Jian Zhen was a little stunned upon hearing it at first. Only after clearly hearing Ye Jisheng’s words did he smile. “You’re planning to go?”
Ye Jisheng nodded lightly.
Jian Zhen asked, “Why are you suddenly willing to go?”
Ye Jisheng finished arranging his clothes, his movements unhurried, and said, “The people of the Three Realms all want this Venerable’s life. This Venerable refuses to let them have their way. Since you and the child don’t want to be Supreme of the Three Realms, then this Venerable can only continue being it.”
Jian Zhen smiled.
So full of himself, but this person just happened to have the qualifications to be.
Ye Jisheng said to him, “The South Sea is remote and isolated from the three clans. It is a hidden land. This trip will likely require staying for quite some time. Are you certain you want to go with this Venerable?”
Jian Zhen nodded. He said, “If you’re asking my thoughts, although that elder from the Immortal Clan wants to harm me now, and staying in the Demon Palace would be safer, I don’t want to stay here alone. It’s terribly boring.”
Ye Jisheng said, “You’re wrong. The safest place in this world is not the Demon Palace.”
Jian Zhen humbly asked, “Then where is it?”
Ye Jisheng looked entirely justified. “Naturally, by this Venerable’s side.”
Jian Zhen: “……”
There was no way to refute that.
If speaking of the most dangerous place under heaven, it was probably also by the Demon God’s side. But as the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place, so there was no need to struggle over it too much.
After all, Jian Zhen was a little grass who could settle wherever he found himself.
The two of them packed up a bit and were about to set off.
The High Priest was very happy upon learning the news. Before departure, he even said, “The South Sea lies beyond the four clans. It is a place where a hidden, isolated clan lives. If Your Excellency and the Honored Lord go there, I’m afraid you will need to conceal your identities and must not rashly expose yourselves.”
Ye Jisheng had little patience. With that indifferent look of his, it was unclear whether he had listened or not.
It was Jian Zhen who asked, “Priest, has anyone ever gone to the South Sea?”
The High Priest replied, “The South Sea clan is protected by the Heavenly Dao. The four clans have an unspoken rule not to disturb the peace of the South Sea clan. So even if someone has gone, none have publicized it.”
What a mysterious clan.
Jian Zhen could not help but grow curious about that mysterious group.
Ye Jisheng, however, remained very calm. He took Jian Zhen’s hand and said, “Let’s go.”
The High Priest knelt in salute and said, “May Your Excellency’s journey be smooth, and may your divine soul be restored soon to withstand the heavenly tribulation!”
Even after walking far away, Jian Zhen could still feel the High Priest’s burning gaze. The sense of presence was extraordinarily strong. If he hadn’t known the High Priest meant well, he might have fled in embarrassment.
The phoenix stood on a distant hillside.
After not seeing it for many days, Jian Zhen actually felt a bit of fondness.
The phoenix’s broad back was fluffy and wind-blocking. Sitting on it did not feel cold at all. At first, Jian Zhen looked at the scenery below, but after watching for a long time, he grew a little tired of it, withdrew his gaze, and fell asleep leaning in Ye Jisheng’s arms.
The High Priest had said before, the journey to the South Sea was long and far removed from the Three Realms and four clans; it would likely take quite some time.
But Jian Zhen had not expected it to take this long.
Midway, they even rested briefly in a forest. This was the northern forest of the Demon Clan. After Ye Jisheng brought him down to land, the phoenix ran off on its own to find food.
Ye Jisheng settled with Jian Zhen in a nearby part of the forest and conveniently caught a little yao monster passing by.
The little yao monster’s cultivation level was low and did not recognize the Demon God. It simply kept kowtowing. “Please, grandpa, spare this little one’s life!”
Jian Zhen sat on a decayed log not far away and felt his forehead ache just watching it.
The Demon God’s expression was indifferent. As one in a high position, he was already accustomed to such judgment. He said, “I ask you, how far is it from here to the South Sea?”
The little yao monster hurriedly said, “Not far. If there is a mount, it will take one more day to arrive.”
The Demon God said, “This is the border of the Demon Clan. What is an insignificant yao monster like you doing here?”
