Originally posted on RBKTR Translations.
Author: The One Who Tells Stories Under the Bridge (天桥底下说书的).
Translated by: Yujuan
The accumulated thunderclouds dispersed, the fluttering drizzle coming to a standstill along with it, and while the skies had yet to clear, there was a sprinkling of mild and peaceful light rays, as if passing through a paper window. The flagstone road washed by the rain appeared exceptionally black and shiny, and the white-clothed Xianjun slowly walked over, treading over the stone steps from the first cracks of the sky, as if the world was blossoming with light to his arrival.
Ji Mo knew this was just a misconception; he had long since realized that the world was not as dark as it seemed, but there wasn’t much brilliance to be found either. Just like this overcast sky of accumulated rain, it was a little cold, a little troublesome, but it wasn’t intolerable if you put on an extra jacket. Humans were all egoistic creatures, and those who could climb to the top of the world were even more self-absorbed existences who desired the world to change to suit their needs. Interacting with them couldn’t stop him from having the stupid notion of wanting to guide them.
Hell would freeze over before he simply expressed his true circumstances to a total stranger, and at this moment, acted as if he hadn’t realized the other’s intentions as he replied, deemphasizing, “A countryman like me has no last nor given name, this sir may think of me as just a passing fortune-teller.”
As if he hadn’t expected this answer, the Xianjun lifted his eyes to seriously size up this young man sitting under an eave. He was wearing an ordinary blue-green priest robe, and wasn’t very eye-catching with regards to his manner of dressing and facial features, but if there was anything particular about him, it would be that silver mask around his eyes emblazoned with bell flowers. The mask ought to be a magic item crafted by a skilled person, its lines meticulous yet not wide, merely covering his pair of eyes, and even so, this person’s sight was strangely unobstructed, and had even been the first to catch sight of his tracks when he stepped through the void.
A very complex individual, however, studying the unknown was coincidentally where his interests lay.
Such a thought flashing across his mind, the man was not angered even though he hadn’t accomplished his goal, and merely sighed helplessly, “You sly thing, even if I introduced myself, you wouldn’t tell me your real name either.”
Big brother, we’re just testing each others’ waters, why are you making me feel as if I’ve tricked you into marriage?
Inexplicably reading a weird profound meaning from his words, Ji Mo gripped the writing brush in his hands as if he might accidentally snap it in half. He had dealt with many protagonists in the past, but this was his first time faced with such a blatant cut sleeve (1), had this person really gotten the right script?
Tolerate, if he was an intellectual, he definitely couldn’t step out to slug someone, everything had to wait till he coaxed his identity out of him, he would make a decision then.
Pressing down his fury of actually being hit on by a man, while the waves were burning high within Ji Mo, he spoke with an outwardly indifferent expression, attempting to execute his second wave of conventional greetings, “Sir—”
Yet, because the plot of today was doomed to never go along with Ji Mo’s expectations, just as he prepared to continue his battle of wits with this person, a loud sound came abruptly from the city gates, and the group of people on the street acted flustered as they fled in an orderly manner, Qing Ye feigning an anxious yell, “Everyone run! The Demonic Continent has sent demonic beasts to attack the city!”
Those dispatched to capture Celestials were all divine attendants meticulously trained by the Haotian Shrine, and performed their roles as the city’s common people extremely well even in an unexpected raid. As soon as he heard this warning cry, Ji Mo knew this was an unparalleled adversary, and he was being told to evacuate quickly.
There was only one river separating Jiangyin City from the Demonic Continent’s territory. They had placed a heavy line of defense prior to this, how could they have mobilized such a large-scale attack without being noticed?
Puzzled, Ji Mo immediately moved his mask’s field of view towards the city gates, only to see several large deep purple snakes circling above the gates. There were snakes of different sizes, and the largest in his field of view seemed to be taller than the walls of the city, yet no matter big or small, their tails were sharp and forked, piercing through any living being they spotted with their tails and gulping them into their stomachs.
He recognized them at a glance as the ancient demonic beasts Hook Snakes (2), and Ji Mo finally understood why the Demonic Continent had been able to break through their defenses, it was due to the simple fact that the Demonic Continent’s own prince had personally struck out against them.
