Since it was Hua Cheng’s impression, it must not be mistaken. Xie Lian wondered, “Could it be that his resentment isn’t about being killed by Ling Wen?”

But this was impossible. Xie Lian had been observing him while Bai Jin was still alive. His conclusion was: Bai Jin had never harbored any resentment.

Such a state lasted until Bai Jin received the brocade, that is, the last moment of his life. So if he had any resentment, it could only be towards his own death.

After contemplating for a moment, Hua Cheng gave the swing a gentle push, and said, “Not necessarily. There is another possibility.”

Xie Lian watched him. Hua Cheng said, “Perhaps, the Mental State we saw was fake.”

Xie Lian said, “You mean, the Brocade Immortal was lying to us? But I thought it’s impossible to fake this kind of illusion.” After all, the one controlling the silver butterflies was Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng said, “It’s true that he couldn’t deceive us in the Butterfly Dream. However, people are wont to deceive themselves, and even more susceptible to being deceived by others.”

Xie Lian understood what he meant, “You mean, someone had tampered with his memory?”

They didn’t know who did it. But what to do next was clear. Since Bai Jin’s memory had issues, to know what really happened, they could only go to the other person to find the answer. Hua Cheng said, “Mn, next, let’s take a trip to the Mental State of gege’s colleague.”

Xie Lian jumped off the swing and smiled, “Then will you again… …” Before he finished asking, he found that the place where he landed after jumping off the swing was not the maple forest, but behind a rockery.

They had returned to the rooftop of the Wave Promenade Tower.

Familiar scene, familiar people. Ling Wen and Bai Jin were still seated opposite each other in the small pavilion, whereas Hua Cheng stood next to him and, leaning against the rockery with his arms folded, listened attentively. Except that this time, Hua Cheng’s expression was evidently much more serene. Noticing his inquisitive gaze, he responded with a smile, “Why are you looking at me like this, gege? What’s on your mind?”

Xie Lian let out an “Oh” and said, “Nothing. I thought… …” He had expected Hua Cheng to revert to the demeanor of the frivolous and willful noble master. Hua Cheng seemed to have realized what he was thinking and smiled, “Sorry that I’ve disappointed you. Now that my spiritual energy has gradually recovered, there won’t be another accident like that again.”

Looking at his smile, Xie Lian couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t so sincere.

Right then, they heard Ling Wen slowly say, “But, if I say that someone is currently trying to harm me, and only when you withdraw from the battlefield and the Kingdom of Xuli is defeated can I survive, would you still refuse to help me?”

Hearing this, Xie Lian perked up.

They had arrived at a very fortuitous moment; this part happened to connect seamlessly with the memory in the previous Mental State!

Bai Jin stood up, “Who is making it difficult for you? Some noble of the Kingdom of Xuli?”

Ling Wen, “Why are you standing up? Are you actually going to settle the score with them?”

Bai Jin, “I can.”

Ling Wen, “Alright, take a seat, please. There is no rush even if you want to cause them trouble.”

Bai Jin was pulled down by her into sitting. Up to here, it’s all the same. But after Bai Jin sat down, he said, “Do you really not want me to help you get them?”

Ling Wen said coolly, “No need.”

Bai Jin said, “But… … but, although I can’t withdraw from the battlefield, I would really like to do something for you.”

Ling Wen remained silent.

Thinking that she must be a little upset, Bai Jin said, “I’m sorry. But truly, aside from this, I can do anything for you.”

Ling Wen said, “Oh? Can you even give me your life?”

Bai Jin was taken aback, then said, “Yes!”

He replied with such conviction that no one could doubt his ability to follow through. Indeed, it was clear that if Ling Wen merely uttered the word, he would willingly lay down his life. But Ling Wen gave him a glimpse, and suddenly burst into laughter.

They heard her say as she laughed, “Why are you acting like this? I was just tricking you. Why would I want your life? Is your life very valuable?”

Ling Wen patted Bai Jin on the shoulder, and spoke as if sighing, “I don’t need you to do anything for me… … You are great just as you are.”

Bai Jin couldn’t read her emotions, but instinctively felt something was wrong, “Are you still mad?”

Ling Wen smiled, “I’m not mad. But I’m going to tell you a few things now. If you fail to remember them again this time, I will be mad.”

Bai Jin said, “Tell me.”

Ling Wen said, “First, my surname is not Wen, my surname is Nangong, and my real name is Nangong Jie. And I’m much older than you. Now you know how to call me in the future.”

Bai Jin got it quickly, “Nangong. Could you write the name down, please?”

Ling Wen then dipped her finger in some tea and wrote it on the table for him to see. Bai Jin slouched over the table and watched with a pitiful eagerness; then, raising his head, he lamented, “It disappeared.”

Ling Wen, “What’s written in water would of course disappear.”

Bai Jin looked at her wretchedly, “Could you write it again, please?”

Ling Wen was greatly annoyed, yet she had no choice but to write it once more. This time she probably used some magic to keep the water marks from fading, and then said, “Secondly, if someone asks you to drink or eat something in the future, you have to be extra careful. Don’t take any until you see him take it first, and it’s best not to take it even if he does. Pretend to eat or drink, but get rid of it when he’s not paying attention… …”

Bai Jin was greatly confused, “Nangong, why are you telling me this?”

