Binghe,’ golden and eye-catching.
Ming Fan entered, and reported: “s.h.i.+zun, there are three thousand spirit stones that have been delivered up here. How should they be settled?”
Three thousand spirit stones? Where did they come from? Shen Qingqiu blankly said: “For what reason are there suddenly so many spirit stones delivered here?”
Ming Fan said carefully: “s.h.i.+zun, you forgot? During the Immortal Alliance Conference, s.h.i.+zun bet one thousand spirit stones on……”
Shen Qingqiu remembered. It was the bet he placed on Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe really did prove worthy, showing his hand in spades during the demon invasion and directly leaping over the first-place Gongyi Xiao and second-place Liu Mingyan. On that high ranking board, he’d turned things around and regained his place twice over.
But he didn’t know why; at the time he’d clung onto that mentality of ‘earning a fortune at a stroke of the pen’ [1], but now, he actually was somehow a little overwhelmed.
In the past, these things he all gave to Luo Binghe to handle, things that should go to the warehouse, or the things used to do other things. With things completed like this, there was no need for him to care for them. Now it came to Ming Fan to ask him how these things should be handled.
Shen Qingqiu thought for a while, and said: “First receive them, then.”
“……” Ming Fan actually wanted to ask in more detail about how to receive them, but s.h.i.+zun’s expression was truly so far from good that he didn’t dare ask further. He judged it was a good decision to stuff his heart in storage and quickly retreated.
For several days, the disciples of Qing Jing Peak were all cautious as though avoiding a thunder strike, afraid of touching that most painful thread in s.h.i.+zun’s heart. They all thought that after some days had pa.s.sed, there would be a gradual change. Who knew that, after over half a month had pa.s.sed and Shen Qingqiu seemed to be returning to normal, one day near the house for a moment, they would suddenly hear Shen Qingqiu in the bamboo house call Luo Binghe’s name twice.
Ning Yingying charged in deng deng deng [2], scaring Shen Qingqiu: “What are you doing, suddenly rus.h.i.+ng in here? A young lady so energetic, what kind of appearance is this?”
Ning Yingying’s eyes were red like a little rabbit: “s.h.i.+zun, you……what do you want to eat? I’ll make it for you.”
Shen Qingqiu coughed dryly: “No need. Go outside to play.”
Ning Yingying stamped her feet and said: “s.h.i.+zun! Even if you don’t have Ah Luo, you still…… you still have us other disciples. You, like this…… so distracted like you’ve lost your soul, disciples, all us disciples are all about to be worried to death!”
That this phrase ‘distracted like you’ve lost your soul’ would be used on him, Shen Qingqiu hadn’t thought of even in his previous life. Truthfully, at Shen Qingqiu’s cultivation level, whether he ate or not didn’t matter. He only had a craving and suddenly wanted to eat refreshments. Plus, he just happened not to be careful and forgot that Luo Binghe had already been kicked by him into the Endless Abyss. How could this change into ‘distracted like you’ve lost your soul’?!
Shen Qingqiu opened his mouth, at a loss for how to justify himself, when he saw Ning Yingying so anxious that she was almost crying. Hurrying over to console her, she only started to stop when he truthfully vowed that it just happened to be a slip of the mouth earlier.
After he’d coaxed her out, Shen Qingqiu let out a deep breath. Suddenly, he felt that this little girl who was always spoiled and flighty in the novel, dragging behind the hind legs others, actually grew up a lot.
You know, she was part of Luo Binghe’s harem. She was supposed to be the one most whiny and willful, yet she actually knew to come and comfort her s.h.i.+fu.
Did this count as his teaching methods bearing results?
In short, this couldn’t go on!
Obviously he was the one who dragged up and beat the little white sheep male protagonist, but how come now it was as though the male protagonist had captivated him. It had only been some days since he hadn’t seen him and he was displaying a face as though he was a widow whose husband had died, frightening who!
Not correct, pei! Shen Qingqiu gave himself a slap in his heart.
Who had a widow’s face! Whose husband died! To say these f.u.c.king words like they could be said carelessly, this was really living backwards, a dog’s mouth wouldn’t spit out ivory, ought to hit!
However, with Luo Binghe gone, he truly was a little lonely. Especially when he thought of how after five years, at the time of reunion, what was once a warm relations.h.i.+p between master and disciple (……) would then become gentle speech and laughter hiding murderous intent.
The ruined Zheng Yang was brought back by Shen Qingqiu. He casually dug a hole in the dirt at Qing Jing Peak behind the bamboo house, erected a sign, and created a sword mound [3]. Other people, seeing him in a trance in front of the hollow monument, thought he missed and was thinking about his beloved disciple, the sad sigh an expression of his deep and true feelings for his disciple as he created the grave himself. Only he knew, in the midst of a sad sigh, that the person buried inside the sword mound, that pleasantly warm and bright young boy, would never return again.