At present, the world was divided into five continents and four seas, with each of the five continents being occupied by the five strongest Celestials, and out of them, the Zizai Demonic Continent belonging to a dark-fiction protagonist had always been at odds with the Haotian Godly Continent, which pursued the righteous path. However, no one had expected them to simply tear apart the treaty between the five continents, setting off the war between Celestials once again.
Ji Mo knew that a protagonist’s progress was always much faster than a normal human’s; the Demon Lord had most likely received some sort of fortuitous meeting, gaining a tremendous boost to his power, and so had taken advantage of the new Celestial’s descent to launch a surprise attack. However, he currently did not have the energy to spare worrying about the affairs of the world. Since the enemy had launched an attack, they definitely needed a lucrative target to boost their morale, and as one of the Shrine’s Three Great White Robed Priests, Ji Mo was undeniably the best sacrificial offering.
Setting yourself against a protagonist would accidentally turn you into cannon fodder indeed, may the High Priest’s protagonist halo shine brighter than the Demon Lord’s.
Inwardly lamenting his bad luck, Ji Mo knew that a normal person wouldn’t be a match for the protagonist’s son, but it couldn’t be said the same for another protagonist, so his thoughts shifted toward throwing the person before him under the bus, “Those are the Demon Prince’s monster pet Hook Snakes, they might been sent after you, sir.”
These words weren’t exactly untrue, and as the old saying went, two tigers couldn’t possibly exist on one mountain. Many Celestials had descended over the years, but apart from the minority with no aspirations who were willing to be reduced as another’s subject, most of them had folded in the hands of the five rulers, and among them, the Demon Lord’s measures were one of the cruelest. Ji Mo could tell that this Xianjun, while mild-tempered, wasn’t a very obedient person, and would not be tolerated if the Demonic Continent’s prince discovered him.
And yet, although this person was strange, he was not a fool, and was unmoved even as he said that, gazing at the Hook Snakes gulping up the soldiers guarding the city, giving no indication to the endless blood-curdling shrieks, and merely furrowed his brows, “That’s not a very good way of feeding your pets.”
Neither evil nor righteous, as expected, he was an immortal who completely disregarded all ordinary matters.
Seeing that he had no intention to provide aid even if he looked displeased, Ji Mo had inwardly determined which faction this guy was in. He was very clear of the gap between an ordinary human and a Celestial, and they couldn’t hinder the Demon Prince for long even if they risked the entire Jiangyin City’s defensive measures. Thinking that the people’s safety all depended on this person’s whims, he could not preserve his mysterious facade any longer, and took the lead in swallowing his pride, speaking out to plead, “Sir, you do not seem like an ordinary person, would it be possible to save the common people of the city?”
Since Ji Mo was his capture target, he definitely wouldn’t refuse the side-quest of increasing his favorability by saving the common people. No matter why he had done it, all the problems would be solved as long as he eliminated the Demon Prince.
Unfortunately, this Xianjun seemed to exist just to oppose him, because he just answered a little helplessly when he heard that, “But I’ve sealed off my cultivation, only completing my mission will unlock the seal.”
Not expecting this sort of development, Ji Mo struggled to ask even if he had a bad feeling about this, “And your mission is…?”
“To understand what love is.”
“Sir, you truly are a man of strong emotions.”
His bad feeling having turned into a reality, he looked expressionlessly at a certain Xianjun, who was uttering such unreliable words with a calm demeanor. While Ji Mo managed to squeeze out something polite, he was secretly itching to press this person onto the wall and give him a beating.
Running into a world of chaos after sealing off his cultivation just for love, never in his life of reading novels had he seen such an idiotic move! When ever did a protagonist not build up his harem after transmigrating, was there a need to strive so hard in finding a partner? Had his author gone mad from being a single dog?
Unable to recall which novel this stifling gambit had come from, Ji Mo knew he couldn’t rely on this Celestial, but did not let him stand there like a simple-minded fool waiting for his death, and began his escape after pulling onto his hand, “The Demonic Continent won’t return empty-handed once they’ve launched their attack, come with me, we’ll escape the city through the secret passage!”
