Chapter 4: Breaking Out of Hell
The child with the red tear-shaped mole in Song Qingshi’s memory and the peerless beauty on the golden bird frame finally overlapped.
A busybody, overhearing their conversation, clapped his hands and laughed. “Xie Que is really wicked. It must have been a sight to behold when the little disciple discovered the truth.”
Since Jin Feiren started his cultivation, he has received countless beauties, but the memory of when Yue Wuhuan entered his gates still placed him in an exuberant mood. “That day was my eight hundredth birthday. There were countless well-wishers, so I arranged a feast on this Langgan stage and invited all my friends to celebrate together. Xie Que also came with Wuhuan. It seems that he had told Wuhuan that he was going to send him to Golden Phoenix Manor to learn swordsmanship. Wuhuan was overjoyed. Until Xie Que took out the spirit bead at the banquet and asked me to inspect the slave. His incredulous expression was so cute…”
Jin Feiren casually messed up the long hair of the boy in white, forcing him to look at the beauty on the golden bird frame. He then began to recount the past for everyone.
At that time, Yue Wuhuan had just grown up. He was wearing the Yuelan clothes that immortal sect disciples liked. He wore a sword on his waist. His hair was tied with a simple white jade crown. He had a clean scent, delicate features and bright phoenix eyes. His bearing was dignified, as though he were not of mortal origin, but like the young son of an immortal family.
He earnestly saluted the immortals at the banquet and then told Jin Feiren expectantly that he was already in the middle stage of Foundation Building and that he would work hard to learn swordsmanship at Golden Phoenix Villa in the future and live up to Shifu’s expectations and become like Mo Yuan, the powerful sword cultivator. At that time, everyone laughed, an ambiguous tone tainting their laughter. Yue Wuhuan realized that there was something wrong in their laughter and wanted to retreat. Jin Feiren had already walked down, pulled up his hand, looked carefully and laughed, “Such a beautiful hand is not suitable for sword practice. It’s much more suitable for serving people.”
Yue Wuhuan’s face turned pale, and desperately retracted his hands.
Jin Feiren let go and smiled, “Elder Xie, since you have brought good goods, you must let me inspect the goods.”
The people at the table also clamored and asked for an inspection on the spot.
Yue Wuhuan watched as his master took out a red bead, passed a spirit thought to it and he lost control of his body. He desperately tried to stop his trembling hands from reaching to his waist and throwing away his most cherished long sword like garbage. Then, the belt fell, the Yuelan clothes was shed layer by layer. His dignity was exposed for everyone to take in at a glance. What little vain hope he had was crushed to dust.
The sounds of the banquet stopped and all eyes were staring at the beautiful scenery.
Jin Feiren himself couldn’t help but straighten up.
Xie Que gently pulled off his white jade crown.
The white jade crown fell to the ground and broke to pieces. The long, slightly curled hair spreads down to his waist like a waterfall, covering the enchanting Acacia Seal on his white back. The despair and helplessness in the dark golden phoenix eyes were enough to arouse thoughts of wreaking havoc. The red tear-shaped mole made their hearts itch and the originally beautiful teenager is turned into a rarity designed to seize and ensnare the soul.
Yue Wuhuan struggled, lowering his head to try and hide his embarrassment into the darkness.
Xie Que grabbed Yue Wuhuan’s long hair and pulled it back fiercely, forcing the young man already dying from shame to raise his head, so that everyone could see his devastating beauty.
He smiled and said, “My vision is never wrong.”
…
The sound of the flute turned more melodious and moving and in the depths of that melodious sound, the sadness grew deeper.
Song Qingshi’s throat stiffened due to sadness. He was a little out of breath. He gradually understood the meaning of the words the Yue Wuhuan had said by the riverbank. It was like he could see himself from the past when he was locked within the prison of his own body. He shouted every day, but no one could hear his cry for help.
He didn’t want to think anymore. He already had the answer in his mind.
What he wanted was to save this beautiful bird with scars strung together like beads.
Song Qingshi began to think frantically about how he could naturally bring Yue Wuhuan away.
The song finished. The flute stopped and the lingering music curled away into the wind.
The guests had long been tantalized until their hearts were burning. Some had even made fools of themselves.
Jin Feiren got up and announced boldly, “This is a toy that Golden Phoenix Manor has prepared to give to all our Immortal friends tonight. Please enjoy.”