Ling Wen, “Shut up, you idiot, just make sure to remember it. Later there will definitely be people in the Kingdom of Xuli who will attempt to trap you, and you will need it then. And if, in the future, someone asks you to go by yourself to some place, with only a woman inside, you have to run away immediately, and it’s best not to let anyone know that you’ve been there; also, if someone gives you a piece of… …”

She spoke in detail, and Xie Lian became more and more visibly moved as he listened, “Ling Wen is… …”

Hua Cheng said, “This is her telling Bai Jin every scenario that others might use to frame him.”

If Ling Wen hadn’t explained in such detail, Xie Lian would have been hard-pressed to imagine that there were in fact so many ways to frame a person in this world, each more cunning and vicious than the last, difficult to fully guard against, and even less able to imagine that there could be someone with such a meticulous mind, that they could summarize and dismantle these things one by one.

All these points and items, as long as Bai Jin could remember and follow them, it would be very difficult for anyone to harm him!

At the starry rooftop of the Wave Promenade Tower, the two of them talked like this all through the night. It wasn’t until dawn began to break in the Eastern sky that Ling Wen almost finished speaking. Glancing at the sky, she murmured, “It’s time.”

Still trying to digest what Ling Wen had taught him, Bai Jin slumped over the edge of the stone table, his head already a soup. “Time for what?”

Xie Lian whispered, “Is it the appointed time for the contest between Ling Wen and Jing Wen?”

Hua Cheng said, “That’s right. It’s today.”

Ling Wen naturally wouldn’t explain to Bai Jin. Standing up, she dusted off her clothes, “It’s time for me to go.”

Bai Jin immediately stood up with her, “When are you coming next time?”

Ling Wen said, “It’ll take a while. I’m very busy and won’t have the time. Don’t wait for me.”

Bai Jin said worriedly, “I know you are very busy. Coin and the others have already learned to study by themselves, so they don’t need to bother you anymore. But what about the people who are making things difficult for you? Are you sure you don’t want me to help you get them? How are you going to handle it by yourself?”

Ling Wen turned around as if she couldn’t bear it anymore, gave him a couple glances, and suddenly said, “Fool.”

Bai Jin was baffled. Ling Wen extended a hand and lightly patted him on the cheek twice, seemingly contemptuously but also intimately; she spoke with a smile, seemingly sympathetically but also derisively, “Fool. Just take care of yourself. Can’t I get over this hurdle without your help?”

“But … …”

“Don’t be so full of yourself. You are so dumb, and unimportant!”

She huffed, the smile vanishing. As if telling Bai Jin, but also as if talking to herself, she said, “I’ve always relied on myself! So what if I lose this time? I just don’t believe it, that I will never ever be able to turn it around.”

But in reality, this last sentence betrayed that she too was aware: where she was going, there was only loss; winning was impossible.

Even if she could triumph in a thousand Wave Promenade Literary Conferences, or secure ten thousand first places in the Human Realm, Nangong Jie, a low-level official from the Lower Court of Heaven, when facing True Lord Jing Wen, the number one civil god in the Upper Court of Heaven, would always be defeated!

Bai Jin followed her for a couple steps. Ling Wen said without looking back, “Go back, please. Don’t follow me. Tell the people below that you’ve seen the scenery from the rooftop of the Wave Promenade Tower, and it’s just so-so.”

Bai Jin could only stop as she asked. “It’s clearly excellent!”

Ling Wen said, “That’s because you haven’t seen the world and don’t know what it’s like to truly gaze down at the scenery of the world! You sucker, don’t give gifts to other people on your next birthday, ask others to give them to you.”

Bai Jin shouted, “Then could you please give me something next time?!”

Ling Wen’s voice carried over from afar, “I find you very interesting. With other people, You’re always offering things or help; but with me, you’re always asking for things or help. Do I look like such a pushover? You’re a sucker for other people, but you expect me to be a sucker for you.”

Bai Jin shouted even louder, “Nangong, could you give me something?! I don’t want much, I just want… … just want a robe! Just a robe will be good! It’ll be fine if you just randomly throw a couple stitches together!”

Ling Wen had no more words; with a wave of her hand, she turned around a rockery and disappeared.

But she only disappeared in Bai Jin’s eyes. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng still followed her closely. As soon as she lost Bai Jin, Ling Wen’s brow wrinkled slightly. The look of disquiet didn’t overflow, yet it lingered like mists and clouds.

Xie Lian said concernedly, “Ling Wen actually… … didn’t give the Brocade Immortal the fatal blow. That legend turned out to be far from the truth. But where did the legend come from? How come this part in Bai Jin’s memory was completely different?” Hua Cheng said, “If gege is perplexed, why don’t we continue on to the Mental State of your colleague and find out.” As he was speaking, he reached out to push aside a spider plant in front of Xie Lian for him. “Where we are going now is probably the Lower Court of Heaven. Gege, be careful.”

The spider plant was lifted up and then drooped down again. Walking through it, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng arrived at a chilly and dilapidated hall. Glancing back, they saw behind them a gray wall covered with ivy.

Amidst the raucous cawing of crows and the desolate wail of chilling wind, Xie Lian was astonished, “Is this the Lower Court of Heaven? Where in the Lower Court? Is there such a place in the Heavenly Realm?” He would find it more believable if this was said to be the lair of some ghost. Hua Cheng said, “That’s right, such places exist in the Heavenly Realm as well. This is the edge of the edge of the Lower Court, only low-level officials under punishment would be dispatched here, so gege naturally has never seen it.”

Thinking about it, Xie Lian said, “I never did have the opportunity to see it.” Because he was usually directly banished.