Since they couldn’t counteract, all they could do was retreat, and the ever-cautious Ji Mo had ordered his subordinates to dig out a secret pathway before entering the city. At this moment, he pulled the Celestial over to attempt grasping onto his final life-saving straw.
In his hurry to escape, Ji Mo did not realize the flash of surprise in the white-haired man’s eyes when he hurriedly grabbed onto him, as if he was quite astonished he hadn’t abandoned him, who no longer had any exploitation value.
The brief emotion quickly vanished, and although this Xianjun no longer had his cultivation, he did not consider the demonic beasts rampaging at the city gates a threat, merely touching the wrist that was being pulled along, and asked the picture scroll he was carrying, “He held my hand before telling me his name, does this conform to the normal procedures?”
Ji Mo halted subconsciously with just a word from him, and just as he hesitated on whether to abandon this cut sleeve to his death, the external voice of the System rang out once again, “What does Xianjun think?”
While this guy had an unclear sexual orientation, he did not seem to have masochistic tendencies, and clearly would not ask for his own punishment. He merely nodded his head calmly,
“I think it’s fine.”
This System also continued its ass-kissing style, tacking on, “Xianjun is right.”
Can this System be any more unscrupulous? It’s actually being so compliant towards its host, practically a disgrace among systems!
Inwardly cursing that this person was, as expected, someone abnormal from head to toe, Ji Mo did not actually release this person to find his own way out after all was said and done, not because his rotten conscience had grown its way back, but because an enormous snake’s head leapt out of the entrance of the secret passageway just then, and was currently gazing tenderly at them. From what Ji Mo deciphered, it was the pleasantly surprised gaze of someone who had woken to discover a fine breakfast had run over to its mouth.
Of course, as the breakfast in question, he would not feel pleased about this.
The barbs of a Hook Snake’s tail were exceedingly sharp, and could even inject poison. He knew that as someone who did not possess any attack capabilities, overthrowing this demonic beast was impossible, and finally, Ji Mo could only place a sliver of hope in the protagonist beside him once more, “Sir, might I remind you before you continue seeking your death, it’s not very romantic swallowed to death by a snake along with a man.”
He had already said his piece, Ji Mo swore, if this person was still unaware of the severity of the situation, he would punt him over there with one foot, let him experience what was meant by a heart as malicious as snakes and scorpions.
Luckily, this Xianjun did not have a fondness of becoming a demonic beast’s snack, and finally took the restless Hook Snake itching for action seriously, maintaining that attitude as if they were just out a stroll as he said dully, “I need to complete my mission to lift my seal.”
If memory served him right, the self-imposed mission the System had given him earlier was…
Instantly grasping the meaning behind his words, Ji Mo finally understood why this person was so unhurried, he was waiting for him to obediently submit.
Capturing a person of same-sex was fine, but he was actually reluctant to take the initiative, he wanted this same-sex person to voluntarily complete the mission for him, never in his life had he met such a willful protagonist! This person wanted to hook-up, but he also wanted him to bend himself before presenting himself over to him, wasn’t that just unfair? Did he think he was some big deal just because he had a cheat? Could a protagonist do whatever he pleased?
Alright, he could do whatever he pleased just because he had a cheat.
Looking at the approaching Hook Snake, he decided to become a man who knew when to yield. He dispersed all his anger, and spoke with a show of calmness, “Ji Mo, my name.”
After receiving a satisfactory answer, the white-haired immortal displayed a happy expression, just a leisurely smile that brightened the skies a little, then, under the sprinkling of sunlight, slowly spoke of his own origins, “You may call me Ye Mingjun.”
Ji Mo: Exactly who is the creator of such a willful protagonist! Quick, get him away from here!
Ye Mingjun: There’s no hurry, you can bend yourself first before coming to bend me.
Ji Mo: look-of-concern-for-an-idiot.jpg
TL Notes
‘Cut sleeve’ – 斷袖; euphemism for homosexuality 2 ‘Hook Snakes’ – 鉤蛇; monsters in Chinese legends of snakes with a bifurcated tail. They are featured in the text 山海經·中山經.
