Heaven Official’s Blessing
Chapter 31: Poking the Ghost King, Seeking the True Form (II)

Ashes and a Love Token

Feeling the way the air seemed to stagnate for a moment, Xie Lian understood that his request may have crossed the line .

They had gotten along remarkably well and had enjoyed each other’s company in these past few days, but this familiarity did not mean it was excusable for him to make such a blunt request . Without waiting for a reply, Xie Lian quickly attempted to laugh it off . “It was just an offhand remark, please don’t take it to heart . ”

Hua Cheng closed his eyes briefly, then gave a faint smile . “If fortune permits, I will show it to you someday . ”

Xie Lian beamed . From anyone else, this reply would have been interpreted as a polite rejection . Put bluntly, “Someday” means “Quit dreaming, forget about it” . But coming from Hua Cheng, Xie Lian instead felt that when he said “someday”, he meant exactly that . A promise . His interest grew from the anticipation . “Alright then . I look forward to that day . We should rest now . ”

After being distracted for the better part of the night, Xie Lian had long discarded his intention of cooking . He flopped down on to the straw mat, with Hua Cheng following suit . Neither of them seemed to think it strange that a Heavenly Official and a ghost could still share a mat and idly share stories and jokes even after the revelation of their respective identities .

There were no pillows on the straw mat, so Hua Cheng rested his head on his arm and Xie Lian followed his example . “Your ghost realm seems pretty leisurely,” he observed . “Do you not need to report yourself?”

“To whom? I’m the biggest there is . ” Hua Cheng had drawn up his legs and tucked his free arm around them as well . “And everyone there minds their own businesses anyway . There’s no need to meddle . ”

It would seem that the ghost realm was filled with spirits roaming wild and free with no sense of law and order . “Ah, I see . I thought there would be a unified, ruling establishment like in Heaven . Have you ever met any other Ghost Kings?”

“Some,” Hua Cheng murmured .

“What about Green Ghost Qi Rong?”

“You mean that loathsome waste of space?”

Xie Lian fumbled . How am I to answer this? Yes? No? Thankfully, Hua Cheng did not expect him to reply . “I dropped by to introduce myself, but he ran away . ”

Xie Lian ventured to guess that his ‘introduction’ must have been more than a simple greeting . Sure enough, Hua Cheng added nonchalantly, “They started calling me ‘Blood Rain Seeking Flower’ after that . ”

“……”

It seems that the youth had been referring to Green Ghost Qi Rong when he previously talked about eradicating another ghost’s nest . And his idea of introducing himself had been with a bloody massacre .

{T/N: Refer chapter 14, when San Lang was telling XL the story of Blood Rain Seeking Flower . To quote : “It’s only because Hua Cheng had once eradicated another ghost’s nest, and just as he was done, it started raining blood all over the mountain . ”}

What an extraordinary greeting .

Xie Lian touched his chin for a moment, then asked, “Is there a grudge between you and Green Ghost Qi Rong?”

“Yes . ”

“What was it?”

“He annoys me . ”

Xie Lian didn’t know if he should laugh or cry . He thought wryly, Did you also pick a fight with the 33 Heavenly Officials because you found them annoying?

He asked, “In the Heavenly Court, there were some Officials who described him as a vulgar ghost with atrocious tastes, and that even the Ghost Realm finds him repugnant . Is this true?”

“Yes . Even Black Water finds him distasteful . ”

“Who is Black Water?” Then it hit him . “You mean ‘Black Water Ship Sinker’?”

“That’s him . Also known as ‘Black Water the Elusive Ghost’ . ”

Xie Lian pricked his ears in interest . Black Water was another ghost who had achieved the level of ‘Devastation’, as opposed to Green Ghost Qi Rong who was just there to make up the numbers . “Are you familiar with this Elusive Ghost?”

