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 world had one shared perception when it came to the Demonic Continent— Want to know if you’ve reached the Demonic Continent? No need to look at any landmarks or ask for directions, you’ll understand once you set your eyes on the pedestrians.
The Godly and Demonic Continents were the product of Fei Kingdom’s divide, but after thirty years of development, their environments were entirely different. This could be clearly seen from the first arrow shot at them, which was promptly blocked by the ark’s defensive barrier.
That’s right, even if they were foreign ambassadors, this did not hide the fact that there were still on the Ark of Salvation operated by Su Ge— there had been continuous attacks aimed at them from the ground ever since they entered the Demonic Continent’s territory. As for the reason why, it was probably because the ark had blocked the sun’s rays, or they couldn’t stand the sight of something flying above their heads. Yes, ‘In defiance of death, belittle and fight, anything that can be solved by force won’t end with reason’ was the ethos that the Demonic Continent exuded from top to bottom.
Ye Junhou believed in respecting the strong, and had abolished all the legal rules ever since establishing his Demonic Continent. As long as you were strong enough, you would be placed in an important position, and he even allowed the civilians to challenge him. “You refuse to obey? Defeat me, and the Demonic Continent is yours.” These were the words he had left behind in the Dark Capital’s Arena, which was still being spread to all corners of the Demonic Continent by its inhabitants to this day.
As he zoomed in with Wuyan to observe the fearless citizens of the Demonic Continent below the ark, who had their bows out, itching to get their hands on them, Ji Mo thought of the Godly Continent’s people, who wouldn’t dare to meet their enemies head-on without the High Priest’s slightest instruction. He really couldn’t believe that these two groups of people had originated from the same kingdom thirty years ago.
However, there was also the possibility that the common folk in the Demonic Continent had long since been turned into slaves.
Glancing at the slaves in ragged clothes who were doing various kinds of heavy work on the streets, Ji Mo gave a resigned sigh. He did not think the Godly Continent’s current civilians would be able to lead peaceful lives under Ye Junhou’s rule, nor did he know how Su Ge was going to merge both sides.
Just as Ji Mo was contemplating the ways to cope with the Demonic Continent, Qing Ye, who was in charge of keeping watch, suddenly sent over a warning, “Morning Star Priest, a demonic beast has appeared at the front.”
It wasn’t strange for demonic beasts to appear within the borders of the Demonic Continent, but the gigantic bird who appeared in the horizon was clearly charging at them. This bird had a long body, and was completely covered in blue feathers. While it was a bird species, there were transparent fins growing out of its back and stomach. Layers of clouds blew away with just a light flap of its wings, and it arrived before the ark in just a blink of an eye. From its form and speed, it appeared to be one of the Ten Great Demonic Beasts, the Blue Sea Roc.
However, rather than the demonic beast, the one who put Ji Mo on his guard was the middle-aged man standing on the Roc’s back. The man was dressed like a scholar, his hair neatly tied-up, the bluish-white clothes making him seem all the more mature and dignified. It was none other than the guise Chang Hui loved to wear when he was out.
It had been quite some time since Chang Hui had defected. This time, he ignored Ji Mo, instead glancing at Su Ge who sat at the ship’s bow, a trace of a meaningful smile gracing his lips, “High Priest, I trust that you’ve been in good health since we last met.”
Su Ge couldn’t possibly have missed his arrival with the level of cultivation that he had, and with a glance at that enormous roc, leisurely took a sip of his freshly-brewed tea. All he did was say dully, “So you went to the Hundun Monster Continent.”
These words gave them all a shock— Ji Mo’s face turned ashen, and he subconsciously grabbed onto Ye Mingjun beside him. The Monster and Godly Continents had always minded their own business, and the Demonic Continent’s invasion happened just before Chang Hui’s defection, so naturally everyone had assumed that he had gone to the Demonic Continent. Even Su Ge had his own doubts, only confirming his suspicions when he saw the Blue Sea Roc.
The Monster Continent was located in the north snowlands, where only demonic beasts and non-humans dwelled. They’d never dealt with any humans in the past, and no one could comprehend how Chang Hui had managed to make contact with that insidious and enigmatic Monster King, nor how he had persuaded the Monster Continent into participating in these worldly disputes.