“Grandpa may not know.” The little yao monster knelt on the ground and said, “There is internal strife in the Yao Clan royal family. The Ninth Prince, using the matter of the Soul-Refining Grand Formation, discovered that people of the Immortal Clan were secretly supporting the Eldest Prince in collecting demon souls for cultivation. Now he has joined with several clan elders to force the Eldest Prince to step down. His Majesty the Yao King was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. Many small demons are fleeing to the border regions to save their lives.”
Jian Zhen and Ye Jisheng exchanged a glance.
If they remembered correctly, Yu was the Ninth Prince of the Demon Clan, and during the Soul-Refining Formation incident at Feiyun Valley, Yu had been among them.
Ye Jisheng said to the little demon, “Scram.”
The little demon felt as if granted amnesty, kowtowed and said, “Thank you, grandpa!”
Then it ran off swiftly as if flying.
Ye Jisheng withdrew his gaze and looked at Jian Zhen. “You need not concern yourself with the Yao Clan’s affairs. Let them bite each other like dogs.”
Jian Zhen was amused by the description. He said, “Yu…”
At the mention of this name, Ye Jisheng raised a brow. He sneered and looked at Jian Zhen. “He is far smarter than you think. The Demon Clan’s Eldest Prince colluded with the Immortal Clan to cultivate evil arts for many years. Why did the mission jade slip we obtained happen to be Feiyun Valley?”
Jian Zhen froze.
Only then did he belatedly realize, they might have been used.
Little Grass said, “So you already knew?”
Ye Jisheng withdrew his gaze. “In this world, people come and go for profit. A prince of the Yao Clan concealing his identity to stay by your side, you wouldn’t think someone would truly want nothing, purely because he’s kind?”
Jian Zhen: “……”
He really had thought so.
Ye Jisheng saw through what he was thinking and sneered.
Jian Zhen felt somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. “Then aren’t you also staying by my side!”
Ye Jisheng sat by the bonfire. The fire on the ground burned with red flames. He lifted his head, looked at Jian Zhen, and somewhat arrogantly was just about to speak: “This Venerable is the Supreme of the Demon Clan, possessing the Three Realms, ”
Jian Zhen interrupted him. “Right, now it’s not you accompanying me, but me accompanying you.”
Ye Jisheng glanced at him.
“Now I’m the one concealing my identity to stay by your side.” Jian Zhen quite seriously sorted out the logic. Little Grass clapped his hands smartly. “So you see, in this world there really are people who want nothing, who are simply good to you.”
A gust of wind blew over, the flames burned brighter, reflecting a rosy glow on their faces like the most dazzling light.
Ordinary people would be moved hearing this.
Lord Demon God glanced at him, his expression unreadable, and said slowly, “Even if you did want something, as long as you said it, this Venerable would consider giving it to you.”
Jian Zhen said, “Really?”
Ye Jisheng’s crimson eyes looked at him darkly. Finally, he curved his lips into his usual, somewhat hypocritical smile. His handsome face was dangerous and captivating. He said, “What do you want?”
Jian Zhen was sitting on the wooden stump, and said, “I want you to stop not taking your life seriously. I want you to properly treat your injuries. I want you to stop always getting hurt.”
The surroundings fell silent for a moment.
Ye Jisheng also seemed not to have expected him to say that. “Just that?”
Jian Zhen nodded. “Is that okay?”
Ye Jisheng’s profile flickered in the firelight, making it impossible to see his expression clearly. He said, “There are many wishes this Venerable can fulfill for you. You still have a chance to change your request.”
Jian Zhen was somewhat speechless. Little Grass glared at him. “Who said I want to change it? I’m not changing it. I just want you to properly repair your divine soul.”
The flames in the forest flickered, swaying in the wind.
Ye Jisheng’s red eyes fell upon him; that gaze was deep, giving one a spine-chilling feeling. But before Jian Zhen could think further, he saw Lord Demon God stand up.
The fire was extinguished.
Not far away, the sky slowly brightened.
Ye Jisheng said, “Let’s go, continue on the road. It’s damp here and not suitable to stay long. We’ll settle things once we reach the South Sea.”
