Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 253 - Two Years Later (2)

“You young people always take the romantic tales in stories too seriously,” Bu Jiang said with a hint of exasperation. “What with ‘one life, one pair’ and ‘sworn loyalty until death,’ it’s all just fiction. Our demon race is naturally fickle and prone to prefer the new and discard the old.” Her expression turned worried again. “When I sent you to the human realm, I was afraid you’d adopt their notions of unwavering fidelity and deep affection. In the end, you’d gain nothing but empty ideals. Isn’t that exhausting?”

Zanxing responded dryly with an “Oh.”

“Anyway, remember this: vows of eternal love are just for show. If someone is kind to you out of love, repay their kindness, but never be indebted. As a demon princess, if you’re single-mindedly devoted to a sect disciple, it will be a laughingstock throughout the demon realm and shame me as your mother.”

Zanxing gave some perfunctory “mm-hmm”s and “ah”s, noticing that Bu Jiang was getting more and more worked up, which started giving her a headache. She stood up and said, “I’m feeling a bit tired. I’ll go rest in my room for a while. The song and dance are wonderful. Please enjoy them, Mother.” She quickly took Mimi and left.

Bu Jiang sighed in exasperation as she watched Zanxing flee.

The scholar in blue approached and spoke softly, “The young princess seems quite taken with the junior master of Taiyan Sect.”

“Indeed,” Bu Jiang said with a headache, pressing her forehead. “It’s been two years. I thought she might be better after coming out of seclusion, but it seems she’s only gotten worse. Why does she have to focus on a sect disciple of all people? It’s quite pathetic.”

“The princess is still young, and having lived in the human realm for many years, it’s natural for her not to immediately take to Heishi City.”

Bu Jiang looked down thoughtfully. “Extreme feelings can lead to suffering. If it were just a passing fancy, it would be fine to flirt with a cultivator. But if she is genuinely affectionate, you know, with the difference between demons and humans, it’s easy for heaven to tear apart a pair of lovers. The deeper she falls, the more painful it will be to extricate herself. It might be better to treat it as a game from the start. That would be better for both.”

Xiao Shuang pondered for a moment and said, “From what you described, the sect disciple is young and handsome, and has helped the young princess in several critical moments. It’s natural for her to develop feelings. However, if emotional wounds are hard to heal, it often requires time and new affections. As time passes, if a new interest doesn’t appear, it’s better to introduce some talented demons to divert her attention.”

Bu Jiang was taken aback and then looked at Xiao Shuang. After a while, she said thoughtfully, “You have a point. Since Zanxing arrived at Heishi City, she’s been in seclusion and hasn’t interacted with others. Have the Succubus select a few candidates and send them to her hall. Wait,” Bu Jiang added, thinking of something, “choose more candidates and make the selection diverse.”

Xiao Shuang replied, “Understood, Your Highness.”

*

Rain began to fall again in Heishi City.

With spring arriving, the gentle, persistent spring rain was unending. Unlike the spring nights of Gufeng Mountain, where the environment was serene, the mountains of Heishi City were dotted with many black locust trees. Their twisted branches and leaves resembled ghoulish, clawing monsters under the night sky, exuding a menacing and eerie beauty rather than softness.

Thinking of Gufeng Mountain, Zanxing’s gaze grew a touch melancholic.

She took the Evening Star Hairpin from her hair and examined it carefully under the greenish oil lamp.

The Evening Star Hairpin had its soul shattered by divine fire during the Ten Thousand Killing Formation. Later, as she escaped from Gui Yansheng’s grasp and fell into the Abyss of Extreme Ice, the hairpin broke into two pieces at some point.

After arriving in the demon realm, she used magic to reassemble the hairpin, but it was merely restored to its outward appearance. Once the Tianhun Wood was shattered, it could no longer nurture its soul.

It was then that Zanxing learned the hairpin was made from the rare and precious Tianhun Wood found in the Three Realms.

She recalled Bu Jiang’s words: “Wherever Tianhun Wood is found, a Silver Rhinoceros must guard it. Silver Rhinoceroses are fierce and deadly, and ordinary cultivators encountering them face almost certain death. Your friend was quite generous to you.”

Zanxing didn’t know how Gu Baiying had obtained the Tianhun Wood, but the process must have been arduous. She wondered when he had started preparing it, perhaps from the moment Hong Su mentioned, “June 1st is my young lady’s birthday,” or even earlier. She had once told Gu Baiying, “This hairpin is truly beautiful, it must be worth quite a few spirit stones in the Hua Jin Pavilion,” without noticing the injuries on his hands and body. He had turned his soul into the Evening Star embedded in the silver hairpin, offering a fragment of his fate.

Zanxing took a deep breath.

It had been two years, and she wondered what Gufeng Mountain was like now. What about Gu Baiying and Hong Su? Since Gui Yansheng stole the Xiao Yuan Pearl, he hadn’t appeared again. The human realm was calm, but Zanxing always felt that beneath this tranquility lay a storm, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and catch everyone off guard.

Xiao Shuang’s voice came from outside. “Your Highness.”

Zanxing came back to her senses and said, “Come in.”