Originally posted on RBKTR Translations.
Author: The One Who Tells Stories Under the Bridge (天桥底下说书的).
Translated by: Yujuan
The accumulated thunderclouds dispersed, the fluttering drizzle coming to a standstill along with it, and while the skies had yet to clear, there was a sprinkling of mild and peaceful light rays, as if passing through a paper window. The flagstone road washed by the rain appeared exceptionally black and shiny, and the white-clothed Xianjun slowly walked over, treading over the stone steps from the first cracks of the sky, as if the world was blossoming with light to his arrival.
Ji Mo knew this was just a misconception; he had long since realized that the world was not as dark as it seemed, but there wasn’t much brilliance to be found either. Just like this overcast sky of accumulated rain, it was a little cold, a little troublesome, but it wasn’t intolerable if you put on an extra jacket. Humans were all egoistic creatures, and those who could climb to the top of the world were even more self-absorbed existences who desired the world to change to suit their needs. Interacting with them couldn’t stop him from having the stupid notion of wanting to guide them.
Hell would freeze over before he simply expressed his true circumstances to a total stranger, and at this moment, acted as if he hadn’t realized the other’s intentions as he replied, deemphasizing, “A countryman like me has no last nor given name, this sir may think of me as just a passing fortune-teller.”
As if he hadn’t expected this answer, the Xianjun lifted his eyes to seriously size up this young man sitting under an eave. He was wearing an ordinary blue-green priest robe, and wasn’t very eye-catching with regards to his manner of dressing and facial features, but if there was anything particular about him, it would be that silver mask around his eyes emblazoned with bell flowers. The mask ought to be a magic item crafted by a skilled person, its lines meticulous yet not wide, merely covering his pair of eyes, and even so, this person’s sight was strangely unobstructed, and had even been the first to catch sight of his tracks when he stepped through the void.
A very complex individual, however, studying the unknown was coincidentally where his interests lay.
Such a thought flashing across his mind, the man was not angered even though he hadn’t accomplished his goal, and merely sighed helplessly, “You sly thing, even if I introduced myself, you wouldn’t tell me your real name either.”
Big brother, we’re just testing each others’ waters, why are you making me feel as if I’ve tricked you into marriage?
Inexplicably reading a weird profound meaning from his words, Ji Mo gripped the writing brush in his hands as if he might accidentally snap it in half. He had dealt with many protagonists in the past, but this was his first time faced with such a blatant cut sleeve (1), had this person really gotten the right script?
Tolerate, if he was an intellectual, he definitely couldn’t step out to slug someone, everything had to wait till he coaxed his identity out of him, he would make a decision then.
Pressing down his fury of actually being hit on by a man, while the waves were burning high within Ji Mo, he spoke with an outwardly indifferent expression, attempting to execute his second wave of conventional greetings, “Sir—”
Yet, because the plot of today was doomed to never go along with Ji Mo’s expectations, just as he prepared to continue his battle of wits with this person, a loud sound came abruptly from the city gates, and the group of people on the street acted flustered as they fled in an orderly manner, Qing Ye feigning an anxious yell, “Everyone run! The Demonic Continent has sent demonic beasts to attack the city!”
Those dispatched to capture Celestials were all divine attendants meticulously trained by the Haotian Shrine, and performed their roles as the city’s common people extremely well even in an unexpected raid. As soon as he heard this warning cry, Ji Mo knew this was an unparalleled adversary, and he was being told to evacuate quickly.
There was only one river separating Jiangyin City from the Demonic Continent’s territory. They had placed a heavy line of defense prior to this, how could they have mobilized such a large-scale attack without being noticed?
Puzzled, Ji Mo immediately moved his mask’s field of view towards the city gates, only to see several large deep purple snakes circling above the gates. There were snakes of different sizes, and the largest in his field of view seemed to be taller than the walls of the city, yet no matter big or small, their tails were sharp and forked, piercing through any living being they spotted with their tails and gulping them into their stomachs.
He recognized them at a glance as the ancient demonic beasts Hook Snakes (2), and Ji Mo finally understood why the Demonic Continent had been able to break through their defenses, it was due to the simple fact that the Demonic Continent’s own prince had personally struck out against them.