Song Qingshi was startled and looked up worriedly. Yue Wuhuan only raised his eyebrows as though he were already used to such a scene. He indifferently cast a wink at the immortal elder beside him. His beautiful calves stretched out under the feather skirt, shaking the bells on the golden shackles on his feet. He swayed lightly in front of everyone, as if inviting them to taste.
The Hidden Moon Sect’s young master looked at him, heart aflame. He raised his hand to grab his foot, wanting to tear off the feather skirt and drag him to the side to play with.
Suddenly, there were shouts from outside the hall. The maids and servants fled one after another and a demon tiger charged in. Its eyes were bright red. It trained its eyes on Yue Wuhuan and kept growling lowly, as if it had seen delicious prey. The expression in Yue Wuhuan’s eyes began to slacken like he’d been drugged and had forgotten what fear was. He actually walked towards demon tiger step by step, seeming not to know what it was…
Ling Bao Xianzun said in shock, “This is the show my good friend has arranged for tonight? What style!”
The guests were full of drunken spirit. They felt that this was extremely exciting and let out loud cheers.
The boy in white finally couldn’t help standing up, pushing Jin Feiren away. He shouted, “Stop! Don’t do this! This kind of thing…is too much!”
Jin Feiren was a little puzzled. He had arranged for a show tonight where the demon tiger would hunt and kill slaves, but only ordinary slaves were to be used. How could he be willing to use such an outstanding beauty as Yue Wuhuan? But now, the atmosphere created by the guests was too strong. Yue Wuhuan was also very sensible and knew how to behave in such a delicate situation. He could not disappoint his guests. Moreover, he felt that the youth’s censure had made him lose face. And so, he sneered, “Why not? You just have to open your eyes wide and take a good look. If you dare to disobey me, I will let you have a taste of such a trick yourself.”
The white-clothed boy’s face turned pale. He opened his mouth but dared not make any more sound.
Seeing him approaching, the demon tiger became even crazier and lost all its intelligence. He grabbed Yue Wuhuan’s shoulder and bit down. Yue Wuhuan’s shoulder was torn open with a big, bloody hole. He finally woke up from the confusion and drew back. The demon tiger would not let him go and continued to grab and bite, tearing up the prey before its eyes that wanted to escape.
Song Qingshi finally found a suitable attacking spell from the memory of the original body. He turned the Underworld Ghost Fire into a needle as thin and fine as cattle hair and shot it at the demon tiger’s body. The demon tiger raised his head and roared.
Fortunately, the poison of the Underworld Ghost Fire quickly spread throughout the demon tiger’s body. The demon tiger stiffened instantly and fell over. After a while, it turned into a boiling corpse and disappeared.
Song Qingshi got up, walked towards Yue Wuhuan who was lying in a pool of blood and quickly sealed the wound. He stabbed a few of his acupuncture points for first aid to stop the bleeding.
Yue Wuhuan was trembling with pain. He kept panting, his beautiful face was covered with blood. He looked like a ferocious ghost. The eyes that were looking at Song Qingshi held no joy at being rescued, only deep resentment and despair. Finally, before he fell into a coma, he said in a soft voice that was almost inaudible, “I was blind…”
Song Qingshi put a spirit pill in his mouth to keep his heart beating.
Jin Feiren came over and said, displeased, “Song Xianzun, why did you kill my demon tiger?”
This demon tiger was his heart’s treasure, bestowed with human intellect and capable of protecting its master. It was much more valuable than a slave he had grown tired of playing with.
Song Qingshi recalled the original body’s usual tone and said coldly, “I want him.”
Jin Feiren put on a forced smile and said, “It can’t be because Xianzun was moved by this dirty thing?”
Song Qingshi replied, “I wish to use him to test medicine.”
He wanted to use Yue Wuhuan to try various miraculous medicines to restore his body to the same it was before!
Song Qingshi deliberately misled him and Jin Feiran completely fell for it. The benefit of a wood-type spiritual root was that it bestowed the body with naturally strong recovery ability. It was a good choice for medicine refiners. The Medicine King’s demeanor was like that of an Immortal soaring in the sky. It was hard to guess his thoughts. Since the demon tiger was already dead, there was no point in pursuing the matter. It was much better to take this opportunity to have Song Qingshi owe him a favor.
