Yellow Springs Inn (Zhang Xiao Qi)

T/N: You know, 离别, the chapter’s t.i.tle, means “leaving,” but if you switch the two characters around, it becomes 别离, or “don’t leave.” Coincidence? I think not.

Also, I checked the Novel Updates page for this novel, and I just wanted to give a quick reminder that this is not romance. Or, at least, not romance-centric. It seems that the definition for Romance on NU is any love related story, so I guess it makes a little sense, but while romance plays a core part in moving the plot forward, it is NOT the plot. In other words, the goal is not to get the guy. 

My updates are really, really slow if you haven’t noticed by now (hopefully it will speed up after exams), so I’ve made a Glossary in the Index page, so you can reference it if you forget anything. If you want me to add anything to it, comment or in the Contact page.

I looked at Hong Yan, smiling, "Hong Yan, this matter will be handed to you to take care of!"

Hong Yan smiled and nodded her head, then turned and left.

Luo Qian Ping looked at me and sneered, "All of this today was set up by you guys?"

I smiled and looked at Luo Qian Ping, "It"s true that it was set up, but I wasn’t the one that set it up; it was him!"

Saying this, I looked to Luo Qian Qi kneeling at the offering table.

"Ha ha ha!" Luo Qian Ping gazed at Luo Qian Qi, laughing out, "Good, very good!"

Luo Qian Ping"s expression was sinister, "Not bad: I want to be Hall Master, I want to know the secret, all this was set up by me! What about it, do you all really not want to know what the secret is?”

Luo Qian Ping knew that this time there was no way around the matter, so he fearlessly and straightforwardly conceded.

The gaze Luo Qian Qi used to look at Luo Qian Ping was extremely cold. It seemed that Luo Qian Ping"s bringing up the secret was taboo.

Luo Qian Ping turned to look at Luo Qian Qi and smiled coldly, "Luo Qian Qi, this time you have won, next time…"

Luo Qian Ping hadn"t finished his words when a long sword from Luo Cheng Guang"s hands stabbed into Luo Qian Ping"s heart.

Luo Qian Ping had a face full of shock as he looked at Luo Cheng Guang; he didn"t understand, why would Luo Cheng Guang do this?

Like him, the people at the scene were all bewildered; could it be that Luo Cheng Guang was trying to redeem himself?

Luo Cheng Guang looked at Luo Qian Ping and shouted angrily, "Luo Qian Qi, go die!"

With this, that long sword completely sank into Luo Qian Ping"s flesh. Luo Qian Ping closed his eyes in despair and collapsed on the ground.

As it turned out, Luo Cheng Guang made Luo Qian Ping out to be Luo Qian Qi, killing him.

Luo Qian Qi stood up from his position by the offering table. After he stood up, the needles locking his pipa bones fell off by themselves onto the ground.

Luo Qian Qi walked to the three families and gave them a dark chuckle. The three families all could not help the cold shiver running down their spines.

Luo Qian Qi walked to Luo Qian Ping"s side and looked him over for a moment, and suddenly the pair of eyes that had already closed opened once again, this time glaring at Luo Qian Qi.

I walked to Luo Qian Ping"s side, laughing, "Never would have thought Luo Second Gentleman only has this much ability!"

As I laughed I snapped my fingers, and the miasma over Luo Cheng Guang"s eyes dispersed. After the miasma dispersed the ghost that I had cover his eyes also withdrew.

After the ghost covering Luo Cheng Guang"s eyes withdrew, when he saw Luo Qian Ping lying on the ground he kneeled on the ground and sobbed, "My son!"

Everyone froze; wasn"t Luo Qian Ping Luo Qian Qi"s blood brother? How did he become Luo Cheng Guang"s son?

This matter could be traced back to one night eighteen years ago, when Luo Cheng Guang and Luo Qian Qi"s mother, under the influence of alcohol, lost rationale and had Luo Qian Ping.

Perhaps this was the reason Luo Cheng Guang remained unmarried even till today, because he deeply loved Luo Qian Qi"s mother.

During the eight months when Luo Qian Ping was still in the womb Luo Qian Qi"s father unexpectedly died in an accident. In retrospect, Luo Qian Qi"s father"s unexpected death was probably not an accident, but deliberately caused by Luo Cheng Guang.

After Luo Qian Ping was born, Luo Qian Qi"s mother was always bedridden, and three months later she pa.s.sed away. At that time Luo Qian Qi was only three years old.

The gaze which Luo Qian Qi looked at Luo Cheng Guang with was full of resentment; all of this was not unknown to him, he knew, he knew his blood Second Uncle murdered his very father, and also that his very blood brother was also his second uncle"s child.

But he could only pretend he didn"t know; if he spoke out, then what would await him could only be the road to death!

Luo Qian Qi looked at Luo Cheng and smiled coldly, "Second Uncle, you finally confessed!"