{T/N: Quick reminder, Qi Rong is a ‘Wrath’, one level below ‘Devastation’ . }

Hua Cheng lazily replied, “Hardly . I’m not really familiar with that many ghosts in the Ghost Realm . ”

Xie Lian found it a bit peculiar . “Is that so? I had assumed you would have plenty of subordinates . Perhaps we have different understandings on what ‘familiar’ means . ”

Hua Cheng lifted a brow . “That’s right . In the Ghost Realm, only a Devastation is qualified to speak with me . ”

These haughty words were stated with bold conviction, as if it were but the plain truth of what is right and proper . Xie Lian’s lips curled in a faint smile . “Your Ghost Realm sounds pretty good,” he said mildly . “There are very few you need to be mindful of . Unlike in Heaven, where you can barely remember who is who among all the Heavenly Officials in the Upper Court, and that is only a drop in the ocean compared to those residing in the Middle Court . ”

{T/N: Heaven is split into Upper and Middle . Previously translated as Upper Heaven and Middle Heaven by Sakhyulations, but the Chinese characters used for Heaven and Upper/Middle Heaven are different, so I’m substituting it with Court . }

Hua Cheng scoffed . “What is there to remember? Save yourself the bother, it’s just a waste of brain space . ”

Xie Lian gave a soft chuckle . “If I always forget their names, I’ll be stepping on a lot of toes . ” The Heavenly Officials are a prideful bunch after all . Hua Cheng said derisively, “If they can be offended by something so trivial, they are nothing more than petty minded trash . ”

After a chatting for a bit while longer, Xie Lian no longer asked about the differences between Heaven and the Ghost Realm, lest he accidentally broached any sensitive topics . He glanced at the tightly shut door of the shrine and chewed on his lip worriedly . “That child, when will Ban Yue decide to come back inside?”

When he recalled the rousing declaration of “I want to save the common people”, his mind was filled with vivid flashes of images tumbling around in disarray which he then forcibly suppressed . Then he heard Hua Cheng give a low, sly laugh . “Those were some pretty impressive words . ”

Xie Lian, “What?”

Hua Cheng drawled, “I want to save the common people . ”

“……”

Xie Lian received a blow .

He rolled over, his body curled up tightly like a shrimp . He buried his face in his hands while fervently wishing for another pair to block his ears as well . “……San Lang ah,” he groaned reproachfully .

Hua Cheng seemed to have inched closer to his back . “Hm? Anything wrong with it?” Xie Lian could hear the grin in his words .

Knowing he would not be able to persuade the youth to let him off, Xie Lian turned over again and said helplessly, “It was stupid . ”

Hua Cheng shrugged . “So what? I’d admire the ambition of anyone who could declare intentions for the common people, whether it is to save or slaughter them . The former is more difficult to accomplish than the latter, naturally it is even more worthy of my admiration . ”

Xie Lian shook his head wordlessly, splaying himself out flat on the mat . “They were but words I never followed through . Not to mention I lacked the ability as well, and it becomes nothing but empty posturing . ”

He pressed an arm over his eyes, huffing . “Ai, fine . It doesn’t really matter anyway . What Ban Yue said is still bearable . When I was younger, I’ve said worse things . ”

He heard Hua Cheng’s soft chuckle from his side . “Oh? Let’s hear it . ”

Xie Lian paused for a while, lips bent in a slight smile as he recalled . “Many many years ago, someone once told me that they have nothing left to live for, and asked me what was their reason for living, what was the purpose of life . ”

He shifted to glance at Hua Cheng . “Do you know what I said?”

There seemed to be a faint, luminous light in Hua Cheng’s eyes . “What did you say?” he asked softly .

Xie Lian replied, “I said, ‘If you have nothing to live for, then live for me . ’

“‘If you’ve lost your reason for living, then let me be your reason . Let me be the pillar that supports your purpose in life . '”

“Hahaha……”

After rambling, Xie Lian couldn’t help laughing at himself . He shook his head ruefully . “After all these years, I still cannot understand what could have possibly been going through my head back then . How could I have had the audacity to proclaim myself as someone’s reason for living?”

Hua Cheng was silent . Xie Lian continued, “Truly, only the foolishness of youth could have compelled me to utter such words . At that time, I really thought myself all powerful and capable, I was completely fearless . If you ask me to say out such words again now, I would never be able to do it . ”

He paused, then added quietly, “In the end, I don’t know what eventually became of that person . Being a person’s sole reason for existence is a heavy burden, let alone the matter of saving the common people . ”

Silence reigned in Pu Qi Shrine .

After a long while, Hua Cheng said gently, “It does not matter how or why you intended to save the common people . You were so young, yet dared to announce such an ambition . Very courageous, but very foolish . ”

Xie Lian, “Exactly . ”

However, Hua Cheng added, “Although foolish, but still courageous . ”

“……”

Xie Lian laughed . “Well thank you very much . ”

“You’re welcome . ”

They both stared silently at the dilapidated rafters of the tiny Pu Qi Shrine . Hua Cheng broke the silence after a while . “But Your Royal Highness, we’ve known each other for but a few days . Is it alright for you to be telling me this much?”

