Late in the night.
Dressed in head-to-toe black, Wu Du steals into Bian Lingbai’s study, putting on a pair of silk gloves before picking through the dust-covered racks filled with documents to avoid leaving behind fingerprints.
Envelopes have been left sitting all over the rack, each labelled with a number. Wu Du scans over them one by one, then after some deliberation he gives up on the scroll rack to make an overall survey of the room. Soon, he turns around and sits down on Bian Lingbai’s low daybed. With his elbows over his knees and his face resting in his palm, he begins to scrutinise the paintings and calligraphy scrolls hanging in the room.
His gaze sweeps across the calligraphy scrolls on the walls, the items on display on the racks, the black bricks that make up the floor, the decorations on the desk — leaving not an inch of space unexamined.
Lying on a bed, Fei Hongde coughs quietly several times.
The door opens on its own without a breeze, and silent footfalls step in.
“I wasn’t sure at first,” Fei Hongde says, his voice sounding a bit hoarse. “As soon as you came to kill me though, that’s when I became sure.”
A sword reflects the silvery cold moonlight above. An assassin clad all in black walks into the room.
“You really shouldn’t have done that.” Fei Hongde adds, “Trying to cover it up has only made it more obvious. Where did you find that crown prince?”
“He’s a young man who had met Li Jianhong before. Used to be schoolmates with that other child.”
The assassin removes his mask to reveal a fair and handsome face — with the sharp edge of confidence cutting through his eyes as his expression remains as mild and fine as jade, it is the very Lang Junxia who chased Duan Ling all the way here from Xichuan.
“You should have killed him. Allow me to be so brazen as to take a guess: have you already tried to kill that child once?”
“I couldn’t do it. I raised him myself. But it’s true, I did almost kill him.”
“You’re always moving to kill first, and only start negotiating once you realise you can’t.”
“That’s how my master taught me. There’s no need to negotiate when killing is an option.”
“But with someone you’ve tried to kill once,” Fei Hongde sits up slowly, putting on an outer robe, eyes focused on Lang Junxia. “Why would they negotiate with you?”
“I tried to kill Li Jianhong thrice,” Lang Junxia says thus, “yet he still negotiated with me.”
“He would be the only one in the whole world.” Fei Hongde gestures for him to sit. “Sit down, Lang Junxia. It’s been forever since we last saw each other. Why not reminisce for a bit?”
Lang Junxia eyes narrow as though he’s hesitating.
Fei Hongde adds, “I’m surprised to see a man who wields a sword wear a string of Buddhist prayer beads.”
“Your eyes are as sharp as ever, Master Fei.”
“I remember where I’ve seen those beads before.” Fei Hongde says, sounding rather unconcerned, “Seems like you’re still trying to survive after all. Alright, as that is the case, if this old life of mine can fulfil your wish, then what’s the harm in letting you have it?”
Lang Junxia falls silent and ceases to speak. Fei Hongde breaks out into hearty laughter.
“Now that I’m sticking out my neck for the taking, do you find it much harder to take it?”
Lang Junxia’s gaze wavers, and he slowly puts away his sword.
Just then, a voice rings out outside.
“Master Fei.” It’s Bian Lingbai.
Fei Hongde starts to rise, and he’s about to reply when Lang Junxia quickly draws his sword again, holding its edge to the side of Fei Hongde’s neck. Fei Hongde gives him a faint smile and spreads his hands to mean, what would you like?
“Master Fei?” Bian Lingbai repeats. The servant knocks on the door several times without getting an answer.
Lang Junxia hesitates there for a long time, but still cannot seem to kill him. And so Fei Hongde stands there quietly and calmly, waiting for him to make his final decision.
Live or die, it is contained in this one mere thought; suddenly Bian Lingbai feels that something isn’t right. “Master Fei!”
Immediately, the door is pushed open and Bian Lingbai comes into the room, while Lang Junxia charges through the window, leaping out.
“Assassin!” Bian Lingbai yells in surprise, “Guards —!”
Wu Du is still deep in thought in Bian Lingbai’s study, hands on his knees. He’s getting a bit sleepy. He yawns, and having shaken off his drowsiness again he still hasn’t found the mechanism. Where on earth can it be?
With a deep frown, Wu Du squints. Suddenly he hears a commotion happening outside.
“They’re heading towards the guest house —!” Someone is yelling.