Luo Cheng Guang stared at Luo Qian Qi vehemently, "Luo Qian Qi, even if Luo Qian Ping is not your blood brother, in the end he is still your younger male cousin, how could you be so cruel as to murder him!"

The crowd looked at Luo Cheng Guang with disdain; clearly you yourself killed him, how could you blame Hall Master!

Luo Qian Qi looked at Luo Cheng Guang and smiled coldly, "Then when you murdered my father why did you not think of the fact that he was your blood brother, why did you not think of the fact his house still had a three-year-old son!"

The last sentence Luo Qian Qi practically roared out. It could be seen just how angry he was.

Luo Qian Qi calmed down and smiled coldly at Luo Cheng Guang, "Moreover, Luo Qian Ping was killed with your own two hands!"

Luo Cheng Guang refuted, "That can’t be, how could I kill my son with my own two hands, it must be you, it must be you Luo Qian Qi!"

After wasting this much time, the sun had already gone down, in the distance the sky was already speckled with stars.

Luo Qian Qi harrumphed coldly; he disdained to argue with Luo Cheng Guang any further, and turned to leave the ancestral hall.

Just when Luo Qian Qi reached the door of the ancestral hall he halted his footsteps again.

Luo Qian Qi turned to look at me and smiled, "Shopkeeper Xiao Qi, I’ll have to trouble you with Thousand Jade Hall’s matters to take care of on my behalf!"

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, smiling as I looked at Luo Qian Qi , "I am not one of Thousand Jade Hall’s people, how am I supposed to help you take care of it?

Luo Qian Qi looked at me and chucked, then threw to me a black command tablet. The command tablet had an especially eye-catching blood red "Command" written on it.

After throwing the command tablet to me, Luo Qian Qi left.

I looked at the command tablet in confusion; what was this?

Suddenly, with a "whoosh," the ancestral hall’s disciples all kneeled towards me, including Li Shi, Li Yan Xin and the elders standing to the side.

At the side, the houses of Yang, Lu, and Peng were also staring blankly at the command tablet in my hand.

I stared blankly at the crowd of people kneeling on the ground, saying in bewilderment, "What are you guys doing?"

Li Shi raised his head and smiled, "Shopkeeper Xiao Qi, this command tablet is our Thousand Jade Hall"s blood command, seeing this command tablet is like seeing the Hall Master!"

"So there’s something like this?" I wondered, then said, "Alright, you can all stand up now!"

"Yes!" the crowd responded and promptly stood up from the ground.

Li Shi said to me, "Shopkeeper Xiao Qi, how do you plan on punishing Luo Cheng Guang?"

I gave Luo Cheng Guang a glance-over, then also glanced over to Luo Qian Ping with his eyes wide open, smiling as I said, "The one needing punishment is not just Luo Cheng Guang, there is also Luo Qian Ping!"

The crowd heard me and suddenly woke up from their trance; Luo Qian Ping"s flesh body may have already died, but his soul was still there. It wouldn’t be impossible for his soul to possess someone"s body to exact his revenge.

Luo Cheng Guang stared at me for a moment, yelling angrily, "Zhang Xiao Qi, what kind of enmity do you have with us, sparing not even one person?"

I spread out my hands towards Luo Cheng Guang, smiling, "It is true that I have no enmity or animosity with you guys, but I am also the one that was entrusted this, so I must settle the matter, no?"

Luo Cheng Guang glared at me vehemently, like he wanted to swallow me whole.

I looked at Luo Cheng Guang and chuckled coldly, "Where is Black and White Impermanence?"

The crowd froze. Soon, Black and White Impermanence had materialized within the crowd"s line of sight.

White Impermanence looked at me and giggled mischievously, "This place is so lively, for what matter did Shopkeeper Xiao Qi call us two brothers here?"

I looked at Black and White Impermanence, chuckling, "Someone died here; normally his soul would be turned over to the netherworld to handle, but I was here waiting for so long, yet didn"t see you two brothers come to take the soul, why is this?"

Black and White Impermanence glanced at each other. White Impermanence laughed, "Shopkeeper Xiao Qi, it wasn"t that we brothers didn"t come to take the soul, but that Yan w.a.n.g commanded us already that the netherworld during this time is not to interfere in any affairs of Thousand Jade Hall whatsoever!"

The crowd, hearing this, froze, why was the netherworld not to interfere in any of Thousand Jade Hall"s affairs?

"Really? So there are regulations like this!" I said.

White Impermanence nodded, "Yes, we ask Shopkeeper Xiao Qi to forgive us; this person"s soul, we lowly ones dare not take!"

I waved them off, "Ok, I got it, you guys go back then!"

"Yes!" Black and White Impermanence responded before leaving Thousand Jade Hall.

Luo Cheng Guang looked at me and laughed coldly, "How is it, even the netherworld"s Black and White Impermanence don"t dare to take my son"s soul, I want to see what other plans you have, ha ha ha!"