Jian Zhen nodded. After the phoenix returned, he and Ye Jisheng mounted the phoenix together. From neither too near nor too far a distance, they could still see the little yao monster who had fled earlier upon seeing them; frightened, it turned and ran.
Ye Jisheng said, “See that? That is the normal reaction of the beings of the Three Realms after seeing this Venerable. I’m afraid only you are busy trying to make this Venerable live a little longer.”
Jian Zhen withdrew his gaze and said, “The beings fear you because they’ve never understood you. That little yao monster fears you now, but once he knows you would never kill the innocent indiscriminately, he won’t fear you next time.”
Ye Jisheng listened to his crooked reasoning and smiled faintly, somewhat unconcerned.
I’m afraid in these Three Realms there is only this one blade of grass who thinks that way. The reason he did not kill that little yao monster was entirely because the forest around was filled with demon beasts; even if he did not make a move, that little yao monster would not live long anyway.
The phoenix took flight.
The wind rose, but Jian Zhen, protected by Ye Jisheng, could not feel even a trace of it. Recently he had been rather sleepy; half the time on the road he was asleep. Ye Jisheng’s embrace was warm at all times, especially suitable for sleeping.
This sleep lasted until sunlight spilled across the earth.
The phoenix stopped halfway up a mountain. Ye Jisheng said to the person in his arms, “Awake?”
Jian Zhen nodded lightly. “Mm.”
Ye Jisheng said, “Just in time, we’ve arrived.”
Jian Zhen looked ahead. Not far away, the coastline stretched endlessly. On the other side of the mountain were cities and small villages spread everywhere. In the town, crowds came and went; it looked like a prosperous capital city. “This is the hidden clan of the South Sea?”
Ye Jisheng nodded. “Mm.”
Jian Zhen couldn’t see anything unusual and said to Ye Jisheng, “Then shall we go over?”
Ye Jisheng said calmly, “If you and I were to enter the city suddenly dressed like this, it would likely cause trouble.”
Jian Zhen saw that on the official road below the mountain, the people coming and going wore ordinary coarse cloth garments. As for him and Ye Jisheng, one wore a flowing jade brocade robe, the other a dark robe embroidered with gold, immortal in bearing, as if from two different worlds.
Ye Jisheng’s hand fell lightly on Jian Zhen’s head.
Jian Zhen felt his clothes sway abruptly; what he wore turned into an ordinary green cloth robe. Beside him, Ye Jisheng’s clothes also became a black long robe trimmed with white cloth, the golden crown on his head turned into an ordinary silver crown, and the jade hairpin on Jian Zhen’s head was replaced with a delicate little wooden one.
Ye Jisheng was rather satisfied and then said, “Let’s go.”
Jian Zhen somewhat marveled at Lord Demon God’s reliability.
As they came down the mountain, they happened to see an ox cart slowly approaching not far away. The old man driving the cart looked somewhat surprised to see the two of them; it was rare to see such a handsome young gentleman, as if carved from jade, especially the one beside him, even more imposing.
And yet, that young gentleman even waved and said proactively, “Uncle, where are you coming from? May I ask you for directions?”
The old man could not refuse such a well-behaved and adorable young gentleman. He swung the whip and stopped the ox cart. “I’m hauling goods back from Qishan and need to return to the city before dark. The authorities are restricting water now, this is to save some silver!”
Jian Zhen froze for a moment, hearing a somewhat familiar word.
Since coming to the cultivation world, he had constantly heard about spirit stones and the various great sects. It had already been a long time since he’d heard words like authorities and silver. This overwhelming sense of familiarity made a guess form in his heart, this so-called South Sea clan, the hidden lineage, the mysterious clan that could repair divine veins.
Could it be…
The human race?!!!!
Jian Zhen revealed a smile and said, “Uncle, what city is ahead? My husband and I lost our way and wanted to ask you for directions.”
Upon hearing this, the old man glanced at the man beside Jian Zhen. He hadn’t expected that this young gentleman was already married, and to the man beside him who looked not easy to provoke at all!!
Normally, the old man would stay as far away from such people as possible.