Wu Du is just thinking about getting up and leaving, but then the footsteps retreats farther away and the guards pass by the room holding their torches aloft. Looking quite bored, he immediately sits back down again. Yet in the very next moment, Bian Lingbai and Master Fei come into the room.
In the split second as the door opens, Wu Du lifts up a foot and puts it on the table.
Bian Lingbai raises a lantern towards the table, but he’s unable to see Wu Du’s face; all he sees is a man in black sitting on Bian Lingbai’s own seat in a rather domineering manner.
Then the table flies up from in front of Wu Du, and turning over and over in the air, flies right at Bian Lingbai.
All the force behind the table has smashed right into Bian Lingbai before he manages to get a word out; his call of “Gua–” hasn’t even left his mouth before the table has taken him out of the room and right into the courtyard. Wu Du turns, and with a leap he escapes through the window, disappearing without a trace.
“—ards!” Bian Lingbai falls into the pond, and there the other half of the word comes out of his mouth along with a splash.
A great commotion has broken out in the estate, but Duan Ling and Helian Bo are still hand in hand tearfully reminiscing about the good old days, having no idea of what’s transpired outside. Shang Leguan hurries into the room and Duan Ling asks him, “What is it?”
Shang Leguan looks at Duan Ling first, then turns to Helian Bo. Helian Bo stares back angrily and Shang Leguan immediately backs out of the room.
“There’s … a group of people.” Helian Bo says to Duan Ling, “My uncle … doesn’t want me … to marry a Yao.”
In that instant Duan Ling seems able to string these unconnected facts together. Helian Bo paces the room and mumbles to himself, “I suspect Bian Lingbai … is also dealing with him.”
The mounted bandits!
Those mounted bandits who attempted to ruin Yao Jing’s marriage alliance!
Duan Ling presses for more, “Then what action will they take?”
Helian Bo glances over at Duan Ling, and without hesitation he draws a hand across his throat.
Helian Bo says, “Disobey … kill.”
Duan Ling’s heart feels abruptly drawn up to his mouth.
“Kill who?”
Helian Bo signs at him, you’ll probably be able to guess — it’s the very person you’re guessing it to be. A great tsunami rolls through the ocean in Duan Ling’s heart.
Bian — Ling — Bai!
Helian Bo sits down, grabs Duan Ling’s portrait without looking, and turning the page over, he draws out the surrounding mountains and overall terrain, circles a few locations and labels each of them. Duan Ling almost spits out blood on the spot.
“Ambush,” Helian Bo says to Duan Ling.
Duan Ling is shocked to silence, and he has a premonition that this is going to get troublesome. He asks, “How many people are there?”
Helian Bo holds up two fingers — twenty thousand.
“Mounted bandits?”
Helian Bo shakes his head to indicate that he doesn’t know. Now Duan Ling has finally realised that the mounted bandits who attacked them the other day may have only been a small contingent of their forces. With so many people spread throughout Tongguan’s wilderness, what are they planning to do?
Duan Ling puts the diagram away hastily beneath his lapel and says to Helian Bo, “I’ll figure out something. We need to lure them out somehow.”
Helian Bo looks at Duan Ling and waves his hand once with something rather meaningful in his gaze.
The single wave means “no”, and Helian Bo’s gaze means, those are all my fellow countrymen.
“Swap,” Duan Ling says.
They used to use this word quite often back in the Illustrious Hall, I’ll use this tasty stuff to swap for your fun stuff. When they were young, their thinking was also simple, and stuff used to go from one hand to another. Helian Bo’s, Duan Ling’s, Batu’s — in the end the stuff’s taken so many turns between them that they have no idea where anything finally ended up.
When Helian Bo hears this word he laughs again, and turns around to sit down on the daybed. He gestures at Duan Ling. “Speak.”
Sitting at the edge of the daybed with one foot on the table, though Helian Bo is only seventeen he’s already giving off a vague suggestion of a ruler overlooking his land. Duan Ling feels something both familiar and strange; they’ve both grown since those days. Is he somehow supposed to represent an empire and make a deal with Helian Bo now?
But he doesn’t have any condition he can offer Helian Bo in exchange. Most peculiarly though, Helian Bo never asked about his background either — for instance, who on earth is he anyway and what’s he doing in Tongguan. As soon as Duan Ling had said “swap”, Helian Bo had allowed him to make an offer as if he had all the right to do so.