Only Ji Mo himself knew that this wasn’t a coincidence. He had long since wondered how Chang Hui had known about the truth behind the Celestials’ existence, so it was him…
No one other than Ye Mingjun had noticed how pale his complexion had gotten, and Chang Hui only smiled tauntingly at Su Ge, “High Priest, I have assisted you in governing the Godly Continent for thirty years, no one understands you more than I. It is a pity, but I will have the Demonic Continent at all costs.”
Yes, they had worked together for thirty years. Chang Hui had always been very good at exploiting Su Ge, using the civilian’s faith to firmly bind him to his faction. It wasn’t that hard for him to guess what Su Ge intended on doing. Su Ge himself seemed to have realized it a long time ago, and did not seem surprised, merely saying, “What did the Monster King use to impress you?”
Yet, he was unable to maintain that indifferent expression in the next second, as Chang Hui said, “The thing you care about the most— God.”
God was Su Ge’s sole obsession; he hadn’t mentioned anything pertaining to God ever since rescuing Ji Mo. Only Chang Hui, who had been the first to encounter him, knew a few things about him. At present, as he watched Su Ge’s teacup fall to the ground and shatter into pieces, a trace of satisfaction flashed across Chang Hui’s eyes, “The Monster King asked me to deliver a message to you. As long as you are willing to submit to him, he will respectfully present you with the spell to summon God.”
As expected of the Rising Sun Priest who had single-handedly established the Shrine, Chang Hui made a critical strike the moment he appeared. Su Ge desired nothing, and no matter the temptation of power and influence or the threat of arms, it was all useless against him. However, God was his only weakness. He knew Chang Hui’s temperament— if he did not have irrefutable proof, this person would not take orders from another so easily.
Sure enough, his god existed. Just like Ji Mo, he could actually appear in front of him. The gods who arrived in this world did not have any powers, and all the gods would have faith in him, because he had the most stable conviction which proved unshakable to this day. When the time came, his god could only depend on him to survive, unable to leave his side ever again.
Just a word from him would allow him the means to summon God, fulfilling his long-cherished wish…
Su Ge did not speak. His eyelids drooped to gaze at tea flowing wantonly from the shattered pieces of the teacup, the pigeon on deck flapping its wings restlessly at the silence that followed, causing the atmosphere to tense up. At last, he looked at Ji Mo, who had a tight grip on Ye Mingjun, his clear eyes sweeping over the mask on his face. He asked, “Will he love this world?”
He did not explicitly mention who ‘he’ was, but Ji Mo instantly understood Su Ge’s words. His past memories were as stifling as tidewater, and he recalled the pain he once thought had been forgotten. Love? How was it possible, to love such a world…
He told himself, he absolutely couldn’t be overwhelmed by his fear, that everything was over the moment Su Ge joined hands with the Monster Continent. Taking in a deep breath, Ji Mo tried his best to remain composed as he replied firmly, “I do not think he will.”
In truth, Su Ge had known the answer the moment he set his eyes upon Wuyan. As he heard Ji Mo’s reply, his eyes still drooped, a little desolate. When he lifted his head once more, he was as firm and unyielding as always, the High Priest who would always walk under the path of light, “God says, the light will never submit.”
“You refuse?”
Not expecting this answer, Chang Hui’s calm expression was replaced by incredulity, as if he had never met this person in his life.
“I wish to meet God, but if my faith is the cause for him being controlled by darkness, I would rather continue my endless search for him.”
Su Ge did not show a single trace of hesitation this time around. He sat on the ark, with no luxurious adornments nor any followers accompanying his side, and just like the conclusion of his story which had come in great haste, he piloted the mythical ship all on his own, roaming the boundless sky in wait for the day his god would arrive.
Even if no one apart from him believed that God would come.
“You foolish fanatic!”
Chang Hui did not seem to truly know Su Ge well enough, nor did he know how many crazy things he had done in his pursuit of God. Faced with this slightly unfamiliar High Priest, all he could do was angrily criticize him.
The High Priest was a religious fanatic, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with this statement.