The two walked through the overgrown courtyard. Noticing that their outfits hadn’t changed, Xie Lian wondered, “What are our identities this time?” Yet Hua Cheng said, “There is no need for any identity. Gege, there aren’t suitable roles for you and me in the Lower Court deep in your colleague’s mind, so no arrangement has been made for us. We’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t see us.”

So the two of them effortlessly scaled the wall and reached the top of the hall, intending to observe the situation within through gaps between shingles. But the main hall was so dilapidated that they didn’t need to manually lift any shingles; there were holes everywhere! Xie Lian’s only concern was that the holes were too big, it could be directly visible from below that someone was above there.

The hall below was dusty, with only one dim oil lamp in the vast space. And there was only Ling Wen, sitting alone at an old desk with crooked legs, with an upright posture and a calm expression, copying files. A person entered leisurely, waving a fan, and she didn’t even lift her head. After getting a clear view of the person’s appearance, Xie Lian was mildly surprised.

It was in fact Shi Wudu.

Shi Wudu watched for a while, no one paid him any attention, so he asked, “What are you writing?”

Ling Wen remained engrossed in her own writing, each stroke deliberate. Shi Wudu walked closer and took a look, “You are actually quite interesting. Jing Wen is ready to kick you down soon, your days here are numbered anyway, what’s the point in writing these?”

Ling Wen said indifferently, “Occupy the position, fulfill the station. Regardless of the situation, doing things is always more useful than howling and wailing.” As she was speaking, she had finished writing a stack of files, organized them, and said, “If Lord Water Master is free, could you please help me bring these files back? They belong to your Palace of Water Master.”

Shi Wudu looked at her, and she looked back at Shi Wudu.

Shi Wudu said incredulously, “I’m the Water Master.”

Ling Wen thought about it, and said, “I’ve addressed you just now.”

Shi Wudu said, “You know that I’m the Water Master, and you still make me help you bring the files back?”

Ling Wen asked courteously, “What’s the problem?”

Shi Wudu said, “Shouldn’t you send them to my palace?”

Ling Wen said, “Then I’m sorry. I’m confined and can’t leave this palace.”

Folding his fan with a “pop”, Shi Wudu said as he pointed at her, “Well then, from now on, your confinement is over.”

Ling Wen said, “It’s impossible. True Lord Jing Wen isn’t so magnanimous.”

Yet Shi Wudu said, “He isn’t. However, he is already done for, so whether he is magnanimous or not will not prevent his decree of confinement on you from turning into a piece of waste paper.”

Ling Wen’s hands paused on the files.

Seeing this, Shi Wudu said, “Or do you need me to explain in more detail? The Kingdom of Xuli is also done for.”

Ling Wen finally lifted her head, mildly stunned, “The Kingdom of Xuli is done? How could the Kingdom of Xuli be done?”

Shi Wudu retorted, “Given that the Kingdom of Xuli had been rotten to the core from top to bottom, shouldn’t it have been done long ago?”

Ling Wen froze for a moment, then, concealing the crack in her expression, she asked, “What about Bai Jin?”

Shi Wudu was surprised, “Bai Jin? Oh, you are talking about that fool general. Yes, the Kingdom of Xuli had indeed been relying on him to hang on to the last breath.” He tapped his palm with the fan, “But he is dead.”

The crack appeared again, and this time, it was beyond repair.

Ling Wen stood up, “Dead? How did he die?!”

Shi Wudu said, “Suicide.”

Ling Wen refused to believe it, stating flatly, “How could Bai Jin commit suicide!”

Shi Wudu said impatiently, “It was suicide, and even if you pressed me, I wouldn’t know anything more. It’s not as if I cared about this person. The only thing I know is that I’m here to congratulate you.”

In the dim candlelight of the hall, he unfurled his fan and broke into a smile, a hint of expectation mingled in the arrogance in his gaze, “I have to say, compared to Ode to Divine Might, I prefer Martial Culture”.

Ling Wen’s doubt and disbelief was also Xie Lian’s doubt and disbelief. Following the crash of True Lord Jing Wen, there was no longer a major civil god in the Upper Court to oppress Ling Wen. Moreover, with Shi Wudu deliberately supporting a new generation of civil gods as his mouthpiece and pen, Ling Wen’s days became much easier upon her return to the Upper Court. After swiftly settling all affairs, she promptly found an excuse to descend and arrived at the Kingdom of Xuli.

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, while staying hidden, followed Ling Wen to the Human Realm. By then, the Kingdom of Xuli had been overrun and torn to pieces by a coalition of neighboring countries. In areas surrounding the imperial city, the fires of war lingered. Upon closer inspection, though, they were not fires of war, but residual fires after the Jing Wen Temples had been set ablaze. After all, when a country had been trampled, how could the gods they worship escape unscathed?

Ling Wen had visited the cabin, but everything had long been gone there. In the end, she found herself standing still in the middle of the wasteland, at a loss of what she was waiting for.

After a long time, a horde of ferocious dead souls appeared before her, tussling and tumbling.

They seemed to be chasing after something, biting and tearing at it. Staggering, hair disheveled, it was a man’s soul that had coalesced into form. Focusing his gaze, Xie Lian made out the target they were biting at, and exclaimed, “How could it be!”

This horde of dead souls was of course the souls of the people of Xuli who died in the war. But the man’s soul they were biting at turned out to be Bai Jin!