The true form of Xiao Shuang, the Two-headed Shura, was much more gentle than his depiction in the scriptures. Perhaps because he had lived among humans for so long, his aesthetic was similar to that of ordinary people. Amid the often overwhelming visual stimuli of the demon realm, Xiao Shuang was like a breath of fresh air. Always dressed in a blue scholar’s robe, he appeared refined and cultured, and people would not think of him as a demon but rather as a distinguished scholar from the human realm.

“Your Highness, these are the new additions to your palace.”

Zanxing turned around, and her gaze fixed upon the newcomers, her expression puzzled as she asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

Behind Xiao Shuang, a group of oddly dressed individuals stood, eagerly looking at her, some even casting flirtatious glances.

Xiao Shuang smiled and said, “Your Highness requested me to add a few people to your palace. Do you find these individuals satisfactory?”

Zanxing was silent for a moment before asking, “When you said ‘add a few people,’ did you mean it in the way I’m thinking?”

Before Zanxing could respond, one of the group stepped forward. The leader was a man whose appearance was so strikingly beautiful that it was hard to distinguish his gender. Clad in red, he held a green oil lamp and softly introduced himself, “I am the Lantern Ghost.”

A burly man in yellow armor pushed forward, unwilling to be overshadowed, and spoke in a rough voice, “I am General Lan.”

His loud voice startled a pale-faced youth in green who coughed several times before speaking weakly, “Your Highness, I am the Disease Demon… cough cough cough.”

Zanxing: “……”

Among the group of new additions were a demon with the smell of alcohol and a water spirit who was drenched from head to toe. There was even a beautiful and gentle woman in purple, a hairdresser, who smiled sweetly as she combed her long hair with a jade comb, exuding endless tenderness and shyness when she noticed Zanxing’s gaze.

Zanxing, her expression unchanged, took in the scene. With Xiao Shuang included, the group made up the full spectrum of colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple—a complete rainbow. She asked, “With so many people, can the Chaos Hall accommodate them all?”

“Your Highness need not worry, the Chaos Hall can certainly support a few more individuals. It’s rather quiet there usually, a few more people might bring some liveliness,” Xiao Shuang said with a slight smile. “These individuals were selected according to Your Highness’s preferences. If you have any other preferences, please let me know, and I’ll arrange for others.”

Zanxing was about to refuse when the pale youth known as the Disease Demon knelt and begged, “Your Highness, please let us stay. Cough cough cough, it’s a great fortune for us to serve you.”

His coughing was so severe it sounded alarming, and Zanxing worried that he might collapse from it. She said helplessly, “Get up first.”

“Your Highness is destined for greatness. These people are only here to handle your daily needs. It’s worth giving them a try. If they don’t meet your expectations, we can always replace them later,” Xiao Shuang said reassuringly.

Replace them? Zanxing glanced at Xiao Shuang. The blue-clad scholar remained courteous and respectful, clearly a loyal subordinate of Bu Jiang. While he appeared amiable, he was also very steadfast about Bu Jiang’s decisions.

Looking back at the six individuals in the hall, their appearance was indeed unusual, but compared to some demons who decorated their clothes with bloodstains, they were already much better.

Fine, Zanxing thought. If she didn’t accept them, Bu Jiang would probably send more people anyway. It was better to take them in now. The Chaos Hall was usually eerie and desolate, and having a few people around would be less unsettling.

With that, she said, “Alright then. Since it’s like this, you may stay here for now.”

The six individuals were overjoyed and immediately knelt in unison to express their gratitude. “Thank you for your favor, Your Highness.”

*

The Yao Ming Hall was situated next to the Chaos Hall. Compared to the Chaos Hall, the Yao Ming Hall was much more refined and elegant. Its interiors were adorned with luxurious furnishings, gold, silver, and soft reds, resembling a palace from the human realm.

Xiao Shuang entered and spoke to the beauty in the high seat, who was admiring herself in a mirror. “Your Highness, the people have been sent over.”

“Oh?” Bu Jiang lifted her eyelids in surprise. “She accepted them so easily? I thought it would take a lot more effort.”

“The young princess is gentle by nature and does not usually make things difficult for others,” Xiao Shuang replied.

Bu Jiang sighed. “That’s just the issue. Being too lenient can lead to being taken advantage of.”

“Rest assured, the six individuals sent to the Chaos Hall are simple-minded and unassuming. They should get along well with the young princess,” Xiao Shuang said.

Bu Jiang waved her hand dismissively. “Forget about getting along well. As long as they can keep her from obsessing over that junior master, it’s enough. Besides,” her expression darkened, “who knows how long this peaceful period will last.”

Although they hoped that the madman, Gui Yansheng, had died from overusing the Xian Yuan Pearl, everyone knew that was unlikely. Gui Yansheng sought to control the demon realm, and Zanxing was a stumbling block. If that lunatic appeared again, a war in the demon realm would be inevitable.

Even if Zanxing wanted to avoid conflict, she couldn’t keep hiding forever if she wanted to retrieve the Xiao Yuan Pearl.

As she pondered, a raspy cry echoed through the hall from the Raksasa Bird at the door. A black letter materialized in the air.

Bu Jiang’s gaze shifted. She sat up as the black letter flew into her hand and began to burn in mid-air, revealing lines of glowing text.

After a moment, Bu Jiang’s expression grew solemn.

“Your Highness, has something happened?” Xiao Shuang asked cautiously.

Bu Jiang lowered her eyes. “There’s news of Gui Yansheng’s whereabouts.”