I looked at Luo Cheng Guang and smiled coldly, "The netherworld"s ghost commissioners indeed don"t dare to take Luo Qian Ping"s soul; however, our Yellow Springs Inn doesn"t count as ghost commissioners!"

Luo Cheng Guang froze a little. I laughed coldly, "Hong Yan, get people to bring Luo Qian Ping back to Yellow Springs Inn!"

"Yes!" Hong Yan responded and promptly called out small ghosts preparing to take away Luo Qian Ping.

Luo Cheng Guang seeing the situation hastily blocked Luo Qian Ping"s body. I harrumphed, then with a palm hit Luo Cheng Guang"s chest, and Luo Cheng Guang directly flew out of the building.

Luo Cheng Guang lay on the ground turning about, not getting up for half a day.

I harrumphed, "Take him away!"

I had just finished my sentence when several small ghosts took Luo Qian Ping and disappeared in the middle of the ancestral hall. Hong Yan followed them in leaving.

I looked at Luo Cheng Guang and chuckled, "How would you like me to punish you?"

Luo Cheng Guang glared at me angrily, not saying a word.

I turned and said to Li Shi, "First lock him up!"

"Yes!" Li Shi responded before some Thousand Jade Hall disciples took away Luo Cheng Guang.

The moment Luo Cheng Guang was taken away, he looked at me with a gaze full of hatred.

I didn"t care for Luo Cheng Guang"s gaze one bit; I turned to look at Yang, Lu, Peng the three houses" people and chuckled coldly, "The matter[s] is just about to wrap up, are you guys staying here to a.s.sume responsibility with Luo Cheng Guang?"

Yang Sheng gave a hollow laugh, "I suddenly thought of some matters I still have to take care of at home, I"ll be taking my leave!"

Saying this Yang Sheng took the initiative to lead his people out of the ancestral hall, while Lu Xiu and company also in succession found excuses to leave Thousand Jade Hall.

After the three houses left I dismissed the rest of Thousand Jade Hall’s disciples, then walked to Luo Qian Qi"s courtyard.

I didn"t know why I wanted to help him deal with the aftermath; this didn"t help me one bit, yet I just wanted to help him!

Upon entering the room I found that inside the room everything that had shattered had already been replaced, and Luo Qian Qi, as always, sat by the bookshelf reading books.

"Has it all been taken care of?" I had just walked in Luo Qian Qi"s room when I heard Luo Qian Qi ask me this.

I nodded, "Luo Qian Ping and Luo Cheng Guang"s matters can be considered settled; however the three houses and your guys"s Thousand Jade Hall"s elders weren"t easy to handle, you just handle them yourself!"

Luo Qian Qi looked at me and smiled, "I’ve inconvenienced you!"

I looked at Luo Qian Qi and chuckled, "Not inconveniencing exactly, just a little annoying!"

Luo Qian Qi sighed, "It is really is a little annoying, but it will get better!"

I nodded, "Luo Qian Qi, Yan w.a.n.g refused to interfere in your Thousand Jade Hall"s affairs, is it that you and he reached some sort of agreement?"

Luo Qian Qi looked at me with suspicion, "Why do you ask?"

I smiled and shook my head, "It"s not like that, I’m just a little curious, after all…"

I did not finish my words, because I was afraid if I continued talking like this Luo Qian Qi would fall out with me.

From what I knew, the netherworld very rarely refused to meddle in the mortal world"s affairs; after all after people die their souls must go to the netherworld.

But this time Yan w.a.n.g actually released word that they wouldn"t meddle in Thousand Jade Hall"s matters. I really had a hard time thinking of exactly what kind of agreement Luo Qian Qi made with Yan w.a.n.g.

Luo Qian Qi looked at me and smiled, "These matters I will explain to you later, alright?"

I looked at him and smiled but did not say anything, because I did not know if later on we would be able to meet again; after all, we are people of two different worlds.

I looked at Luo Qian Qi, smiling, "Luo Qian Qi, I came to tell you something!"

Luo Qian Qi looked at me and smiled, "What is it?"

I thought for a while, then said, "I’m leaving!"

Luo Qian Qi put down the book in his hand and looked at me questioningly, "Why do you want to leave? Is Thousand Jade Hall not good?"

I smiled and shook my head, "No, it"s just that this place really doesn"t suit me, after all, the netherworld is where I should be, Yellow Springs Inn is where my home is!"

"Is this place not your home?" Luo Qian Qi said as he looked at me.

I stared at him, "Luo Qian Qi, what did you say?"

Luo Qian Qi laughed hollowly and shook his head, "Nothing, once I finish taking care of these matters I will go to the netherworld to visit you!"

I smiled, not saying a word, then turned and left Luo Qian Qi"s room to return to the netherworld; perhaps it was just an offhanded remark!