Song Qingshi took out a bottle of immortal pills that he had refined from the mustard bag. Without even counting how much was in it, he directly handed it to Jin Feiren as compensation. Refining pills was very good for practice for cultivators. It’s just that the materials were very precious and the output was scarce. Pills refined by the Medicine King himself was priceless. Giving it as compensation for a demon tiger and a slave he’d grown tired of playing with, who was half-dead and uncertain of being saved…this was a very sincere offer…
Song Qingshi was afraid that he would refuse to consent so he thought about it and then said, “This tiger has been drugged. It’s viciousness has erupted and it has turned deranged. It could not be allowed to stay.”
Jin Feiren hurried down the steps with him. He erased his spirit thoughts from Wuhuan’s bead and handed it to Song Qingshi. He thanked him for his timely discovery and disposal of the demon tiger thus preventing the guests at the banquet from getting hurt. He promised to order someone to investigate the incident of the demon tiger’s drugging.
Song Qingshi courteously bid farewell to Manor Lord Jin and rejected his enthusiastic offer to gift him with some beauties.
He personally picked up Yue Wuhuan, who was seriously injured and unconscious and stepped out of this hell of jade steps and carved railings.
In hell, there were still many souls that could not escape…
Behind him, the sound of wanton laughter faded away.
The blood stains on Yue Wuhuan’s face had already been wiped away. His eyelashes, like crow wings were closed tightly, trembling slightly, fragile and beautiful.
When Song Qingshi looked at him, his heart gradually turned firmer.
He suddenly remembered the story his mother told when he was a child:
There were thousands upon thousands of fish dragged in by the tide, dying in the shallow water puddles of the beach.
He had no way to save all the fish. He could only release this dying fish in his hand back to the freedom of the vast sea.
“Because it matters to this fish.”
Translator’s note: The Story of the Boy and the Fishes on the Beach
The story goes that a man is taking a walk by the beach after a huge storm. The storm had left many fishes stranded in little pools on the beach and soon, these pools will dry up and the fishes will die. He sees a little boy crouching beside one of the pools, throwing the fishes back into the sea.
He asks the boy, “There are thousands of fishes. You won’t be able to save them all.”
The boys replies, “I know.”
The man asks again, “So why do it? Who would care?”
The boy then says as he throws a fish into the sea, “Because this fish cares.” And as he throws the other fishes back, “And this fish, and this fish…”
Chapter 4: Breaking Out of Hell
The child with the red tear-shaped mole in Song Qingshi’s memory and the peerless beauty on the golden bird frame finally overlapped.
A busybody, overhearing their conversation, clapped his hands and laughed. “Xie Que is really wicked. It must have been a sight to behold when the little disciple discovered the truth.”
Since Jin Feiren started his cultivation, he has received countless beauties, but the memory of when Yue Wuhuan entered his gates still placed him in an exuberant mood. “That day was my eight hundredth birthday. There were countless well-wishers, so I arranged a feast on this Langgan stage and invited all my friends to celebrate together. Xie Que also came with Wuhuan. It seems that he had told Wuhuan that he was going to send him to Golden Phoenix Manor to learn swordsmanship. Wuhuan was overjoyed. Until Xie Que took out the spirit bead at the banquet and asked me to inspect the slave. His incredulous expression was so cute…”
Jin Feiren casually messed up the long hair of the boy in white, forcing him to look at the beauty on the golden bird frame. He then began to recount the past for everyone.
At that time, Yue Wuhuan had just grown up. He was wearing the Yuelan clothes that immortal sect disciples liked. He wore a sword on his waist. His hair was tied with a simple white jade crown. He had a clean scent, delicate features and bright phoenix eyes. His bearing was dignified, as though he were not of mortal origin, but like the young son of an immortal family.
He earnestly saluted the immortals at the banquet and then told Jin Feiren expectantly that he was already in the middle stage of Foundation Building and that he would work hard to learn swordsmanship at Golden Phoenix Villa in the future and live up to Shifu’s expectations and become like Mo Yuan, the powerful sword cultivator. At that time, everyone laughed, an ambiguous tone tainting their laughter. Yue Wuhuan realized that there was something wrong in their laughter and wanted to retreat. Jin Feiren had already walked down, pulled up his hand, looked carefully and laughed, “Such a beautiful hand is not suitable for sword practice. It’s much more suitable for serving people.”
Yue Wuhuan’s face turned pale, and desperately retracted his hands.
Jin Feiren let go and smiled, “Elder Xie, since you have brought good goods, you must let me inspect the goods.”
The people at the table also clamored and asked for an inspection on the spot.