“Reopening of the Silk Road,” Duan Ling says without hesitation.
Helian Bo sinks into his thoughts, and does not answer.
Duan Ling knows that the reopening of the Silk Road is something Xiliang wants, and it is for this very purpose that the Marquess of Huaiyin has arranged for their marriage alliance. What Helian Bo wants is control over the Silk Road.
“After the Silk Road has been reopened,” Duan Ling adds, “caravans will be able to enter Tongguan using specific documents, and those documents must be stamped with an official seal designated by the Helian family before the Tongguan Guard will allow them passage. They will only recognise the seal, and won’t care about who is passing through.”
Helian Bo’s eyes brighten, but he doesn’t reply directly.
Can he accomplish that much? Duan Ling calculates swiftly in his head; once Bian Lingbai is dead, Tongguan will definitely be assigned a new guard commander. All the work Yao Fu spent on Bian Lingbai will have gone to waste, and control over Tongguan will fall into Mu Kuangda’s hands. But when it comes to how the taxes will be collected, and how the merchandise will move, all that will have nothing to do with Duan Ling.
If he is the crown prince, then it’s true he may be able to convince the imperial court to recognise Helian Bo as the rightful heir of Xiliang. But he’s not anything right now. How likely is Mu Kuangda to agree to this?
“Who … are … you?” Helian Bo asks.
“Am I not simply Duan Ling?” Duan Ling spreads his arms, gesturing to Helian Bo, look, the genuine article.
“If that doesn’t put your mind at ease,” Duan Ling adds, “then I’ll write a letter and have it sent back to Xichuan. If the messenger doesn’t stop to rest, they can arrive within one day. You can consider the matter at length, or perhaps you can send someone back home to ask for their opinion as well.”
Just then, the commotion out in the courtyard grows louder. Someone is calling out, “Catch the assassin!”
Duan Ling and Helian Bo stop talking immediately. Duan Ling looks back out at the courtyard, and he realises that someone has clearly charged into the place. Helian Bo looks dumbfounded, but Duan Ling is starting to wonder if Wu Du’s been caught! But, since everyone is trying to catch an assassin, that probably means Wu Du has escaped. If Bian Lingbai comes checking himself and finds Duan Ling alone, that just confirms the one who escaped to be Wu Du …
But Duan Ling has run out of time to think. With a loud crash, two guards fly through the wooden door into the room, and Helan Jie steps through closely behind them, his iron hook going right under Duan Ling’s collar to yank him back, the force of the pull making him fly out of the room backwards. At the same time, Helian Bo steps onto the table and leaps into the air, drawing his sabre. Duan Ling immediately twists sideways to avoid the blade. Helian Bo’s curved blade chops right at Helan Jie!
Helan Jie tosses Duan Ling to his left hand, and his right hand-hook feigns a move and turns Helian Bo’s blade by guiding the force behind the chop away, sending the weapon flying.
“Just as I thought, Wu Du’s not here!” Helan Jie breaks out in a strange laugh. “Come with me to see the general!”
Helan Jie drags Duan Ling behind him and leaps onto the wall in one step. Duan Ling thinks to himself, Damn it! Helan Jie was looking for the assassin, and he must have lost him. Now he’s come here to grab me to use as a hostage!
“Let me go!” Duan Ling struggles to get free, his elbow landing a blow on Helan Jie’s stomach, but then he hears a snap of fingers next to his ear.
A man in black is thrusting his sword towards Helan Jie’s throat at lightning speed, making a calculated move that Helan Jie must drop everything to counteract. Helan Jie hasn’t yet found his footing on the wall, and in his haste to dodge out of the way he falls back into the courtyard. Instantly, the man has pulled Duan Ling towards him, taking him away from Helan Jie.
Helian Bo and his guards haven’t become aware of what’s happened yet, and they form a tight defensive perimeter around the house in the courtyard, but the man in black has already leapt past the courtyard walls with Duan Ling in his arm. With an anguished cry, Helan Jie chases after them, leaping over the courtyard walls, keeping close behind the man in black.
I do not monetise my hobby translations, but if you’d like to support my work generally or support my light novel habit, you can either buy me a coffee or commission me. This is also to note that if you see this message anywhere else than on tumblr, do come to my tumblr. It’s ad-free. ↩︎
Late in the night.