Tilting his head to look at the white pigeon that had flown over to him, Su Ge smiled. He had learned that pigeons were creatures that symbolized love and peace from God’s scriptures, and had been fostering them ever since then, because he liked the idea of love and peace. If this was the disposition God had bequeathed to him, he did not deem it a bad thing.
“I do not like fighting with others, please leave.”
As the ruler of the Godly Continent, Su Ge absolutely had the strength to threaten anyone. Seeing that his plan to make him surrender had failed, Chang Hui secretly gritted his teeth and gave up on persuading him, merely saying coldly, “Fine, but you’d better not regret it!”
Chang Hui had always been someone who did things decisively – since he had failed, he left without looking back. Looking on as the Blue Sea Roc landed outside the Dark Capital, Ji Mo knew that this trip to the Demonic Continent would be beset with difficulties.
The crisis had been temporarily averted, yet the memories he had been struggling to suppress slowly surged forth. Although he was tightly gripping his own fist, his innermost being was icy cold.
It was that person. Three years had gone by; he was finally making a move.
If that person gathered the Celestials to exterminate every one of the authors who had created them, as long as another author was summoned to this world, the cover up he had done in the past would be laid bare. When that person discovered that gods hadn’t accidentally lost their powers after transmigrating to this world, that they hadn’t had powers in the first place, things would evolve into the worst possible situation…
If only his willpower had been strong enough. At the time, only his meridians had been crippled, why did he blurt out the truth just from the pain? He should have endured the pain, with his constitution, he wouldn’t have survived after taking a little more punishment.
If it had ended that way, perhaps that would have been the best conclusion.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look so pale?”
The immortal’s voice broke through Ji Mo’s seemingly corrosive memories like a ray of light through the darkness. He lifted his head a little blankly, using a feeble voice to call out, “Ye Mingjun…”
Ye Mingjun had never seen this kind of Ji Mo before, as if he was completely filled with despair, unable to find his usual vigour. He instantly gripped Ji Mo’s hand after being called, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
Yes, they hadn’t reached the point of despair just yet. The world they had come from had the presence of immortals, and the Celestials might not be able to match up against true immortals if they launched an attack. But, the immortals probably wouldn’t care if only a few ordinary humans went missing…
Looking silently at Ye Mingjun, Ji Mo gradually came back to his senses. He was no longer the boy who didn’t know how to escape after being captured once, and when the fear and unease brought by his memories dissipated away, he was fully aware that he could only solve the problem by remaining calm.
“My body hurts a little, but I need to move around. Please help me calm down using any method you can think of.”
Ye Mingjun couldn’t detect any wounds on his body, but Ji Mo’s expression looked truly fatigued when he spoke. He didn’t know what sort of injury this was, and could only scoop him up in his arms, saying worriedly, “I’ll bring you back to your room.”
He didn’t necessarily need a bridal carry… He just needed some stimulation to forget the sense of repression brought by the past. After all, he wasn’t so crippled to the point of not knowing how to walk.
The moment he heard the divine attendants suck in their breaths at the sight of them, Ji Mo had actually calmed down, he could practically feel a cutsleeve label stabbing into his forehead. Helplessly looking at the overly-anxious immortal, he sighed faintly, “You’ll get punished by the System.”
From his tone, he didn’t seem that hurt anymore? Did a hug have the ability to relieve pain?
Ye Mingjun lowered his head with some puzzlement. Unexpectedly, Ji Mo hadn’t put his guard up against him today, but when he saw this little guy being so obedient, he didn’t feel happy in the slightest. It had been a long time since he was in such a bad mood, and said with a frown, “Did that little bird frighten you? I’ll go roast it.”
Go then, if you could also finish off Chang Hui for me, I’ll thank you on behalf of the Godly Continent’s people.
Although this spiteful thought crossed his mind, it did not come out of his mouth in the end. Ji Mo lifted his head to look at the immortal’s handsome features, saying softly, “Ye Mingjun, thank you.”
Thank you for letting me know of the immortals’ existence, at least, I wouldn’t need to live in the bitter remorse of endangering the world where my loved ones live.
Thank you, for being by my side at this moment.
If I was all by myself, I wouldn’t have the ability to be back on my feet so soon.