Yue Wuhuan watched as his master took out a red bead, passed a spirit thought to it and he lost control of his body. He desperately tried to stop his trembling hands from reaching to his waist and throwing away his most cherished long sword like garbage. Then, the belt fell, the Yuelan clothes was shed layer by layer. His dignity was exposed for everyone to take in at a glance. What little vain hope he had was crushed to dust.
The sounds of the banquet stopped and all eyes were staring at the beautiful scenery.
Jin Feiren himself couldn’t help but straighten up.
Xie Que gently pulled off his white jade crown.
The white jade crown fell to the ground and broke to pieces. The long, slightly curled hair spreads down to his waist like a waterfall, covering the enchanting Acacia Seal on his white back. The despair and helplessness in the dark golden phoenix eyes were enough to arouse thoughts of wreaking havoc. The red tear-shaped mole made their hearts itch and the originally beautiful teenager is turned into a rarity designed to seize and ensnare the soul.
Yue Wuhuan struggled, lowering his head to try and hide his embarrassment into the darkness.
Xie Que grabbed Yue Wuhuan’s long hair and pulled it back fiercely, forcing the young man already dying from shame to raise his head, so that everyone could see his devastating beauty.
He smiled and said, “My vision is never wrong.”
…
The sound of the flute turned more melodious and moving and in the depths of that melodious sound, the sadness grew deeper.
Song Qingshi’s throat stiffened due to sadness. He was a little out of breath. He gradually understood the meaning of the words the Yue Wuhuan had said by the riverbank. It was like he could see himself from the past when he was locked within the prison of his own body. He shouted every day, but no one could hear his cry for help.
He didn’t want to think anymore. He already had the answer in his mind.
What he wanted was to save this beautiful bird with scars strung together like beads.
Song Qingshi began to think frantically about how he could naturally bring Yue Wuhuan away.
The song finished. The flute stopped and the lingering music curled away into the wind.
The guests had long been tantalized until their hearts were burning. Some had even made fools of themselves.
Jin Feiren got up and announced boldly, “This is a toy that Golden Phoenix Manor has prepared to give to all our Immortal friends tonight. Please enjoy.”
Song Qingshi was startled and looked up worriedly. Yue Wuhuan only raised his eyebrows as though he were already used to such a scene. He indifferently cast a wink at the immortal elder beside him. His beautiful calves stretched out under the feather skirt, shaking the bells on the golden shackles on his feet. He swayed lightly in front of everyone, as if inviting them to taste.
The Hidden Moon Sect’s young master looked at him, heart aflame. He raised his hand to grab his foot, wanting to tear off the feather skirt and drag him to the side to play with.
Suddenly, there were shouts from outside the hall. The maids and servants fled one after another and a demon tiger charged in. Its eyes were bright red. It trained its eyes on Yue Wuhuan and kept growling lowly, as if it had seen delicious prey. The expression in Yue Wuhuan’s eyes began to slacken like he’d been drugged and had forgotten what fear was. He actually walked towards demon tiger step by step, seeming not to know what it was…
Ling Bao Xianzun said in shock, “This is the show my good friend has arranged for tonight? What style!”
The guests were full of drunken spirit. They felt that this was extremely exciting and let out loud cheers.
The boy in white finally couldn’t help standing up, pushing Jin Feiren away. He shouted, “Stop! Don’t do this! This kind of thing…is too much!”
Jin Feiren was a little puzzled. He had arranged for a show tonight where the demon tiger would hunt and kill slaves, but only ordinary slaves were to be used. How could he be willing to use such an outstanding beauty as Yue Wuhuan? But now, the atmosphere created by the guests was too strong. Yue Wuhuan was also very sensible and knew how to behave in such a delicate situation. He could not disappoint his guests. Moreover, he felt that the youth’s censure had made him lose face. And so, he sneered, “Why not? You just have to open your eyes wide and take a good look. If you dare to disobey me, I will let you have a taste of such a trick yourself.”
The white-clothed boy’s face turned pale. He opened his mouth but dared not make any more sound.
Seeing him approaching, the demon tiger became even crazier and lost all its intelligence. He grabbed Yue Wuhuan’s shoulder and bit down. Yue Wuhuan’s shoulder was torn open with a big, bloody hole. He finally woke up from the confusion and drew back. The demon tiger would not let him go and continued to grab and bite, tearing up the prey before its eyes that wanted to escape.