At present, the world was divided into five continents and four seas, with each of the five continents being occupied by the five strongest Celestials, and out of them, the Zizai Demonic Continent belonging to a dark-fiction protagonist had always been at odds with the Haotian Godly Continent, which pursued the righteous path. However, no one had expected them to simply tear apart the treaty between the five continents, setting off the war between Celestials once again.
Ji Mo knew that a protagonist’s progress was always much faster than a normal human’s; the Demon Lord had most likely received some sort of fortuitous meeting, gaining a tremendous boost to his power, and so had taken advantage of the new Celestial’s descent to launch a surprise attack. However, he currently did not have the energy to spare worrying about the affairs of the world. Since the enemy had launched an attack, they definitely needed a lucrative target to boost their morale, and as one of the Shrine’s Three Great White Robed Priests, Ji Mo was undeniably the best sacrificial offering.
Setting yourself against a protagonist would accidentally turn you into cannon fodder indeed, may the High Priest’s protagonist halo shine brighter than the Demon Lord’s.
Inwardly lamenting his bad luck, Ji Mo knew that a normal person wouldn’t be a match for the protagonist’s son, but it couldn’t be said the same for another protagonist, so his thoughts shifted toward throwing the person before him under the bus, “Those are the Demon Prince’s monster pet Hook Snakes, they might been sent after you, sir.”
These words weren’t exactly untrue, and as the old saying went, two tigers couldn’t possibly exist on one mountain. Many Celestials had descended over the years, but apart from the minority with no aspirations who were willing to be reduced as another’s subject, most of them had folded in the hands of the five rulers, and among them, the Demon Lord’s measures were one of the cruelest. Ji Mo could tell that this Xianjun, while mild-tempered, wasn’t a very obedient person, and would not be tolerated if the Demonic Continent’s prince discovered him.
And yet, although this person was strange, he was not a fool, and was unmoved even as he said that, gazing at the Hook Snakes gulping up the soldiers guarding the city, giving no indication to the endless blood-curdling shrieks, and merely furrowed his brows, “That’s not a very good way of feeding your pets.”
Neither evil nor righteous, as expected, he was an immortal who completely disregarded all ordinary matters.
Seeing that he had no intention to provide aid even if he looked displeased, Ji Mo had inwardly determined which faction this guy was in. He was very clear of the gap between an ordinary human and a Celestial, and they couldn’t hinder the Demon Prince for long even if they risked the entire Jiangyin City’s defensive measures. Thinking that the people’s safety all depended on this person’s whims, he could not preserve his mysterious facade any longer, and took the lead in swallowing his pride, speaking out to plead, “Sir, you do not seem like an ordinary person, would it be possible to save the common people of the city?”
Since Ji Mo was his capture target, he definitely wouldn’t refuse the side-quest of increasing his favorability by saving the common people. No matter why he had done it, all the problems would be solved as long as he eliminated the Demon Prince.
Unfortunately, this Xianjun seemed to exist just to oppose him, because he just answered a little helplessly when he heard that, “But I’ve sealed off my cultivation, only completing my mission will unlock the seal.”
Not expecting this sort of development, Ji Mo struggled to ask even if he had a bad feeling about this, “And your mission is…?”
“To understand what love is.”
“Sir, you truly are a man of strong emotions.”
His bad feeling having turned into a reality, he looked expressionlessly at a certain Xianjun, who was uttering such unreliable words with a calm demeanor. While Ji Mo managed to squeeze out something polite, he was secretly itching to press this person onto the wall and give him a beating.
Running into a world of chaos after sealing off his cultivation just for love, never in his life of reading novels had he seen such an idiotic move! When ever did a protagonist not build up his harem after transmigrating, was there a need to strive so hard in finding a partner? Had his author gone mad from being a single dog?
Unable to recall which novel this stifling gambit had come from, Ji Mo knew he couldn’t rely on this Celestial, but did not let him stand there like a simple-minded fool waiting for his death, and began his escape after pulling onto his hand, “The Demonic Continent won’t return empty-handed once they’ve launched their attack, come with me, we’ll escape the city through the secret passage!”