The reason why the Kingdom of Xuli had been able to linger on its last breath until now could be entirely attributed to Bai Jin’s singular effort in stemming the tide. Even if he ultimately failed to avert doom, he shouldn’t have received such a recompense beyond his death. But upon further reflection, Xie Lian realized that the recompense Bai Jin would receive should be exactly like this, it couldn’t be more logical, and no one understood the reason better than he did.

Xie Lian’s hands unconsciously clenched into fists. But he couldn’t go out to drive away the demented souls, because Ling Wen had taken action.

The soul was bitten until it was covered in blood and lay on the ground. For some reason, he only had one arm left, and a few feeble, child-like ghost fires floated around him, as if trying to help shield him from the other evil spirits’ assault, but were beaten so hard that they emitted thin, shrill screams. All of a sudden, like dark clouds obscuring the sun being dispersed, the evil spirits scattered in a whoosh.

A soft spiritual light spilled over his back, and he heard a voice from above calling, “Bai Jin.”

Hearing this voice, the dead soul twitched, lifting his head little by little.

Ling Wen crouched down before him. However, he had been bitten by the drifting souls so badly that he was left in a daze, unable even to recognize her. It took a good while before his eyes finally brightened, “You… …”

Ling Wen reached out a hand, yet seemingly unsure of what she should do, and eventually, pushed aside the loose hair in front of his face, saying gently, “It’s me.”

The dead soul murmured, “… … why are you here?”

Ling Wen said, “Don’t worry about this. Bai Jin, where is your right arm? Why is it missing?”

The dead soul appeared to be struggling to comprehend her words.

Ling Wen added, “Why did you die? Were you framed?”

The dead soul looked at her, his gaze still unfocused. Ling Wen placed her hands on his shoulders, drew in a deep breath, and asked, “Didn’t I tell you to remember the words I told you? Did you not remember them well?”

Hearing this, Bai Jin finally mustered up a little focus,”No! I remembered what you said. I remembered everything… …”

Unable to contain herself any longer, Ling Wen asked angrily, “Then who on earth killed you?!”

Not only Bai Jin, but even Xie Lian had never seen Ling Wen looking so enraged. Bai Jin’s soul almost dissipated from her yell, and in the end, looking at her, he said, “It’s…

“… me.”

Ling Wen was stunned, “Did you really commit suicide?”

She said in bewilderment, “When I asked you to withdraw from the battlefield, didn’t you refuse? Why did you commit suicide? What reason did you have to commit suicide?”

Yet Bai Jin said, “Nangong, you are not a mortal, are you.”

Non sequiturs were his specialty. Even so, Ling Wen was still stunned by his answer, “How do you know?”

Bai Jin said gently, “You are a heavenly official in charge of literature, aren’t you? You serve under Jing Wen.”

She had never revealed a word about her identity to Bai Jin. Although her appearances were erratic, it shouldn’t have been enough for him to deduce so far as “heavenly official in charge of literature under Jing Wen”. Ling Wen couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you learn that?”

Bai Jin seemed to be relieved, smiling as he said, “So you are. That’s good. Your challenge must be over now, right?”

Upon hearing this, Ling Wen’s hands stiffened, then soon she shouted, “Bai Jin? Bai Jin!”

After he finished that sentence, Bai Jin’s eyes clouded over, veins popped out on his forehead, and he didn’t appear to be lucid. Ling Wen barely managed to restrain him with one hand when a child’s voice next to her said, “Master Wen!”

Ling Wen looked to the side, “Coin?”

Standing next to her was the wandering soul of a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old, with blood and tears streaming down from his eyes. He was one of the students she had taught at the cabin, a kid named Coin. Ling Wen then looked at the circle of wandering souls floating around her, “Have all of you died? And what happened to him? How did it get to this point?”

The blood and tears from Coin’s eyes flowed even faster as he said, “It’s all those generals’ fault!”

As it turned out, shortly after the night of the Wave Promenade Literary Conference, Bai Jin, indeed remembering all the self-protection tips that Ling Wen had given him, never allowed anyone to gain a hold over him, and even managed to evade several traps set by others.

However, while Ling Wen had taught him all the ways to protect himself, she couldn’t do so for everyone.

And just as Ling Wen had predicted, several officers from the Kingdom of Xuli were bribed by enemy forces. Working from both inside and outside of the country, they were eager to eliminate Bai Jin, whom they saw as a thorn in their side. Less than a month after the Wave Promenade Literary Conference, they broke into Bai Jin’s cabin on the outskirts and took the kids there hostage, with the intention of threatening and ultimately killing Bai Jin.

Coin said, “When General Bai came back, they had already been waiting for him. At first, they demanded that General Bai cut off his own arm, otherwise they would kill us, and General Bai did it. But after he lost the right arm, they then demanded that he cut off the other one too!

“General Bai knew then that those people would never spare us, so he fought back. Once the fight broke out, General Bai killed them all. But they were too cruel! Our side also ended up with only me still alive… …

“General Bai took me to see General Du, but General Du refused to see us. Everyone said that General Feng was so virtuous and well respected, how could he do such a thing, and that we must be talking nonsense!”

Ling Wen’s gaze was frosty, and she asked, “Then what?”

Coin said, “Then, then General Bai left… …”

He walked and walked, then suddenly spotted a Hall of Jing Wen on the side of the road. Enshrined in the hall was the heavenly official with the most followers in the Kingdom of Xuli, True Lord Jing Wen.

Bai Jin never worshiped gods, but for some unknown reason, this time, as if influenced by divine or ghostly forces, he entered.