Dressed in head-to-toe black, Wu Du steals into Bian Lingbai’s study, putting on a pair of silk gloves before picking through the dust-covered racks filled with documents to avoid leaving behind fingerprints.
Envelopes have been left sitting all over the rack, each labelled with a number. Wu Du scans over them one by one, then after some deliberation he gives up on the scroll rack to make an overall survey of the room. Soon, he turns around and sits down on Bian Lingbai’s low daybed. With his elbows over his knees and his face resting in his palm, he begins to scrutinise the paintings and calligraphy scrolls hanging in the room.
His gaze sweeps across the calligraphy scrolls on the walls, the items on display on the racks, the black bricks that make up the floor, the decorations on the desk — leaving not an inch of space unexamined.
Lying on a bed, Fei Hongde coughs quietly several times.
The door opens on its own without a breeze, and silent footfalls step in.
“I wasn’t sure at first,” Fei Hongde says, his voice sounding a bit hoarse. “As soon as you came to kill me though, that’s when I became sure.”
A sword reflects the silvery cold moonlight above. An assassin clad all in black walks into the room.
“You really shouldn’t have done that.” Fei Hongde adds, “Trying to cover it up has only made it more obvious. Where did you find that crown prince?”
“He’s a young man who had met Li Jianhong before. Used to be schoolmates with that other child.”
The assassin removes his mask to reveal a fair and handsome face — with the sharp edge of confidence cutting through his eyes as his expression remains as mild and fine as jade, it is the very Lang Junxia who chased Duan Ling all the way here from Xichuan.
“You should have killed him. Allow me to be so brazen as to take a guess: have you already tried to kill that child once?”
“I couldn’t do it. I raised him myself. But it’s true, I did almost kill him.”
“You’re always moving to kill first, and only start negotiating once you realise you can’t.”
“That’s how my master taught me. There’s no need to negotiate when killing is an option.”
“But with someone you’ve tried to kill once,” Fei Hongde sits up slowly, putting on an outer robe, eyes focused on Lang Junxia. “Why would they negotiate with you?”
“I tried to kill Li Jianhong thrice,” Lang Junxia says thus, “yet he still negotiated with me.”
“He would be the only one in the whole world.” Fei Hongde gestures for him to sit. “Sit down, Lang Junxia. It’s been forever since we last saw each other. Why not reminisce for a bit?”
Lang Junxia eyes narrow as though he’s hesitating.
Fei Hongde adds, “I’m surprised to see a man who wields a sword wear a string of Buddhist prayer beads.”
“Your eyes are as sharp as ever, Master Fei.”
“I remember where I’ve seen those beads before.” Fei Hongde says, sounding rather unconcerned, “Seems like you’re still trying to survive after all. Alright, as that is the case, if this old life of mine can fulfil your wish, then what’s the harm in letting you have it?”
Lang Junxia falls silent and ceases to speak. Fei Hongde breaks out into hearty laughter.
“Now that I’m sticking out my neck for the taking, do you find it much harder to take it?”
Lang Junxia’s gaze wavers, and he slowly puts away his sword.
Just then, a voice rings out outside.
“Master Fei.” It’s Bian Lingbai.
Fei Hongde starts to rise, and he’s about to reply when Lang Junxia quickly draws his sword again, holding its edge to the side of Fei Hongde’s neck. Fei Hongde gives him a faint smile and spreads his hands to mean, what would you like?
“Master Fei?” Bian Lingbai repeats. The servant knocks on the door several times without getting an answer.
Lang Junxia hesitates there for a long time, but still cannot seem to kill him. And so Fei Hongde stands there quietly and calmly, waiting for him to make his final decision.
Live or die, it is contained in this one mere thought; suddenly Bian Lingbai feels that something isn’t right. “Master Fei!”
Immediately, the door is pushed open and Bian Lingbai comes into the room, while Lang Junxia charges through the window, leaping out.
“Assassin!” Bian Lingbai yells in surprise, “Guards —!”
Wu Du is still deep in thought in Bian Lingbai’s study, hands on his knees. He’s getting a bit sleepy. He yawns, and having shaken off his drowsiness again he still hasn’t found the mechanism. Where on earth can it be?
With a deep frown, Wu Du squints. Suddenly he hears a commotion happening outside.
“They’re heading towards the guest house —!” Someone is yelling.