Since they couldn’t counteract, all they could do was retreat, and the ever-cautious Ji Mo had ordered his subordinates to dig out a secret pathway before entering the city. At this moment, he pulled the Celestial over to attempt grasping onto his final life-saving straw.
In his hurry to escape, Ji Mo did not realize the flash of surprise in the white-haired man’s eyes when he hurriedly grabbed onto him, as if he was quite astonished he hadn’t abandoned him, who no longer had any exploitation value.
The brief emotion quickly vanished, and although this Xianjun no longer had his cultivation, he did not consider the demonic beasts rampaging at the city gates a threat, merely touching the wrist that was being pulled along, and asked the picture scroll he was carrying, “He held my hand before telling me his name, does this conform to the normal procedures?”
Ji Mo halted subconsciously with just a word from him, and just as he hesitated on whether to abandon this cut sleeve to his death, the external voice of the System rang out once again, “What does Xianjun think?”
While this guy had an unclear sexual orientation, he did not seem to have masochistic tendencies, and clearly would not ask for his own punishment. He merely nodded his head calmly,
“I think it’s fine.”
This System also continued its ass-kissing style, tacking on, “Xianjun is right.”
Can this System be any more unscrupulous? It’s actually being so compliant towards its host, practically a disgrace among systems!
Inwardly cursing that this person was, as expected, someone abnormal from head to toe, Ji Mo did not actually release this person to find his own way out after all was said and done, not because his rotten conscience had grown its way back, but because an enormous snake’s head leapt out of the entrance of the secret passageway just then, and was currently gazing tenderly at them. From what Ji Mo deciphered, it was the pleasantly surprised gaze of someone who had woken to discover a fine breakfast had run over to its mouth.
Of course, as the breakfast in question, he would not feel pleased about this.
The barbs of a Hook Snake’s tail were exceedingly sharp, and could even inject poison. He knew that as someone who did not possess any attack capabilities, overthrowing this demonic beast was impossible, and finally, Ji Mo could only place a sliver of hope in the protagonist beside him once more, “Sir, might I remind you before you continue seeking your death, it’s not very romantic swallowed to death by a snake along with a man.”
He had already said his piece, Ji Mo swore, if this person was still unaware of the severity of the situation, he would punt him over there with one foot, let him experience what was meant by a heart as malicious as snakes and scorpions.
Luckily, this Xianjun did not have a fondness of becoming a demonic beast’s snack, and finally took the restless Hook Snake itching for action seriously, maintaining that attitude as if they were just out a stroll as he said dully, “I need to complete my mission to lift my seal.”
If memory served him right, the self-imposed mission the System had given him earlier was…
Instantly grasping the meaning behind his words, Ji Mo finally understood why this person was so unhurried, he was waiting for him to obediently submit.
Capturing a person of same-sex was fine, but he was actually reluctant to take the initiative, he wanted this same-sex person to voluntarily complete the mission for him, never in his life had he met such a willful protagonist! This person wanted to hook-up, but he also wanted him to bend himself before presenting himself over to him, wasn’t that just unfair? Did he think he was some big deal just because he had a cheat? Could a protagonist do whatever he pleased?
Alright, he could do whatever he pleased just because he had a cheat.
Looking at the approaching Hook Snake, he decided to become a man who knew when to yield. He dispersed all his anger, and spoke with a show of calmness, “Ji Mo, my name.”
After receiving a satisfactory answer, the white-haired immortal displayed a happy expression, just a leisurely smile that brightened the skies a little, then, under the sprinkling of sunlight, slowly spoke of his own origins, “You may call me Ye Mingjun.”
Ji Mo: Exactly who is the creator of such a willful protagonist! Quick, get him away from here!
Ye Mingjun: There’s no hurry, you can bend yourself first before coming to bend me.
Ji Mo: look-of-concern-for-an-idiot.jpg
TL Notes
‘Cut sleeve’ – 斷袖; euphemism for homosexuality 2 ‘Hook Snakes’ – 鉤蛇; monsters in Chinese legends of snakes with a bifurcated tail. They are featured in the text 山海經·中山經.