… …

Right at this moment, someone outside announced, “Everyone, Lord Rain Master is here!”

Upon hearing this, all the heavenly officials’ faces lit up with joy, and they went out to welcome her, except for Pei Ming who, with a nuanced look on his face, seemed to have hesitated for a moment before ultimately choosing not to go out. Then, another voice said, “Your Royal Highness, you’re here, too!”

Instantly, the looks on the faces of the officials became even more nuanced than Pei Ming’s.

A Taoist priest in white robes appeared in response, his expression serene and demeanor composed, being none other than Xie Lian. The crowd greeted him one after another, “Your Royal Highness.”

In both demeanor and speech, everyone was exceedingly cautious and polite. Having exchanged greetings with them, Xie Lian also went out, “Lord Rain Master.”

Leading the tall black ox, the guardian mount, the Rain Master arrived in front of the temporarily erected shed, giving a slight nod in their direction.

The black ox carried large crates of local specialties on its back, specially delivered here because they were said to have miraculous effects on nourishing and protecting spiritual powers when consumed. When the officials heard this, some of them excitedly went up to grab a share, but there were also some who remained still. Xie Lian was among those who remained still, and the Rain Master said, “I’ve brought something else for Your Royal Highness.”

Xie Lian smiled, “Ah, thank you in advance! What is it?”

The Rain Master took out something wrapped in a small piece of white cloth from her sleeve. As soon as she opened it, Xie Lian’s eyes brightened, and he said, “Thank you so much, Lord Rain Master! I’ve been searching everywhere for this!”

Feng Xin came over and took a look, “Fantastic Silk! Excellent! That thing of yours can finally be repaired!” Xie Lian dug into his sleeve and took out two broken pieces of white silk, saying happily, “Ah yes, I’ve finally got the material that can repair Ruoye! I’ll mend it right away!”

But Feng Xin grabbed him, “You mend it? Forget it, what can you mend? Let someone else help you.” He then turned around and shouted, “Mu Qing! Get to work!”

Mu Qing walked over slowly. “What? What do you mean? You want me to mend it?”

Feng Xin said, “Isn’t that your specialty?”

Mu Qing grumbled, “You guys are too good at using people, ordering me around like a servant again, and probably you’ll ask me to sweep the floor tomorrow.”

Xie Lian laughed, “Forget it. I’ll do it myself.”

But Mu Qing had already taken the white silk from him and gone off to find a needle and thread, all while rolling his eyes.

The Rain Master looked around, puzzled, “I just saw General Pei, but how come he has disappeared so quickly? Didn’t he ask for ingredients that could help with healing and recovery last time? I’ve brought them.”

Xie Lian said, “Xuan Ji has been crying to see him. General Pei went to see her.”

The Rain Master understood, “That explains it. No wonder General Pei had such a peculiar expression just now.”

But Xie Lian thought to himself, “That’s certainly not why he had a peculiar expression.”

Pei Ming skipped off early as soon as he heard that the Rain Master was here. As it turned out, Pei Ming had been greatly bothered by being rescued by the Rain Master first at Mount Copper Kiln and then in the great Heavenly Capital fire. A man like him, who prided himself on being an indomitable manly man, simply couldn’t stand losing even a tiny bit of face in front of a woman, so he gnashed his teeth, tossed and turned, dwelling on it.

But seeing the Rain Master so “infatuated”, he couldn’t deny being touched a little in his heart. Anyway, after the battle, he asked the Rain Master out one day, perhaps meaning to “reluctantly” offer himself to her, under the pretext that his injuries hadn’t healed yet, so he wanted to check if the Rain Master Town had any ingredients that could help with healing and recovery.

Unexpectedly, the Rain Master’s guardian mount, the black ox, immediately knew what he was up to upon hearing about it and was outraged. The moment the Rain Master left, it transformed into the human form and scolded Pei Ming bloody in front of Xie Lian and the other heavenly officials, scolding him for deluding himself, and scolding him for, uh, a toad wanting to eat swan meat. And while he was at it, revealed the real reason why he bore such a face.

As a result, the entire Upper Court became aware of the story where “never having seen anyone else” was mistaken for “it just had to be him.” General Pei, who had been unbeatable in matters of the heart and so arrogant that it made people grit their teeth, found himself thoroughly embarrassed and disgraced!