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 world had one shared perception when it came to the Demonic Continent— Want to know if you’ve reached the Demonic Continent? No need to look at any landmarks or ask for directions, you’ll understand once you set your eyes on the pedestrians.
The Godly and Demonic Continents were the product of Fei Kingdom’s divide, but after thirty years of development, their environments were entirely different. This could be clearly seen from the first arrow shot at them, which was promptly blocked by the ark’s defensive barrier.
That’s right, even if they were foreign ambassadors, this did not hide the fact that there were still on the Ark of Salvation operated by Su Ge— there had been continuous attacks aimed at them from the ground ever since they entered the Demonic Continent’s territory. As for the reason why, it was probably because the ark had blocked the sun’s rays, or they couldn’t stand the sight of something flying above their heads. Yes, ‘In defiance of death, belittle and fight, anything that can be solved by force won’t end with reason’ was the ethos that the Demonic Continent exuded from top to bottom.
Ye Junhou believed in respecting the strong, and had abolished all the legal rules ever since establishing his Demonic Continent. As long as you were strong enough, you would be placed in an important position, and he even allowed the civilians to challenge him. “You refuse to obey? Defeat me, and the Demonic Continent is yours.” These were the words he had left behind in the Dark Capital’s Arena, which was still being spread to all corners of the Demonic Continent by its inhabitants to this day.
As he zoomed in with Wuyan to observe the fearless citizens of the Demonic Continent below the ark, who had their bows out, itching to get their hands on them, Ji Mo thought of the Godly Continent’s people, who wouldn’t dare to meet their enemies head-on without the High Priest’s slightest instruction. He really couldn’t believe that these two groups of people had originated from the same kingdom thirty years ago.
However, there was also the possibility that the common folk in the Demonic Continent had long since been turned into slaves.
Glancing at the slaves in ragged clothes who were doing various kinds of heavy work on the streets, Ji Mo gave a resigned sigh. He did not think the Godly Continent’s current civilians would be able to lead peaceful lives under Ye Junhou’s rule, nor did he know how Su Ge was going to merge both sides.
Just as Ji Mo was contemplating the ways to cope with the Demonic Continent, Qing Ye, who was in charge of keeping watch, suddenly sent over a warning, “Morning Star Priest, a demonic beast has appeared at the front.”
It wasn’t strange for demonic beasts to appear within the borders of the Demonic Continent, but the gigantic bird who appeared in the horizon was clearly charging at them. This bird had a long body, and was completely covered in blue feathers. While it was a bird species, there were transparent fins growing out of its back and stomach. Layers of clouds blew away with just a light flap of its wings, and it arrived before the ark in just a blink of an eye. From its form and speed, it appeared to be one of the Ten Great Demonic Beasts, the Blue Sea Roc.
However, rather than the demonic beast, the one who put Ji Mo on his guard was the middle-aged man standing on the Roc’s back. The man was dressed like a scholar, his hair neatly tied-up, the bluish-white clothes making him seem all the more mature and dignified. It was none other than the guise Chang Hui loved to wear when he was out.
It had been quite some time since Chang Hui had defected. This time, he ignored Ji Mo, instead glancing at Su Ge who sat at the ship’s bow, a trace of a meaningful smile gracing his lips, “High Priest, I trust that you’ve been in good health since we last met.”
Su Ge couldn’t possibly have missed his arrival with the level of cultivation that he had, and with a glance at that enormous roc, leisurely took a sip of his freshly-brewed tea. All he did was say dully, “So you went to the Hundun Monster Continent.”
These words gave them all a shock— Ji Mo’s face turned ashen, and he subconsciously grabbed onto Ye Mingjun beside him. The Monster and Godly Continents had always minded their own business, and the Demonic Continent’s invasion happened just before Chang Hui’s defection, so naturally everyone had assumed that he had gone to the Demonic Continent. Even Su Ge had his own doubts, only confirming his suspicions when he saw the Blue Sea Roc.
The Monster Continent was located in the north snowlands, where only demonic beasts and non-humans dwelled. They’d never dealt with any humans in the past, and no one could comprehend how Chang Hui had managed to make contact with that insidious and enigmatic Monster King, nor how he had persuaded the Monster Continent into participating in these worldly disputes.