Temple attendants were busy taking apart a small chapel, muttering about it being terrible luck and they should hurry up and burn all the removed bricks and stones. Bai Jin asked, “What are you guys doing? Why are you taking apart the small chapel?”

He was covered in blood, with one arm missing, his eyes cold and empty, actually emitting an unprecedented terrifying aura. The temple attendants dared not stop him, let alone ask him to leave, so they braced themselves and replied, “It’s nothing. This small chapel is, is for a subordinate god of True Lord Jing Wen. True Lord Jing Wen revealed himself in our dreams, stating that this subordinate god had shown him great disrespect! From now on, this temple will no longer worship this subordinate god, so it has to be removed.”

Located in a corner of the Hall of Jing Wen, the small chapel didn’t attract much incense in the first place. Bai Jin lowered his head and saw pieces of paper burning in a basin, “Then what are these?”

A temple attendant said, “These are essays left by this subordinate god while still a mortal. No one reads them anyway, they should’ve been burned long ago!”

White papers filled with inky scripts and burned ashes fluttered all around in the air. Bai Jin caught one, took a look, and immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.

He couldn’t read the words, but he could see a name where the author’s name should be.

It was the name that Ling Wen had dipped her finger in the tea and written several times on the stone table for him to see.

At that moment, as if struck by lightning, his entire mind suddenly became unprecedentedly clear. He instantly grasped who Ling Wen was. Why Ling Wen would disappear without a trace, why Ling Wen said that she could only survive if he withdrew from the battlefield, and why, when Ling Wen left, she looked at him with a gaze like sighing.

The Kingdom of Xuli was already rotten to the core, beyond salvage, so why should he continue to fight like a cornered animal just so this behemoth could hold on to its last breath? It would have been better if he had done as Ling Wen said from the beginning, to withdraw from the battlefield!

However, to withdraw from the battlefield, sit back and watch the lives of people in ruins, was not something he could stomach. Therefore, he could only end his own life. At least, it could fulfill Ling Wen, help her avert defeat.

Ling Wen closed her eyes. A moment later, she said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think it through.”

But no matter how good she was at calculating or how far she could reach, she still couldn’t ensure that everyone would always be safe. It’s possible to threaten Bai Jin with anyone as the hostage. Harming was always a thousand times easier than saving.

At that moment, eerie cackles sounded from nearby. Clearly traumatized by the biting, Coin said anxiously, “They’re back!”

Those were the souls of the people who died in the war. Mutating into various bizarre shapes in the black aura, they spread and advanced towards this place. Looking up, Ling Wen asked coldly, “What do they want?”

Coin said in fear as well as anger, “Listen to what they are screaming… …”

The dead souls were screaming hysterically, “Why did you abandon us?”

“Why didn’t you keep on fighting?”

“How could you give up?! If only you could have held on longer I wouldn’t have died!”

“How dare you kill yourself! Who allowed you to kill yourself? You have no such right!”

Their clamor made it abundantly clear. In the eyes of these people’s dead souls, Bai Jin’s suicide severed the final lifeline for the Kingdom of Xuli. Even if this lifeline was himself, he had no such right. In their anger and resentment, people naturally refused to let him rest in peace.

Bai Jin didn’t receive much respect during his lifetime, and all he received beyond his death was furious revenge.

The several little wandering souls around Bai Jin gathered uneasily, and Ling Wen said, “Don’t worry.”

The spiritual light emanating from her body was no longer as it once was. The dead souls, having spread to about twenty meters away, dared not come any closer and lingered in hesitation. Coin said, “They’ll come again, in a steady stream; they’ve never stopped!”

Ling Wen appeared lost in thought, and then said calmly, “It’s okay.”

She lay Bai Jin flat on the ground, straightened up, and studied the raging resentful spirits on the opposite side. After much thought, she said, “I’ll leave them no more reason to haunt him.”

All of a sudden, a crack emerged between her eyebrows, spreading outward like ripples. Soon after, the world shattered into countless fluttering silver butterflies.

The illusion ended here. Having just reached the critical point, Xie Lian said, “Wait!”

Hua Cheng extended a hand to him, “Gege, we can’t stay here any more. The owner of the Mental State was alarmed, she didn’t think she could let us watch any longer.”

Xie Lian was just about to grasp the hand he extended, but before he could touch Hua Cheng, the wilderness crumbled and dissipated. After the silver butterflies dispersed, he opened his eyes and found himself still standing in the Wuyong Temple.

Beside him was Pei Ming, but also only Pei Ming. Xie Lian was astonished, “San Lang?!” Could it be that Hua Cheng hadn’t come out yet?

But Pei Ming said, “Your Royal Highness, please stop calling for your dear little brother for now. Let’s deal with the immediate crisis first!”

By the time he reached “little brother”, Ling Wen had already arrived. In desperation, Xie Lian stepped forward and exchanged a palm strike with him, each backing up a number of meters. Sure enough! Due to the failure to resolve the Brocade Immortal’s resentment, the force of Ling Wen’s palm strike increased instead of diminishing. Xie Lian and Pei Ming glanced at each other and, as if by unspoken agreement, took to their heels.

Given that one of them had no spiritual energy, and the other was suppressed, they would be fools if they went head-to-head. As he was running, Xie Lian looked back and shouted, “Ling Wen, could you talk to General Bai?!”

Ling Wen chased fervently after them, “I’ve talked to him! But he won’t believe me!”

Pei Ming said, “It must be because you’d lied to him and he’s hurt!”