What a severe blow for Pei Ming! Reflecting on their past interactions, which were pitifully minimal, he and everyone else had to admit that the Rain Master indeed afforded him… absolutely no special treatment. Punishing his subordinates wasn’t her acting out because she was spurned, and rescuing him from peril wasn’t due to an unwavering infatuation. Although her actions were filled with goodwill, they were by no means exceptional. Compared to the Rain Master’s indifference, he might have found Xuan Ji’s obsessive pestering slightly more palatable. In any case, Pei Ming just couldn’t let it go; he couldn’t stay calm whenever he saw the Rain Master, hence his peculiar look.

However, the Rain Master had no idea why he couldn’t stay calm, and always responded politely with smiles. The two were simply not on the same wavelength, which was almost comical!

Hearing that Pei Ming was visiting Xuan Ji, the Rain Master cared about Xuan Ji even more than Pei Ming. Xie Lian considered whether Pei Ming would feel hurt by this, but ultimately decided to take the Rain Master to visit Xuan Ji. Naturally, he left the Rain Master’s ox behind, otherwise it would surely launch into a tirade upon seeing Pei Ming.

After the battle, the demons and ghosts that had escaped from various sealing locations were temporarily held in a makeshift dungeon set up in Taicang Mountain, meaning, a large cave. Xie Lian heard a burst of loud curses from afar. Pei Xiu and Ban Yue sat at the door, both expressionless.

Due to the current manpower shortage, the two were sent to help the Upper Court keep watch on the dungeon. Kemo was imprisoned here, and he burned with fury upon seeing his enemies. He hurled insults at the two of them endlessly all day long, and they pretended not to understand, sitting side by side like wooden figures. Seeing the two approaching, they both stood up, “Your Royal Highness, Lord Rain Master.”

The Rain Master handed them a box of local specialties, and Xie Lian said, “Thank you for your hard work. Lord Rain Master would like to see Xuan Ji.”

Yet Pei Xiu hesitated, “Xuan Ji… …”

“What’s the matter?”

There was no need to ask; Xuan Ji’s scream echoed from the cave, “Impossible! You’re lying! It’s impossible for you not to love me anymore!”

Pei Ming’s voice also rose, “Wouldn’t I know whether I love you or not?!”

“Then why did you risk your life to save me at the time?! Why didn’t you just let my soul scatter and vanish?! Wouldn’t that have been exactly what you wanted?!”

Pei Ming said, “Were it any woman I’d been intimate with, I would’ve risked my life to save her.”

Xie Lian did find this statement believable. He led the Rain Master into the cave. When Pei Ming glanced back and saw the Rain Master, not only did he forget the words on his lips, but he also took a step back.

He actually took a step back!

Xuan Ji, being extremely perceptive, flew into a rage at the sight, “Why are you looking at the Rain Master? Have you fallen for someone else again! You’re attracted to her, aren’t you? What is she! I won’t allow you! I won’t!”

She rushed at the Rain Master as she screamed. But she had little energy left; there was no need for Xie Lian to intervene even, because it was impossible for her to reach the Rain Master. But Pei Ming, unable to bear it any longer, shoved her back as he said angrily, “Don’t go too far! What does it have to do with the Rain Master; I’ve barely even talked to her!”

This was the first time he ever raised a hand against Xuan Ji. Although it was not serious, Xuan Ji was nevertheless knocked to the ground by him, completely stunned.

After a long time, she said in disbelief, “Pei Lang, you’ve never been so harsh with me before. Do you really hate me so much?”

Xuan Ji said, “I’ve only loved you… … What have I done wrong? You obviously liked me so much back then, too. When I was captured, you freed me, gave me a horse, and escorted me all the way, even injuring yourself to save me. And you wouldn’t leave no matter how hard I scolded you.”

Pei Ming was usually quite thick-skinned about such matters, but when she said this in front of the Rain Master, and the Rain Master actually listened very attentively, Pei Ming suddenly didn’t know what to do with himself, and was reduced to saying, “Stop talking!”

Xuan Ji still refused to give up, “I have done so much for you, and ended up like this. Are you not touched at all? Don’t you feel guilty at all?”

Pei Ming looked at her, and in the end, still said with a sigh, “Xuan Ji, when will you wake up?”

Xuan Ji asked, “What waking up?”

Pei Ming said, “Your ending up like this was partly my fault, but most of it was because of your own choices.”