Also, what truly transformed him into a wind-worn and disordered fossil was that, after the system calculated the score, it sent a heart-destroying notice.
【Congratulations! You have successfully completed the important mission ‘Beginning of the Legend: Luo Binghe’s Fall and Rebirth.’ Rewarding Protagonist’s Coolness level 10,000. 】
Once Shen Qingqiu heard this, he was very happy: It’s got some mercy, after all.
Then.
【But also due to special circ.u.mstances, the new calculated score: Luo Binghe’s Heartbreak level. Because the heartbreak value is too high, the protagonist’s coolness is cleared to 0. Please continue your efforts! 】
……Cleared to 0…… Cleared to 0…… Cleared to 0……
These three big words endlessly revolved in the sea of Shen Qingqiu’s mind……
What kind of freaking thing is this so-called heartbreak level! Didn’t I tell you not to not to calculate strange data figures?! Go scram! Is Luo Binghe being treated as his own son for him to have even an individual heartbreak score!
He worked hard as cattle or a horse for thirty years, but in one night he’d returned to the time before his liberation. Shen Qingqiu’s heart felt as stifled as though it’d been suppressed by the Pacific Ocean.
Since he wasn’t happy himself, of course he had to find someone else’s unhappiness.
As a result, Shen Qingqiu let Ming Fan run an errand obediently, inviting Shang Qinghua to the bamboo house.
Shan Qinghua lay down the snowy porcelain teacup and smiled: “Senior martial brother Shen’s Qing Jing Peak is truly quiet and elegant. Even a tiny teacup is so exquisite. This degree of elegance really makes Qinghua feel ashamed of his inferiority.” [4]
In the past, Qing Jing Peak and An Ding Peak never infringed upon each other, just like how well water and river water didn’t mix. Their relations were neither cold nor warm. Especially since Shen Qingqiu’s att.i.tude was lofty and cold, they never took the initiative to please him. But this time, he’d sent his disciple to An Ding Peak to draw relations closer. Shang Qinghua couldn’t get a feel for his depths, but since no one hit a person who had a smiling face [5], he first delivered up some pleasing words. There was no way that would go wrong.
Shen Qingqiu’s disciples having retreated, he closed the door and sighed: “Junior martial brother, having said it like this, I have to clear up the matter. This Qing Jing Peak’s every gra.s.s and every tree, every cup and every plate, everything was personally arranged by that disciple of mine.”
“……” Shang Qinghua followed him in sighing: “Ai, martial nephew Luo was a person of outstanding ability. It’s truly a pity. Those demons left us with heavy devastation, truly hateful. The entire world commiserates with senior martial brother Shen restraining his grief.”
Shen Qingqiu tranquilly said: “Junior martial brother Shang, if you truly felt it was a pity, then there wouldn’t be such a devastating event.”
Upon hearing this, Shang Qinghua suddenly turned stiff.
After a moment, his smile curved up without a mark or trace of anything wrong: “Senior martial brother Shen, what’s the meaning of these words? Unless you are blaming my An Ding Peak for not being strong enough? If this is the case, then this junior brother is truly guilty this time and apologizes.”
Shen Qingqiu continued to give him a cup of tea and said: “Where is there a lack of strength? Clearly, too much strength was used. Even monsters such as the Ghost Head Spider, nu yuan chan, and Bone Eagle that have never actively come into the Human Realm have been found and used. How can this senior martial brother blame you for not having enough strength?”
Shang Qinghua suddenly stood up, his facial expression complex and turning colors [6]: “Peak Lord Shen, your words cannot be too excessive!”
Shen Qingqiu put his hand on Shang Qinghua’s shoulder and solemnly asked: “Junior martial brother Shang, why are you so overly excited? Let’s sit down and talk. If I call on you, do you dare to promise?”
Shang Qinghua smiled coldly and pulled off his hand: “What is there that I dare not do? I have a clear heart and blameless conscience. How can I be afraid of your forceful and faulty accusation of wrongdoing?”
Shen Qingqiu: “Airplane Towards the Sky?”
Suddenly, there seemed to be G.o.dly lightning striking from the Ninth Heaven [7] directly on top of Shang Qinghua’s head, striking him so that he could not say a word.
A moment later, he trembled and whispered: “You…… how do you know this ID?”
Shen Qingqiu saw his reaction and was dumbstruck, also stricken by lightning.
After three seconds, Shen Qingqiu patted his shoulder. His hand pressed down forcefully as he smiled lightly: “It’s really you? This old man finished that book of yours, how can I not know that ID of yours? If Mo Beijun hadn’t come out and you were careless enough for me to hear you let slip a word, I truly wouldn’t know it was you, Great G.o.d!”
At that moment, in the split second when Shang Qinghua met Mo Beijun, he unintentionally spit out “WTF!”