An idea suddenly hit Xie Lian, and he said, “Ling Wen! Could you change back to your female form? The female form isn’t as deadly!”

Yet Ling Wen said, “I can’t!”

Xie Lian, “Why can’t you?”

Ling Wen, “He won’t let me change back!”

Pei Ming instantly understood, “I get it! This guy’s afraid of touching a woman’s body! What a wimp!”

Boom! A roof smashed over from behind, nearly crushing Xie Lian and Pei Ming like a mountain. Ling Wen said, “I didn’t throw it! Who told you to insult him? Now he’s even more furious; you two are both in danger!” Xie Lian said innocently, “Ah, but it’s none of my business! I didn’t say anything. Ling Wen, could you tell him not to count me in, please?”

Pei Ming said, “Count him in, please. The more the easier when sharing a burden!”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, he stepped on emptiness and his whole body floated. Xie Lian also cried inwardly shoot. It turned out that the two of them were each caught by a large net, and were now hanging in mid-air.

This was truly a disaster that fell from the sky. The net was even made of special materials, impervious to tearing with bare hands. At the same time, from the surrounding woods popped out many demons and ghosts with green faces and sharp fangs, easily numbering in the hundreds, each clapping their hands and ecstatic, “Got them!”

“Hahaha, how many have fallen into the nets with these? This trap is so effective!”

“Hurry up and look at what we’ve caught, see how many heads there are!”

They had actually, with a momentary lapse of attention, fallen into the traps of these third-rate minor ghosts. Xie Lian reached for Fangxin but gripped nothing, and only then did he remember that Fangxin was still stuck in the old place, standing guard. Meanwhile Ling Wen had caught up and was now underneath the nets. Clueless yet about what had just arrived, the horde of minor ghosts said cheerfully, “Here comes another!”

Ling Wen raised his hands, each palm holding a pitch-black ball of ghost fire. He lifted his head and said to Xie Lian and Pei Ming, “You two, I… … honestly have no choice in this matter.”

Xie Lian let out a breath, “Ling Wen, may I please ask, what will happen if I’m hit by this thing?” Ling Wen said, “Last time a ghost fire of this size hit Qiying, he was injured. But it’s okay, he could still run and jump.”

Then apparently it wasn’t very lethal, and it would be no big deal to be hit. Xie Lian and Pei Ming both breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank goodness, thank goodness… …”

Just as they said “thank goodness”, the two balls of ghost fire in Ling Wen’s hands surged tenfold higher, turning into two towering blazes shooting into the sky.

Xie Lian, “… …”

Pei Ming, “… …”

Ling Wen said, “But with such a large one, I don’t know what will happen if you are hit.”

Pei Ming roared, “Wait! But I’m really fucking not your fancy man!”

Ling Wen snapped, “Wouldn’t I know this kind of thing? Do I need you to tell me! That’s why I asked you to behave yourself as soon as I entered!”

Shocked by the two towering ghost fires, the circle of demons and ghosts hurriedly grabbed their weapons and closed in on them menacingly, shouting, “What a lad! Quite the nerve, dare to snatch our kills. Beat him dead!”

But what threat could such ragtag minor ghosts as them pose to the Brocade Immortal? Ling Wen tilted his head slightly, the phosphorescence of ghost fires reflected in his pupils, seemingly poised to absorb the new wave of nutrients delivered to his door. Right this moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew through.

Amidst shrills and howls, the horde of minor ghosts were instantly swept up into the sky!

This “wind” was so eerie that within a moment, they couldn’t even hear the shrills. Slightly lowering his hands that had held the ghost fires high, Ling Wen scanned the surroundings. Xie Lian looked up, but the foliage was so dense above him that it’s impossible to see what happened. Ling Wen said warily, “Who?”

After peering for a while, Xie Lian suddenly asked, “Don’t you guys smell it?”

Pei Ming asked, “What?”

Xie Lian said, “The smell of flowers.”

Pei Ming asked dubiously, “Is there any?”

Xie Lian closed his eyes, and after a moment, he said with certainty, “Yes. It is indeed the smell of flowers.”

A distant, eerie, cool floral fragrance. Name unknown, place unknown. Very faint, very light, maybe there, maybe not.

Pei Ming frowned, “I didn’t smell of flowers, but I did smell… …”

Before finishing speaking, he felt something dripping onto his face, gave it a casual wipe, and his pupils shrank slightly.

It was blood.

A couple drops also landed on the ghost fires in Ling Wen’s hands, the flames weakened instantaneously, and he abruptly raised his head. In an instant –

A bloody rain amidst foul wind fell from the sky!

Hanging higher than Xie Lian, Pei Ming was immediately drenched in blood by the sudden bloody downpour, leaving only a pair of eyes starkly black and white. The ghost fires in Ling Wen’s hands were also extinguished, and he ducked under a tree for shelter. Meanwhile Xie Lian felt the net loosen and plummeted downward. He rolled over in mid-air and landed firmly, but unfortunately, the burst of bloody rain was also set to arrive.

Too late to dodge! Xie Lian held up his sleeves, ready to block as much as possible. But in the darkness that followed, he heard a low, soft chuckle.

The air suddenly teemed with the mysterious and alluring fragrance of flowers.

Xie Lian slightly lifted his face. He didn’t feel the rain hitting his face, instead, he felt something extremely soft brushing past. Reaching out, he caught it; lowering his head, he saw that what had quietly drifted onto his palm was, in fact, a small crimson petal.

He then raised his head, holding his breath, feeling incredulous.