“Ai,” Xie Lian replied nonchalantly . “What’s wrong with doing so? It’s fine . Even old friends would become strangers after enough time has passed . Just say what’s in your heart . To meet and part is the way of life, but to part and meet again is the hope in life . All good things must come to an end, so don’t hold yourself back only to regret after it has passed . ”

Hua Cheng seemed to be laughing softly to himself . He suddenly said, “What if . ”

Xie Lian turned his head . “What if what?”

Hua Cheng did not face him . He was staring fixedly at Pu Qi Shrine’s shabby roof, and Xie Lian could only make out half of the youth’s extraordinarily handsome face .

He muttered, “I’m ugly . ”

Xie Lian, “Ah?”

Hua Cheng shifted minutely, turning slowly to look at him . “If my original form is ugly, would you still want to see it?”

Xie Lian stared at him blankly . “Really? But somehow, I don’t think your original form could be all that bad looking . ”

Hua Cheng said vaguely, “Maybe not? What if I’m actually hideously deformed, as monstrous as a Rakshasa with slavering jaws like a Yaksha . What would you do?”

{T/N: Hua Cheng is describing this : pic & pic}

Xie Lian was initially a little amused . So the fiendish overlord of the Ghost Realm, whose very name is enough to make all the deities in Heaven scrunch their faces in varying degrees of consternation and terror, would also be sensitive as to whether his original form was pleasing to look upon? But when he gave it more thought, his amusement faded away .

He vaguely recalled the myriad of legends and stories surrounding Hua Cheng’s birth and origins . There were rumours that he was a “deformed child” . If this were true, he must have suffered much discrimination for this even as a child, and may be more sensitive about the appearance of his original form .

Therefore, Xie Lian considered it deeply before saying, “Well……”

In the gentlest tone he could muster, he said with heartfelt sincerity, “Actually, my wanting to see your original form is because, well you see, we’re already like this……”

Hua Cheng, “En? Like what?”

Xie Lian said, “……we are now, considered friends right? Then, since we are friends, we should be honest with each other . Which was why I asked to see your true form . It’s got nothing to do with whether your true form looks good or not, right? You asked me what I would do, of course I wouldn’t do anything . Rest assured, as long as it’s your true form, I would…… what are you laughing for, I’m being serious . ”

As he spoke, Xie Lian had felt the youth next to him start trembling . He had been startled at first, thinking, Were my words so moving, for him to be this touched? To avoid embarrassing him, Xie Lian had not turned to look . But after a few more moments had passed, he distinctly heard the sound of stifled laughter escaping .

Xie Lian felt exceedingly disheartened, and gave Hua Cheng’s shoulder a shove . “San Lang…… why are you laughing like this? Did I say something wrong?”

Hua Cheng stopped shaking immediately, and turned over . “No, your words make perfect sense . ”

Xie Lian felt even more discouraged . “You’re mocking me……”

Hua Cheng refuted, “I swear, on Heaven and Earth, you would not find anyone else more sincere than me . ”

Xie Lian refused to continue talking . He turned around, his back facing Hua Cheng . “Forget it . Go to sleep . No more talking . ”

He heard Hua Cheng issue another soft chuckle . “Next time . ”

Although he was already determined to sleep, when Hua Cheng spoke, Xie Lian could not hold back from asking, “What do you mean, next time?”

Hua Cheng said softly, “The next time we meet, it will be with my true form . ”

This sentence opened up a lot more venues for questioning . Xie Lian initially wanted to ask further, but it was late and the tide of sleep had been steadily dragging him under . Unable to hold on any longer, he fell into a deep sleep .

When Xie Lian woke up early next morning, the space next to him was empty .

He stumbled to his feet and walked in a dazed circle around Pu Qi Shrine . He opened the door, there was no one outside . It seems the youth has already left .

However, the fallen leaves had been neatly swept into a pile, with a small clay pot by the side . Xie Lian went and carried the pot back inside, placing it on top of the table for offerings . At this very moment, he suddenly felt something brushing against his chest .

Xie Lian felt around with one hand and found a long, thin chain hanging loosely beneath the cursed collar . He immediately slipped it off his neck and examined the silver chain .

Because it was so light and very finely made, he had been completely oblivious to to it before . And from the silver chain, hung a sparkling, translucent ring .