Only Ji Mo himself knew that this wasn’t a coincidence. He had long since wondered how Chang Hui had known about the truth behind the Celestials’ existence, so it was him…
No one other than Ye Mingjun had noticed how pale his complexion had gotten, and Chang Hui only smiled tauntingly at Su Ge, “High Priest, I have assisted you in governing the Godly Continent for thirty years, no one understands you more than I. It is a pity, but I will have the Demonic Continent at all costs.”
Yes, they had worked together for thirty years. Chang Hui had always been very good at exploiting Su Ge, using the civilian’s faith to firmly bind him to his faction. It wasn’t that hard for him to guess what Su Ge intended on doing. Su Ge himself seemed to have realized it a long time ago, and did not seem surprised, merely saying, “What did the Monster King use to impress you?”
Yet, he was unable to maintain that indifferent expression in the next second, as Chang Hui said, “The thing you care about the most— God.”
God was Su Ge’s sole obsession; he hadn’t mentioned anything pertaining to God ever since rescuing Ji Mo. Only Chang Hui, who had been the first to encounter him, knew a few things about him. At present, as he watched Su Ge’s teacup fall to the ground and shatter into pieces, a trace of satisfaction flashed across Chang Hui’s eyes, “The Monster King asked me to deliver a message to you. As long as you are willing to submit to him, he will respectfully present you with the spell to summon God.”
As expected of the Rising Sun Priest who had single-handedly established the Shrine, Chang Hui made a critical strike the moment he appeared. Su Ge desired nothing, and no matter the temptation of power and influence or the threat of arms, it was all useless against him. However, God was his only weakness. He knew Chang Hui’s temperament— if he did not have irrefutable proof, this person would not take orders from another so easily.
Sure enough, his god existed. Just like Ji Mo, he could actually appear in front of him. The gods who arrived in this world did not have any powers, and all the gods would have faith in him, because he had the most stable conviction which proved unshakable to this day. When the time came, his god could only depend on him to survive, unable to leave his side ever again.
Just a word from him would allow him the means to summon God, fulfilling his long-cherished wish…
Su Ge did not speak. His eyelids drooped to gaze at tea flowing wantonly from the shattered pieces of the teacup, the pigeon on deck flapping its wings restlessly at the silence that followed, causing the atmosphere to tense up. At last, he looked at Ji Mo, who had a tight grip on Ye Mingjun, his clear eyes sweeping over the mask on his face. He asked, “Will he love this world?”
He did not explicitly mention who ‘he’ was, but Ji Mo instantly understood Su Ge’s words. His past memories were as stifling as tidewater, and he recalled the pain he once thought had been forgotten. Love? How was it possible, to love such a world…
He told himself, he absolutely couldn’t be overwhelmed by his fear, that everything was over the moment Su Ge joined hands with the Monster Continent. Taking in a deep breath, Ji Mo tried his best to remain composed as he replied firmly, “I do not think he will.”
In truth, Su Ge had known the answer the moment he set his eyes upon Wuyan. As he heard Ji Mo’s reply, his eyes still drooped, a little desolate. When he lifted his head once more, he was as firm and unyielding as always, the High Priest who would always walk under the path of light, “God says, the light will never submit.”
“You refuse?”
Not expecting this answer, Chang Hui’s calm expression was replaced by incredulity, as if he had never met this person in his life.
“I wish to meet God, but if my faith is the cause for him being controlled by darkness, I would rather continue my endless search for him.”
Su Ge did not show a single trace of hesitation this time around. He sat on the ark, with no luxurious adornments nor any followers accompanying his side, and just like the conclusion of his story which had come in great haste, he piloted the mythical ship all on his own, roaming the boundless sky in wait for the day his god would arrive.
Even if no one apart from him believed that God would come.
“You foolish fanatic!”
Chang Hui did not seem to truly know Su Ge well enough, nor did he know how many crazy things he had done in his pursuit of God. Faced with this slightly unfamiliar High Priest, all he could do was angrily criticize him.
The High Priest was a religious fanatic, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with this statement.