The vast bloody rain had, somehow, transformed into an expansive rain of blossoms, drifting down in abundance!

There was no need to guess who the newcomer was. Xie Lian gathered his fingers around the petal, breaking into a smile, “San Lang!”

As soon as he turned around, he saw Ling Wen silently fall to the ground, leaving a single figure alone standing. That tall young man with black hair, red clothes, and a faint smile dancing around the corners of his mouth, who else could it be but Hua Cheng?

Blossoms fell as if blood, and blood flew as if blossoms. His face remained as handsome and spirited as the first time he saw him, his eyes sparkling. He slowly slid the slender silver scimitar back into its sheath and, stepping on the crimson and coral fragments covering the ground, walked over, “Your Highness, I’m back.”

A speck of red was stuck to his shoulder; Xie Lian instinctively brushed it off for him before suddenly realizing this gesture seemed overly intimate, and hurriedly tucked his hands behind his back, smiling as he said, “I never knew that, in addition to bringing crimson rain, you could also rain down blossoms.”

Hua Cheng also walked towards him, casually brushing away the petals on his shoulder, and smiling as he said, “This is a bit of an improvisation, a new trick I just came up with. I was originally going for a crimson rain as usual, but then it occurred to me that gege was here as well, wouldn’t you hold it against me if you were rained on? So I had to stop in the nick of time.”

While Xie Lian didn’t get rained on, Pei Ming had caught it at full force. He said in mid-air, “Excuse me, could you two please let me down first?”

Hua Cheng waved his hand, and a silver butterfly flew towards Pei Ming. Xie Lian turned around, and both of them looked at Ling Wen who sat against the tree. Another silver butterfly perched on his shoulder and remained fixedly there, preventing this body from attacking recklessly. Xie Lian asked, “Ling Wen, how are you feeling now?”

Ling Wen appeared weary as he said, “I’m not dying. Bai Jin had been wildly violent, but City Lord Hua decided the outcome with a single move. No wonder so many lesser ghosts would march in droves to their demise to become the next supreme ghost king.”

Yet Hua Cheng grinned, “They march in droves to their demise because they’ve got one thing wrong: it’s not that you can kill in one move when you become the ghost king, but you must first be able to kill in one move before you can become the supreme ghost king. Besides… …” He arched an eyebrow. “It doesn’t seem eager to fight me.”

Hearing this, Xie Lian pondered by himself. Speaking of which, previously when Hua Cheng had worn the Brocade Immortal directly on his body, it didn’t do anything to Hua Cheng, and even revealed itself. He couldn’t help but feel that there was certainly wariness towards Hua Cheng, but no malice.

Pei Ming, having finally landed on the ground, walked over. He had somehow managed to shake off the blood from all over his body, and wiped his hair as he said, “You two, please save the chitchat for later. Shouldn’t we take this robe off of him first? Isn’t it dangerous to keep wearing it?”

Xie Lian said, “Isn’t this… … not very appropriate?” After all, Ling Wen was a female official. Yet Pei Ming brushed it off, “He’s in the male form right now, what’s so inappropriate?” He took action as he spoke. However, he seemed to be bitten hard by something as soon as his hand reached Ling Wen’s collar, the look on his face changed drastically, and he abruptly pulled back his hand, now covered in blood. “This robe! Ling Wen can you get him under control!”

Ling Wen sighed, “Just chalk it up to your bad luck. I have no control over anything.”

Xie Lian studied him for a moment, then suddenly said, “Ling Wen, the legend about the Brocade Immortal being deceived by his beloved woman, and having his head and limbs cut off, you invented it, didn’t you?”

Ling Wen’s expression changed slightly.

Hua Cheng said, “Don’t worry, I have sealed the Brocade Immortal; he can’t hear what is said outside now.”

Pei Ming protested where no one cared, “Why was I still bitten if you’ve sealed it?”

Xie Lian crouched down in front of Ling Wen, “Don’t worry, we won’t speak much in front of General Bai. However, we’ve seen what we needed to see. At the Wave Promenade Tower, you left.”

Ling Wen’s expression shifted erratically, and eventually, he said, “I have long heard that the Butterfly Dream spell created by City Lord Hua can infiltrate Mental States. Surprisingly, it’s not merely a legend.”

Hua Cheng lifted his chin slightly, “Thanks. I enjoy turning legends into reality.”

Crouching in front of him, Xie Lian said with certainty, “The legend was able to spread far and wide, also because of your fanning the flame?”

Ling Wen said, “Why is Your Royal Highness so sure?”

Xie Lian said, “Simply because Bai Jin committed suicide, the people of the Kingdom of Xuli couldn’t forgive him for actually choosing this path and abandoning them, and tore at his soul day and night after they died. To prevent these resentful spirits from having a reason to vent their own anger on him, you have to invent him a whole new story.”

In this story, Bai Jin must be a hero who never wavered, without any flaws; therefore, Ling Wen must find him a murderer responsible for his death.

But she couldn’t implicate the real culprit. General Feng, the real culprit, sold out his country to seize power; with his overwhelming influence, he would not allow a legend close to the truth to circulate widely, so she had to invent another murderer.

So after searching high and low, she felt herself possibly the most suitable person for this role. After all, it’s widely known that even heroes had a weakness for beauties, and warriors often met their end at the land of tender. After some small modifications, this new version of the Legend of the Brocade Immortal was born.