Xuan Ji was suddenly at a loss.

She didn’t know what to do, but still her hands clung desperately to his coattail, and her broken legs hopped on the ground as she said, “Pei Lang… … Pei Lang… … wait a minute, I don’t understand what you’re saying, how about, how about we go over it again?”

Even though they knew that it was Pei Ming who abandoned her first, and that this female ghost later killed countless people, nevertheless, her being in such a state still looked a little pitiful.

Pei Ming said, “To put it mildly, shouldn’t loving someone make people better? But look at what you’ve done? Had I known that you’d become like this for loving me, I’d rather that you’d never loved me from the start.

“To put it bluntly, you could only move yourself by doing so much. And I’m a stone-hearted person. Instead of loving me, you’re better off loving yourself.”

He pulled back the coattail from Xuan Ji’s grasp and left without glancing back. On the way, he bumped into the Rain Master. He wanted to say something but hesitated, eventually gave her a nod, and nearly fled the scene.

And Xuan Ji lay alone on the ground, tears coursing down her face as she murmured, “My love burns within me, burns within me… …” Shortly after, the cell was empty, with nothing but a tattered red wedding dress left. Incredibly, Xuan Ji’s resentment had dissipated. Perhaps she had finally seen it through.

She saw how meaningless it was, over all these years, to have turned herself from a spirited and noble female general into a crazed, bitter woman.

Or maybe it was desperation. Moreover, Xie Lian felt that he somewhat understood why Xuan Ji was so desperate.

Probably, she actually also realized in her heart that it was different.

When Pei Ming liked her, he would draw as close as he pleased, extremely presumptuous. But now, he had clearly been looking the whole time at the Rain Master, yet he dared not casually approach the Rain Master.

However, for the Rain Master, it was simply “all things from the past, dissipated and gone, I’m paying no mind”. After all, Pei Ming’s most striking moment in her human lifetime was a thing of the distant past.

The Rain Master sat down right there, seemingly ready to perform the rites for delivering Xuan Ji’s spirit. After all, aside from herself, Xuan Ji was the last remaining soul from the Rain Master Kingdom in the world. Xie Lian withdrew from the scene.

… …

Xie Lian squatted outside the temporary meeting hall, munching on a steamed bun. After finishing, he dusted off his hands and finally rescued Ling Wen from her misery, “Everyone, let’s sort it out later, please. Let Ling Wen catch her breath first.”

These days, when Xie Lian spoke, no one dared not to listen. Several people said, “His Royal Highness is right.” They dared say no more. Leaning back in her chair, with her eyes shut and a hand to her forehead, Ling Wen waited until all the other heavenly officials had left and there were few people in the deserted meeting hall before she finally said to Xie Lian, “Your Royal Highness, I should really congratulate you. I truly didn’t expect that nowadays, even the Ghost Realm is teeming with your followers.”

Xie Lian vaguely recalled that his third ascension had started with Ling Wen congratulating him. Now, hearing her congratulate him again, he felt it to be such a distant memory.

He said, “They are not my followers; they are my friends from Ghost City. I didn’t see you during the battle that day, and was worried for quite a while. It’s good to know that you’re alright. Why would you go down to run a stall?”

Ling Wen was caught near the Ghost Realm. Supposedly she had set up a stall to help settle accounts, write love letters and family letters, or some such things, her business booming. She could certainly be called versatile. If the ghosts in Ghost City hadn’t noticed her and tipped him off, she would have probably dominated the industry.

Leaning back, Ling Wen said, “Running a stall is my old trade. I was tired, so I simply went back to my old trade to unwind a bit.”

Xie Lian asked, “Why don’t I see the Brocade Immortal?”

Ling Wen said, “Ah, Bai Jin.”

She slowly flipped through a few pages of the file in front of her, then closed it, and said, “He has dispersed.”

“What?!”

As it turned out, during the great Heavenly Capital fire that day, although the restraining spell on Ling Wen automatically lifted, unfortunately Jun Wu had gone into a frenzy and, paying no heed to anything else, kept disassembling and reorganizing the Heavenly Capital. A few wrong steps, and Ling Wen was trapped in the heart of the demonic fire giant.