Wu Du is just thinking about getting up and leaving, but then the footsteps retreats farther away and the guards pass by the room holding their torches aloft. Looking quite bored, he immediately sits back down again. Yet in the very next moment, Bian Lingbai and Master Fei come into the room.
In the split second as the door opens, Wu Du lifts up a foot and puts it on the table.
Bian Lingbai raises a lantern towards the table, but he’s unable to see Wu Du’s face; all he sees is a man in black sitting on Bian Lingbai’s own seat in a rather domineering manner.
Then the table flies up from in front of Wu Du, and turning over and over in the air, flies right at Bian Lingbai.
All the force behind the table has smashed right into Bian Lingbai before he manages to get a word out; his call of “Gua–” hasn’t even left his mouth before the table has taken him out of the room and right into the courtyard. Wu Du turns, and with a leap he escapes through the window, disappearing without a trace.
“—ards!” Bian Lingbai falls into the pond, and there the other half of the word comes out of his mouth along with a splash.
A great commotion has broken out in the estate, but Duan Ling and Helian Bo are still hand in hand tearfully reminiscing about the good old days, having no idea of what’s transpired outside. Shang Leguan hurries into the room and Duan Ling asks him, “What is it?”
Shang Leguan looks at Duan Ling first, then turns to Helian Bo. Helian Bo stares back angrily and Shang Leguan immediately backs out of the room.
“There’s … a group of people.” Helian Bo says to Duan Ling, “My uncle … doesn’t want me … to marry a Yao.”
In that instant Duan Ling seems able to string these unconnected facts together. Helian Bo paces the room and mumbles to himself, “I suspect Bian Lingbai … is also dealing with him.”
The mounted bandits!
Those mounted bandits who attempted to ruin Yao Jing’s marriage alliance!
Duan Ling presses for more, “Then what action will they take?”
Helian Bo glances over at Duan Ling, and without hesitation he draws a hand across his throat.
Helian Bo says, “Disobey … kill.”
Duan Ling’s heart feels abruptly drawn up to his mouth.
“Kill who?”
Helian Bo signs at him, you’ll probably be able to guess — it’s the very person you’re guessing it to be. A great tsunami rolls through the ocean in Duan Ling’s heart.
Bian — Ling — Bai!
Helian Bo sits down, grabs Duan Ling’s portrait without looking, and turning the page over, he draws out the surrounding mountains and overall terrain, circles a few locations and labels each of them. Duan Ling almost spits out blood on the spot.
“Ambush,” Helian Bo says to Duan Ling.
Duan Ling is shocked to silence, and he has a premonition that this is going to get troublesome. He asks, “How many people are there?”
Helian Bo holds up two fingers — twenty thousand.
“Mounted bandits?”
Helian Bo shakes his head to indicate that he doesn’t know. Now Duan Ling has finally realised that the mounted bandits who attacked them the other day may have only been a small contingent of their forces. With so many people spread throughout Tongguan’s wilderness, what are they planning to do?
Duan Ling puts the diagram away hastily beneath his lapel and says to Helian Bo, “I’ll figure out something. We need to lure them out somehow.”
Helian Bo looks at Duan Ling and waves his hand once with something rather meaningful in his gaze.
The single wave means “no”, and Helian Bo’s gaze means, those are all my fellow countrymen.
“Swap,” Duan Ling says.
They used to use this word quite often back in the Illustrious Hall, I’ll use this tasty stuff to swap for your fun stuff. When they were young, their thinking was also simple, and stuff used to go from one hand to another. Helian Bo’s, Duan Ling’s, Batu’s — in the end the stuff’s taken so many turns between them that they have no idea where anything finally ended up.
When Helian Bo hears this word he laughs again, and turns around to sit down on the daybed. He gestures at Duan Ling. “Speak.”
Sitting at the edge of the daybed with one foot on the table, though Helian Bo is only seventeen he’s already giving off a vague suggestion of a ruler overlooking his land. Duan Ling feels something both familiar and strange; they’ve both grown since those days. Is he somehow supposed to represent an empire and make a deal with Helian Bo now?
But he doesn’t have any condition he can offer Helian Bo in exchange. Most peculiarly though, Helian Bo never asked about his background either — for instance, who on earth is he anyway and what’s he doing in Tongguan. As soon as Duan Ling had said “swap”, Helian Bo had allowed him to make an offer as if he had all the right to do so.