But helpless against Jian Zhen’s kind appearance, the old man relaxed and said cheerfully, “Ahead is our Muyu City. Judging by how you two are dressed, you’re not from the capital, are you? Our small city is remote; getting lost is normal. If you don’t mind, hop on and follow me into the city!”
Jian Zhen was overjoyed. “Many thanks, Uncle!”
As he spoke, he tugged Ye Jisheng’s hand.
Thus, a Demon God of the Three Realms and a little immortal grass spirit climbed onto the old man’s water cart, sat on the small stool inside, and swayed leisurely into the city. Ye Jisheng was already handsome to begin with; even after changing his appearance, his bearing was still noble and powerful, completely out of place with the ox cart. Fortunately, there were not many people on the road at dusk to notice.
Jian Zhen asked the old man, “Uncle, why are you still transporting water from outside the city?”
The old man drove the ox cart and said, “Oh my, our Muyu City has suddenly suffered a great drought this year. The river water has dropped, and well water is hard to draw. Now the people in the city are hoping for rain every day.”
Jian Zhen frowned. “How could this happen?”
The old man sighed. “In the past, although our Muyu City wasn’t wealthy, everyone had enough to eat and wear. But with this year’s drought, not a single grain was harvested. The townsfolk are preparing to offer sacrifices to Lord Rain Master to see if it will help.”
Before Jian Zhen could speak, Ye Jisheng let out a cold laugh.
Jian Zhen looked at him. The old man heard it too and asked, “Young master, why do you laugh?”
Ye Jisheng’s gaze was indifferent as he said calmly, “A great drought with no rain, plants failing to grow, this means disorder in the local land and celestial phenomena. If the remedy does not match the illness, what use is worship?”
The old man listened, utterly confused. “Young master, what do you mean by that?”
Afraid that the more Lord Demon God spoke the bigger the matter would become, Jian Zhen hurriedly laughed it off and said, “No, no, my husband just likes to brag when he has nothing to do. Uncle, don’t take it to heart!”
Only then did the old man withdraw his thoughts.
Ye Jisheng’s gaze fell on Jian Zhen, and he silently raised a brow, as if to say, brag?
Jian Zhen hurriedly pinched his hand in a placating manner.
Ye Jisheng did not look at him.
Jian Zhen quickly shook his arm; he was doing this for the greater plan, after all. They hadn’t yet found a way to repair the divine soul, he couldn’t very well startle the grass and alert the snake, only to be dragged out and treated as some kind of charlatan, could he!
The group finally arrived in the town.
This small town was indeed densely populated, with many shops, but the surrounding land was scorched yellow by the sun, truly a sign of long-lasting drought.
The old man took the initiative and said, “You two, will you be staying at an inn for a few days?”
Ye Jisheng said frankly, “We wish to live here for a long time.”
“I see.” The old man knew these two were likely from the capital, temporarily residing in a small town, so he said, “What a coincidence, there happens to be an empty residence in the east of the city. It belongs to Landlord Wang. I’m somewhat familiar with him. If you have enough silver, you can buy it and live there. The place is surrounded by green hills and clear waters, an excellent location!”
Just as Jian Zhen was about to worry whether they had any money,
Ye Jisheng took out a small luminous pearl from his sleeve and said to the old man, “Is this enough?”
The old man was nearly blinded by it. He had never seen such a crystal-clear, radiant pearl. “Enough, enough!”
Ye Jisheng said, “Take us to the residence.”
The old man tossed the ox cart at his own doorway and led the way without stopping, afraid that such a generous husband might change his mind, all the while chattering about how good the residence was.
After walking for quite some time, they finally arrived.
Jian Zhen looked at the residence gradually coming into view. It was spacious and comfortable. After entering, aside from the yard being barren of even a blade of grass, the various courtyards were all in good condition. He nodded in satisfaction.
Ye Jisheng said, “This one will do.”
The old man quickly said, “Then you two may settle here first. There’s an old steward in this residence, just tell him if you need anything. I’ll go speak with Landlord Wang.”
Jian Zhen nodded. “Many thanks.”
The old man was straightforward. “What’s there to thank? Our Muyu City is a small place, neighbors help each other out!”