After a moment of silence, Ling Wen exhaled lightly, as if relieved of a heavy burden; leaning against the tree, he said with an air of indifference, “Rather than the hero choosing to give up, people are more willing to accept that he died from a wicked woman’s deception and bewitchment.”

Indeed. The Brocade Immortal from the story, who was deceived by the woman he loved, not only escaped blame but also garnered everyone’s sympathy. Xie Lian said, “Then what I don’t quite understand is, why did you still have to tamper with General Bai’s memory? Now that the old country has dissipated like clouds in the wind, why haven’t you told him the truth?”

Yet Ling Wen said, “I never tampered with his memory. I’m also not sure why he would take that legend seriously.”

“What?”

Ling Wen sighed, “Besides, it’s not that I don’t want to tell him the truth. It’s that he simply … … won’t hear it anymore.”

He tugged at the collar of his robe, “I made this robe later. His soul was heavily damaged at the time, so I made this, hoping to deposit his soul there and let it recuperate.”

Xie Lian nodded, “The craftsmanship of the robe is, um, not bad. General Bai had mentioned wanting this, so he must be very pleased.” However, it really was just as good as randomly throwing a couple stitches together… …

Ling Wen said, “I didn’t expect to notice something was off as soon as the robe came out. How could there be such heavy resentment? I didn’t know what went wrong, so I had no choice but to lock it away first. But one day it broke through the confinement, I couldn’t stop it and almost suffered a backlash. It ran out on its own, went on a bloodthirsty killing spree, and never returned. Since then, I’ve been searching for it, and constantly hearing about its evil deeds.”

“How did it come to this?”

Ling Wen smiled bitterly as she said, “I don’t know. He was bitten by hundreds of ghosts; perhaps under the influence of the overwhelming resentment, he lost his mind and was completely possessed by demons. By then, the story I invented had already spread far and wide; everyone, whether alive or dead, was pretty much convinced. Perhaps he couldn’t distinguish between the truth and the lie, and he himself also believed the story I invented.”

Xie Lian frowned slightly.

Despite Ling Wen’s saying so, he still believed that Bai Jin’s memory had been deliberately altered by someone.

Because in his Mental State, the last memory at the Wave Promenade Tower was very vivid, with obvious signs of grafting and modification, not so chaotic as memories typical of someone who had lost their mind.

However, such things could no longer be verified.

Pei Ming finally got all the blood off his body. One might say he had a keen spirit of inquiry, or something of the sort; without delving into anyone’s Mental State, he managed to piece together much of the story just by listening. “What’s the matter with you, you didn’t do much, did you? It shouldn’t have been too hard if you’d wanted to just muddle it through. Take care of some folks, lose some rank, deduct some merits, and you wouldn’t have been reduced to a fugitive. What were you doing calling it quits and running off to Mount Copper Kiln?”

Ling Wen said, “Don’t speak If you don’t understand. Brother Shi had just died; at that point, those who wanted to land a hit on me in the Upper Court were all getting in line and gearing up. I had no evidence to prove that I was wrongly accused. Who would listen to my defense? If not then, when else was I supposed to run?”

Hua Cheng had been leaning against the tree with his arms folded, and suddenly said now, “Did you come to Mount Copper Kiln to make him a supreme?”

Ling Wen seemed to have briefly choked, then said, “I meant to free him from the torment of the dead souls and allow him early relief, but who knew that it instead provoked him into such intense resentment, and the legend I invented couldn’t be cleared up. I can’t accept being wronged like this. Perhaps becoming a supreme can snap him out of it; it’s worth a shot.”

Hua Cheng laughed, “You are bold enough.”

Pei Ming said, “No wonder this robe of yours would chase after me to beat me up. It turned out to be your true darling, huh?”

Ling Wen was speechless for a while, then said, “You assume too much. My darlings are documents.”

Speaking of the word “darling”, Xie Lian couldn’t help but give Pei Ming a couple extra glimpses. Pei Ming was confused, “Your Royal Highness, what are you looking at me for?”

After a brief consideration, Xie Lian said, “It’s nothing.” But inwardly he said no wonder. No wonder what, he didn’t want to say it, but Hua Cheng said it for him, chuckling, “I guess, gege wants to say, no wonder Ling Wen has no interest in General Pei, right? It’s very understandable.”

Pei Ming couldn’t just sit back and ignore it when someone said that a woman wasn’t interested in him, “What does it mean no wonder? What does it mean understandable??”

Afraid that Hua Cheng would say something even sharper, Xie Lian said tactfully, “Because compared to General Pei, General Bai is even more… … um, fine?”

“What?!”

Pei Ming absolutely refused to believe that the Brocade Immortal was more handsome than him, but his protest fell on deaf ears. Since Ling Wen was immobilized with a silver butterfly affixed to him, if the three of them wanted to retrace the steps, someone had to carry Ling Wen. Despite his reluctance to carry a man, Pei Ming nevertheless volunteered to shoulder this responsibility.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As to who tampered with Bai Jin’s memory, in Book 5 Chapter 6, during the conversation between Xie Lian, Hua Cheng, and Mei Nianqing in the Upper Court –

Hua Cheng said, “Then there is also the Brocade Immortal’s altered memory. Ling Wen was the pen and mouthpiece that Shi Wudu had intended to support. Pinching her was like pinching Shi Wudu’s arm. Gege, don’t you think that, perhaps it was Jun Wu who tampered with Bai Jin’s memory, or maybe it was simply him who forged the Brocade Immortal into an evil thing? Someone like him, he won’t use anyone he doesn’t have leverage over. ……”