Song Qingshi finally found a suitable attacking spell from the memory of the original body. He turned the Underworld Ghost Fire into a needle as thin and fine as cattle hair and shot it at the demon tiger’s body. The demon tiger raised his head and roared.
Fortunately, the poison of the Underworld Ghost Fire quickly spread throughout the demon tiger’s body. The demon tiger stiffened instantly and fell over. After a while, it turned into a boiling corpse and disappeared.
Song Qingshi got up, walked towards Yue Wuhuan who was lying in a pool of blood and quickly sealed the wound. He stabbed a few of his acupuncture points for first aid to stop the bleeding.
Yue Wuhuan was trembling with pain. He kept panting, his beautiful face was covered with blood. He looked like a ferocious ghost. The eyes that were looking at Song Qingshi held no joy at being rescued, only deep resentment and despair. Finally, before he fell into a coma, he said in a soft voice that was almost inaudible, “I was blind…”
Song Qingshi put a spirit pill in his mouth to keep his heart beating.
Jin Feiren came over and said, displeased, “Song Xianzun, why did you kill my demon tiger?”
This demon tiger was his heart’s treasure, bestowed with human intellect and capable of protecting its master. It was much more valuable than a slave he had grown tired of playing with.
Song Qingshi recalled the original body’s usual tone and said coldly, “I want him.”
Jin Feiren put on a forced smile and said, “It can’t be because Xianzun was moved by this dirty thing?”
Song Qingshi replied, “I wish to use him to test medicine.”
He wanted to use Yue Wuhuan to try various miraculous medicines to restore his body to the same it was before!
Song Qingshi deliberately misled him and Jin Feiran completely fell for it. The benefit of a wood-type spiritual root was that it bestowed the body with naturally strong recovery ability. It was a good choice for medicine refiners. The Medicine King’s demeanor was like that of an Immortal soaring in the sky. It was hard to guess his thoughts. Since the demon tiger was already dead, there was no point in pursuing the matter. It was much better to take this opportunity to have Song Qingshi owe him a favor.
Song Qingshi took out a bottle of immortal pills that he had refined from the mustard bag. Without even counting how much was in it, he directly handed it to Jin Feiren as compensation. Refining pills was very good for practice for cultivators. It’s just that the materials were very precious and the output was scarce. Pills refined by the Medicine King himself was priceless. Giving it as compensation for a demon tiger and a slave he’d grown tired of playing with, who was half-dead and uncertain of being saved…this was a very sincere offer…
Song Qingshi was afraid that he would refuse to consent so he thought about it and then said, “This tiger has been drugged. It’s viciousness has erupted and it has turned deranged. It could not be allowed to stay.”
Jin Feiren hurried down the steps with him. He erased his spirit thoughts from Wuhuan’s bead and handed it to Song Qingshi. He thanked him for his timely discovery and disposal of the demon tiger thus preventing the guests at the banquet from getting hurt. He promised to order someone to investigate the incident of the demon tiger’s drugging.
Song Qingshi courteously bid farewell to Manor Lord Jin and rejected his enthusiastic offer to gift him with some beauties.
He personally picked up Yue Wuhuan, who was seriously injured and unconscious and stepped out of this hell of jade steps and carved railings.
In hell, there were still many souls that could not escape…
Behind him, the sound of wanton laughter faded away.
The blood stains on Yue Wuhuan’s face had already been wiped away. His eyelashes, like crow wings were closed tightly, trembling slightly, fragile and beautiful.
When Song Qingshi looked at him, his heart gradually turned firmer.
He suddenly remembered the story his mother told when he was a child:
There were thousands upon thousands of fish dragged in by the tide, dying in the shallow water puddles of the beach.
He had no way to save all the fish. He could only release this dying fish in his hand back to the freedom of the vast sea.
“Because it matters to this fish.”
Translator’s note: The Story of the Boy and the Fishes on the Beach
The story goes that a man is taking a walk by the beach after a huge storm. The storm had left many fishes stranded in little pools on the beach and soon, these pools will dry up and the fishes will die. He sees a little boy crouching beside one of the pools, throwing the fishes back into the sea.
He asks the boy, “There are thousands of fishes. You won’t be able to save them all.”
The boys replies, “I know.”
The man asks again, “So why do it? Who would care?”
The boy then says as he throws a fish into the sea, “Because this fish cares.” And as he throws the other fishes back, “And this fish, and this fish…”