At the time, Shen Qingqiu hadn’t heard it very clearly. That was why he didn’t pay attention, though later the more he thought about it, the more he had suspicions.
As an evil black hand (of logistics) hidden behind the scenes, Shang Qinghua hadn’t let loose the Black Moon Python Rhinoceros that he did in the original work. But if this explanation could be taken as something to halt the development of the plot, to cut off the root cause of Luo Binghe getting pushed down the Endless Abyss, then it made sense.
As for why he guessed it was Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky……of course there was still only one reason – – of those he knew, other than the people he knew about that were uninvolved in the scene, there was only the original author. That was why there was only one option for him to guess!
This kind of foolish guessing hitting the mark every time wasn’t his fault!
Both people were relatively silent, both sides competing their skill at diplomacy.
A long while later, Shen Qingqiu said: “Unfilled plot holes! Foreshadowing made useless! Lightning striking everywhere! A grade-schooler’s writing! If you’re going to write a stallion novel, you should properly write a stallion novel. Why mess around with this mental and physical abuse?! [8]”
Shang Qinghua: “……I am also a victim. I am the author, can’t I be considered as the G.o.d who created this world? Even if I transmigrate, I should transmigrate into the protagonist. Who knew that after plugging in a socket and getting electrocuted, the system randomly a.s.signed a role and matched me with a cannon fodder.”
Shen Qingqiu smiled coldly: “It’s still better than me. Our ident.i.ties directly revealed to Mo Beijun means he’ll kill us off. We can only wish for a happy death. Meanwhile, I was personally cut by Luo Binghe into. A. Human. Stick.” The emphasis of each word indicated a rather deep resentment.
Shang Qinghua: “How many years have you been transmigrated? Immediately transmigrated and you’re already at a master’s level? I transmigrated over since infancy. Impoverished and struggling to maturity, the period of suffering as an outer disciple; do you have more experience than me?”
The two people compared tragedies without a clear winner. The final judgment was that everyone suffered the same, as little difference as a half jin versus eight liang [9]. Shang Qinghua sighed emotionally: “I actually met a reader. It can also count as fate. What’s your reader’s ID on Zhongdian? We may be old acquaintances.”
Shen Qingqiu said: “Peerless Cuc.u.mber.” [Jues.h.i.+ Huanggua] [10]
Shang Qinghua thought for a while: “There’s a little impression. That one time, are you that one who shouted particularly fiercely among those shouting for the villain to be castrated? It was after, cough cough, the original Shen Qingqiu was obscene and unsuccessfully tried to be licentious towards Ning Yingying.”
“……” Shen Qingqiu: “Past events should be laid to rest.”
With a positive expression, he said: “Our introductions have finished and extraneous words ended. Today, I have sought you for a talk because after the Immortal Alliance Conference, I suddenly thought of a solution that will solve the common problem we share.”
Shang Qinghua was surprised: “Really?”
Shen Qingqiu shook his fan: “Is joking about this kind of thing very funny? My solution will be able to secure the root of the problem if the secret is not leaked. Even in the most desperate straits, you’ll be able to return.”
Only, there were still two little conditions missing.
Success or failure depended on one action. He would see if Shang Qinghua, this fellow countryman, would be of help.
—End Chapter 28—
[1] Earning a fortune at the stroke of a pen (賺一筆是一筆): So, uh. This had me stumped. Hopefully I got the translation and meaning right.
[2] Deng deng deng: SFX for footsteps.
[3] Sword mound (劍塚): Translated it literally. It’s like a grave you make for someone when you don’t have a body.
[4] Qinghua feel ashamed…: Yup, he refers to himself in the third person. It’s a formal way of speaking.
[5] No one hit a person who had a smiling face (伸手不打笑臉人): Pretty self-evident. You’re not going to hit someone being nice to you, are you?
[1] His facial expression complex and turning colors: The original sentence was difficult to translate so I just used the general meaning here. Actual words used were 尚清華霍然站起，臉色青紅白黑交錯. Facial color turning green, red, black, and white. XD
[7] G.o.dly lightning striking from the Ninth Heaven: Uh. Translated this a bit literally, but in cases you’re confused, just imagine a bolt of lightning striking him in an expression of cartoon shock. Ninth Heaven is considered the highest Heaven.
[8] Why mess around with this mental and physical abuse?!: Referring to Luo Binghe’s tragic history. Yanno, the one filled with child abuse and betrayal.
[9] Everyone suffered the same, as little difference as a half jin versus eight liang (半斤八兩): Just what it sounds like. ½ jin of weight = 8 liang of weight. Meaning is that they’re two of a kind.
[10] Peerless Cuc.u.mber (絕世黃瓜): Jues.h.i.+ Huangua in pinyin, as I’ve put above too. It might be just me having a dirty mind, but I feel like this might be slang for ‘peerless c.o.c.k.’ If someone can confirm or deny this for me, that would be great. XD