There were monstrous karma fires on all sides, burning more and more fiercely. Ling Wen couldn’t break free, so settling for the next best thing, he tossed the Brocade Immortal out through the only remaining crack in the window, hoping to save one at least. Who knew that right after being tossed out, the Brocade Immortal slipped back in again. Knowing what it wanted to do, Ling Wen immediately transformed back into the female form. This time, however, the Brocade Immortal didn’t hesitate to cling to her body, and wrapped itself tightly around her. The faster the demonic fire giant moved and the fiercer its movements, the more intensely the karma fire burned. For however many hours the fire raged, it shielded Ling Wen for just as long.

Only after the giant had disintegrated, and Ling Wen had crawled out of the ruins, finally safe, did it slowly, slowly turn into ashes.

After a long time, Xie Lian whispered, “Don’t be too sad.”

Ling Wen waved her hand, “What do I have to be sad about? He isn’t anyone to me. It’s just that I had hoped he would regain his consciousness so I could clear my name, but now there’s no way to do it.”

Until turning into ashes, Bai Jin never did remember what Ling Wen was really like in his memory. But the muddled soul still knew instinctively that he must protect this person.

Xie Lian said, “Ling Wen, when you pledged allegiance to the Heavenly… … Jun Wu, you actually wanted to see if he had any means to awaken the Brocade Immortal’s consciousness, didn’t you?”

Ling Wen said indifferently, “Not entirely. After all, the Heavenly Emperor was the Heavenly Emperor, with the greatest chance of winning. I don’t bet on the big ones, only the safe ones.”

Xie Lian said, “I still have one more question to ask you.”

Ling Wen said, “Please go ahead, Your Royal Highness.”

Xie Lian said, “San Lang, I mean City Lord Hua, had worn your Brocade Immortal, but it had no effect on him. Do you know why?”

Ling Wen said, “So that’s the question. I thought Your Royal Highness knew about it long ago.”

Perplexed, Xie Lian said, “I would like to hear more about it.”

Sitting up straight, Ling Wen said, “When the Brocade Immortal made its way through the Human Realm, it passed through the hands of countless people. These countless people who obtained it chose to use it for killing, harming, and deceiving others. But Bai Jin detested such actions.

“He loathed these people, so he would be particularly violent when he encountered them. On the contrary, when he met wearers and givers who were similar to him, his resentment wouldn’t be aroused, and he would instead be very pleased.”

Xie Lian said, “‘Similar’ means… …”

Ling Wen said, “You put the Brocade Immortal on City Lord Hua, but you trusted him wholeheartedly, without any intention of doing him harm; meanwhile City Lord Hua treated Your Royal Highness the same way, no, even more so, to be precise… … What really resonated with him about City Lord Hua was that, even if he weren’t wearing the Brocade Immortal, he would have done anything you asked of him without hesitation, including dying for you.”

Xie Lian, “… …”

Ling Wen said, “This is also why I was able to guess that the youth next to you was City Lord Hua in disguise. While I didn’t know much about what’s between you, I couldn’t think of another person who was like that.”

Xie Lian asked, “Why?”

Ling Wen lifted her hand and pointed, “Your Royal Highness, what’s that hanging around your neck?”

Caught by surprise, Xie Lian involuntarily raised his hand and touched it.

Ling Wen said, “I’ve seen similar items before, which were from ghosts who, going all in, entrusted others with their own ashes. They would hand such items to those they deemed most important, most trustworthy.”

In fact, Xie Lian had somewhat guessed as much, but upon hearing Ling Wen’s confirmation, he still tightened his hold on the crystal clear ring.

Ling Wen said, “These are very rare items, but because they are so beautiful, and usually very tragic, they’ve left a deep impression on me.”

Xie Lian asked, “What do you mean it’s usually very tragic?”

Ling Wen said, “Entrusting others with things that are matters of life and death can lead to many tragic and horrific outcomes.

“Sincerity and such are all to be ruined by others. Some of these keepsakes forged from ashes were snatched by others, and some were shattered by the owners. Essentially, none of them ended well. However, Your Royal Highness, you are an exception. You’ve protected it well.”

After a prolonged silence, Xie Lian said, “No. I haven’t.”

Xie Lian cleaned up the ruins of Royal Holy Temple at Crown Prince Summit and built a simple hut as a temporary dwelling. This place was relatively remote. He went to help at the temporary meeting hall when he was needed, and remained quietly by himself when he wasn’t.

… ….