Tilting his head to look at the white pigeon that had flown over to him, Su Ge smiled. He had learned that pigeons were creatures that symbolized love and peace from God’s scriptures, and had been fostering them ever since then, because he liked the idea of love and peace. If this was the disposition God had bequeathed to him, he did not deem it a bad thing.
“I do not like fighting with others, please leave.”
As the ruler of the Godly Continent, Su Ge absolutely had the strength to threaten anyone. Seeing that his plan to make him surrender had failed, Chang Hui secretly gritted his teeth and gave up on persuading him, merely saying coldly, “Fine, but you’d better not regret it!”
Chang Hui had always been someone who did things decisively – since he had failed, he left without looking back. Looking on as the Blue Sea Roc landed outside the Dark Capital, Ji Mo knew that this trip to the Demonic Continent would be beset with difficulties.
The crisis had been temporarily averted, yet the memories he had been struggling to suppress slowly surged forth. Although he was tightly gripping his own fist, his innermost being was icy cold.
It was that person. Three years had gone by; he was finally making a move.
If that person gathered the Celestials to exterminate every one of the authors who had created them, as long as another author was summoned to this world, the cover up he had done in the past would be laid bare. When that person discovered that gods hadn’t accidentally lost their powers after transmigrating to this world, that they hadn’t had powers in the first place, things would evolve into the worst possible situation…
If only his willpower had been strong enough. At the time, only his meridians had been crippled, why did he blurt out the truth just from the pain? He should have endured the pain, with his constitution, he wouldn’t have survived after taking a little more punishment.
If it had ended that way, perhaps that would have been the best conclusion.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look so pale?”
The immortal’s voice broke through Ji Mo’s seemingly corrosive memories like a ray of light through the darkness. He lifted his head a little blankly, using a feeble voice to call out, “Ye Mingjun…”
Ye Mingjun had never seen this kind of Ji Mo before, as if he was completely filled with despair, unable to find his usual vigour. He instantly gripped Ji Mo’s hand after being called, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
Yes, they hadn’t reached the point of despair just yet. The world they had come from had the presence of immortals, and the Celestials might not be able to match up against true immortals if they launched an attack. But, the immortals probably wouldn’t care if only a few ordinary humans went missing…
Looking silently at Ye Mingjun, Ji Mo gradually came back to his senses. He was no longer the boy who didn’t know how to escape after being captured once, and when the fear and unease brought by his memories dissipated away, he was fully aware that he could only solve the problem by remaining calm.
“My body hurts a little, but I need to move around. Please help me calm down using any method you can think of.”
Ye Mingjun couldn’t detect any wounds on his body, but Ji Mo’s expression looked truly fatigued when he spoke. He didn’t know what sort of injury this was, and could only scoop him up in his arms, saying worriedly, “I’ll bring you back to your room.”
He didn’t necessarily need a bridal carry… He just needed some stimulation to forget the sense of repression brought by the past. After all, he wasn’t so crippled to the point of not knowing how to walk.
The moment he heard the divine attendants suck in their breaths at the sight of them, Ji Mo had actually calmed down, he could practically feel a cutsleeve label stabbing into his forehead. Helplessly looking at the overly-anxious immortal, he sighed faintly, “You’ll get punished by the System.”
From his tone, he didn’t seem that hurt anymore? Did a hug have the ability to relieve pain?
Ye Mingjun lowered his head with some puzzlement. Unexpectedly, Ji Mo hadn’t put his guard up against him today, but when he saw this little guy being so obedient, he didn’t feel happy in the slightest. It had been a long time since he was in such a bad mood, and said with a frown, “Did that little bird frighten you? I’ll go roast it.”
Go then, if you could also finish off Chang Hui for me, I’ll thank you on behalf of the Godly Continent’s people.
Although this spiteful thought crossed his mind, it did not come out of his mouth in the end. Ji Mo lifted his head to look at the immortal’s handsome features, saying softly, “Ye Mingjun, thank you.”
Thank you for letting me know of the immortals’ existence, at least, I wouldn’t need to live in the bitter remorse of endangering the world where my loved ones live.
Thank you, for being by my side at this moment.
If I was all by myself, I wouldn’t have the ability to be back on my feet so soon.