“Reopening of the Silk Road,” Duan Ling says without hesitation.
Helian Bo sinks into his thoughts, and does not answer.
Duan Ling knows that the reopening of the Silk Road is something Xiliang wants, and it is for this very purpose that the Marquess of Huaiyin has arranged for their marriage alliance. What Helian Bo wants is control over the Silk Road.
“After the Silk Road has been reopened,” Duan Ling adds, “caravans will be able to enter Tongguan using specific documents, and those documents must be stamped with an official seal designated by the Helian family before the Tongguan Guard will allow them passage. They will only recognise the seal, and won’t care about who is passing through.”
Helian Bo’s eyes brighten, but he doesn’t reply directly.
Can he accomplish that much? Duan Ling calculates swiftly in his head; once Bian Lingbai is dead, Tongguan will definitely be assigned a new guard commander. All the work Yao Fu spent on Bian Lingbai will have gone to waste, and control over Tongguan will fall into Mu Kuangda’s hands. But when it comes to how the taxes will be collected, and how the merchandise will move, all that will have nothing to do with Duan Ling.
If he is the crown prince, then it’s true he may be able to convince the imperial court to recognise Helian Bo as the rightful heir of Xiliang. But he’s not anything right now. How likely is Mu Kuangda to agree to this?
“Who … are … you?” Helian Bo asks.
“Am I not simply Duan Ling?” Duan Ling spreads his arms, gesturing to Helian Bo, look, the genuine article.
“If that doesn’t put your mind at ease,” Duan Ling adds, “then I’ll write a letter and have it sent back to Xichuan. If the messenger doesn’t stop to rest, they can arrive within one day. You can consider the matter at length, or perhaps you can send someone back home to ask for their opinion as well.”
Just then, the commotion out in the courtyard grows louder. Someone is calling out, “Catch the assassin!”
Duan Ling and Helian Bo stop talking immediately. Duan Ling looks back out at the courtyard, and he realises that someone has clearly charged into the place. Helian Bo looks dumbfounded, but Duan Ling is starting to wonder if Wu Du’s been caught! But, since everyone is trying to catch an assassin, that probably means Wu Du has escaped. If Bian Lingbai comes checking himself and finds Duan Ling alone, that just confirms the one who escaped to be Wu Du …
But Duan Ling has run out of time to think. With a loud crash, two guards fly through the wooden door into the room, and Helan Jie steps through closely behind them, his iron hook going right under Duan Ling’s collar to yank him back, the force of the pull making him fly out of the room backwards. At the same time, Helian Bo steps onto the table and leaps into the air, drawing his sabre. Duan Ling immediately twists sideways to avoid the blade. Helian Bo’s curved blade chops right at Helan Jie!
Helan Jie tosses Duan Ling to his left hand, and his right hand-hook feigns a move and turns Helian Bo’s blade by guiding the force behind the chop away, sending the weapon flying.
“Just as I thought, Wu Du’s not here!” Helan Jie breaks out in a strange laugh. “Come with me to see the general!”
Helan Jie drags Duan Ling behind him and leaps onto the wall in one step. Duan Ling thinks to himself, Damn it! Helan Jie was looking for the assassin, and he must have lost him. Now he’s come here to grab me to use as a hostage!
“Let me go!” Duan Ling struggles to get free, his elbow landing a blow on Helan Jie’s stomach, but then he hears a snap of fingers next to his ear.
A man in black is thrusting his sword towards Helan Jie’s throat at lightning speed, making a calculated move that Helan Jie must drop everything to counteract. Helan Jie hasn’t yet found his footing on the wall, and in his haste to dodge out of the way he falls back into the courtyard. Instantly, the man has pulled Duan Ling towards him, taking him away from Helan Jie.
Helian Bo and his guards haven’t become aware of what’s happened yet, and they form a tight defensive perimeter around the house in the courtyard, but the man in black has already leapt past the courtyard walls with Duan Ling in his arm. With an anguished cry, Helan Jie chases after them, leaping over the courtyard walls, keeping close behind the man in black.
I do not monetise my hobby translations, but if you’d like to support my work generally or support my light novel habit, you can either buy me a coffee or commission me. This is also to note that if you see this message anywhere else than on tumblr, do come to my tumblr. It’s ad-free. ↩︎