Jian Zhen smiled. He quite liked this old man, especially the optimistic attitude these common folk maintained in the face of natural disasters and hardship. The human race seemed to possess this kind of strength wherever they were, ordinary yet resilient. No matter where they were, they had a toughness about them. When facing difficulties, they would twist tightly together into a single rope and, upon barren land, find the guiding light to carry on.
Ye Jisheng said, “Like it here?”
Only then did Jian Zhen withdraw his gaze. Standing beside him, he pursed his lips and smiled. “This so-called hidden clan is better than I imagined.”
Ye Jisheng said calmly, “Cut off from the Three Realms and Four Races. Though weak, they have their own methods of survival. A clever race.”
Jian Zhen: “……”
Why was this big shot so sharp in judging everything?
As the two were speaking, an elderly steward approached from not far away. “Are you the new masters of the estate? My apologies. I did not know you would arrive today and have made no preparations. There is not much stored water in the residence, perhaps only some coarse tea and plain rice…”
Jian Zhen hurriedly said, “No need, no need. We’ve already eaten before coming. There’s no need to prepare anything today.”
Only then did the old steward relax. “Then this old one will take you to the side rooms. They have always been kept clean. The two masters may rest directly.”
Jian Zhen said, “Thank you.”
Following the old steward along the way, they realized that water was truly scarce here.
After arriving at the side room, the old steward very carefully brought over a pot of water, treating it as if it were a chest of gold. “Masters, this is the remaining water in the residence. If you are thirsty at night, you may use it.”
The sight was truly heart-wrenching.
Seated in a chair, Ye Jisheng said indifferently, “When did the drought begin?”
The old steward froze and struggled to recall. “Th-this seems to have started a year ago.”
Ye Jisheng toyed with the water cup on the table. “On the way from the town just now, the Earth God Temple in your town, was it renovated?”
The old steward thought for a moment. “It seems it was renovated before the New Year. But later, when our town suffered this great drought, people went to worship the Earth God several times to pray for rain, but none came. After that, they gave up, and the temple gradually fell into neglect.”
Ye Jisheng did not explain further, only said, “Take this pot of water back. We do not like to use water at night.”
The old steward looked at them as if thinking how could this husband-and-husband pair be so extraordinary, but he did not dare disobey the masters’ words. At his age, being able to drink water naturally made him happy, so he carried the pot and left.
After the door closed, Jian Zhen said, “You already know the reason for the drought here?”
Ye Jisheng glanced at him sideways and smiled. “How do you know that this Venerable knows?”
Jian Zhen sat by the bedside and said, “You never like to say useless things. Just now you chatted with the steward for so long, you must have found the reason for the drought here and want to help them.”
Ye Jisheng’s gaze was indifferent. “This Venerable only came to find a way to repair the divine soul. What does their life or death have to do with me?”
Jian Zhen pouted. This god was being stubborn again, he clearly cared, otherwise why would he even pay attention to whether the Earth God Temple had been renovated?
Night gradually descended outside.
Jian Zhen said, “The High Priest once said that the hidden clan of the South Sea have been believers of the gods since ancient times. They may possess a method to repair the divine soul. But from my contact with them just now, they all seem to be ordinary people, not as if they know any such method.”
Ye Jisheng was unconcerned. “Since we’ve come, we’ll find it sooner or later.”
Jian Zhen nodded. There was no rushing it anyway, so he asked, “Why did you mention the Earth God Temple just now?”
Ye Jisheng said, “The location chosen for building this town’s Earth God temple was wrong. It happened to form a ‘sealed‑vein formation.’ This formation suppresses the power of the local Earth God. If no one breaks the formation, with this Earth God’s strength, it would take three to five years to break it on its own.”
Jianzhen quickly said, “Then the great drought happened because the Earth God was sealed, so the townspeople’s prayers were useless, and that temple became abandoned. But the more abandoned it is, the fewer people worship the Earth God, the weaker its power becomes, and the harder it is for it to break through.”
Ye Jisheng nodded lightly. “Mm.”
Jianzhen seemed thoughtful. “So that’s how it is.”
As they spoke, Little Grass began to think.
Just as the room fell silent, Jianzhen’s eyes lit up. Unable to suppress his excitement, he said, “I think I might know how to repair a divine soul!”
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