Chapter 95
Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
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The capital city, the imperial palace.
“Empress, push harder!” “Keep pushing, Empress!” “You can do it, Empress! This birth will definitely be successful!”
…
The midwife’s voice came from behind the door, and palace maids came and went, carrying basin after basin of hot water.
In the great hall, a concealment spell was suspended in mid-air. Xu Shuangce, Yuchi Rui, and Changsun Chengfeng were hidden within the spell, each with an indescribable expression on their faces.
After a while, Yuchi Rui burst out, “…Is Xuan Jinghe trying to become the emperor?”
His question was met with silence.
“Not necessarily.” At this moment, Gong Wei, who had been wandering around the palace, came back excitedly to share the information he had just gathered. “Although the current emperor hasn’t chosen a Crown Prince yet, there are already seven illegitimate sons born before this. And what if this birth turns out to be a princess?”
Yuchi Rui could count the female cultivators he had interacted with in his lifetime on one hand. In his mind, he instantly pictured Xuan Jinghe’s shy expression and the scene of him arranging flowers in front of the mirror, and he was suddenly struck as if by lightning. “Impossible! Xuan Jinghe—”
Just then, a loud cry of a baby came from the inner hall, followed by the midwife’s shout:
“It’s out, it’s out!” “Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Empress!” “It’s a little princess!”
“…”
Yuchi Rui stood there dumbfounded, forgetting his words in an instant.
When the door of the inner hall opened, the imperial physician came out carrying a bundle of red cloth with a baby girl inside. The emperor stood up excitedly.
Xu Shuangce landed from mid-air and walked up to inspect the baby girl. At the same time, he coldly reprimanded Yuchi Rui, “Whether male or female, it doesn’t matter. What matters for cultivators is—” But he froze as soon as he saw the baby girl.
Yuchi Rui: “?” Gong Wei: “Xu Bai?”
“…”
Xu Shuangce finally turned around, revealing the bright red face of the crying baby girl. After a long pause, he said slowly, “This is Ying Kai.”
Snap!
Changsun Chengfeng’s hand loosened, and the red envelope he had just taken out fell to the ground.
The air fell into a deathly silence.
With only the emperor holding the baby girl, ecstatic, “Look at her sword-like eyebrows! And her high nose! She looks so much like me!”
“…Where’s Xuan Jinghe?” Gong Wei finally managed to speak after a long silence.
Just as he finished speaking, another cry came from the inner hall, and the midwife exclaimed, “There’s another one!” “Push harder, Empress!” “It’s coming, it’s coming!”
“Waaah—” The cry of a baby echoed again.
Shortly after, the door of the inner hall opened again, and the imperial physician came out once more, kneeling on the ground with trepidation as he reported, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. The Imperial Hospital failed to detect that the Empress was pregnant with twins. Now, a little prince has been born! Mother and child are both safe!”
Princess Ying Kai and Prince Xuan Jinghe, both wrapped in red embroidered gold swaddling clothes, cried loudly one after another, while the emperor stood by the empress’s bedside, tears of joy streaming down his face.
Changsun Chengfeng silently sealed the second red envelope, leaving it on the table in the outer hall when no one was looking, and walked away with complex emotions.
“Xuan Jinghe probably gave Ying Kai a push when he came out of the reincarnation pool, and they were reborn together.” On the way out of the capital city, Gong Wei took a detour to the Guiyuan and inquired about the situation from the duty judge. When he came back to report to everyone, he said, “Originally, only Princess Xuan Jinghe was supposed to be born, but Ying Kai temporarily took the place of this female fetus, and Xuan Jinghe was reborn as a male fetus.”
Gong Wei was surrounded by Xu Shuangce, so the four of them rode three divine swords total.
Yuchi Rui stood on the edge of the Rakshasa Tower Sword, his whole person turning into a lump of paste, his mind filled with the image of Ying Kai’s shy expression and yellow flower stuck in front of the mirror. After a long while, he asked tremblingly, “Do they have immortal affinity?”
Immortal affinity determines whether one can cultivate immortality in this life. Gong Wei sighed regretfully, “Neither of them does. Immortal affinity is not something easily obtained. Even Xuan Jinghe has to wait for another lifetime, and Ying Kai might have to wait even longer.”
Changsun Chengfeng said with difficulty, “Does that mean Alliance Leader Ying will… marry and have children?”
Everyone fell into silence, even Xu Shuangce only moved his lips, but no sound came out.
Only Gong Wei said confidently, “Not necessarily. Maybe she’ll knock down the previous seven princes, ascend to the throne as a female emperor, and collect male consorts in the harem?”
“…”
Yuchi Rui turned his head, his expression showing that he was ready to help Ying Kai in the palace struggle. “Is that possible?”
“Oh, no, it’s not.” Gong Wei smiled, particularly relaxed. “Ying Kai’s reincarnation is for redemption. She’s plagued by illness in almost every lifetime and doesn’t live to adulthood.”
There was silence all around.
Gong Wei finally realized what he had said in the eyes of everyone’s hesitation and asked Xu Shuangce sensitively, “Was my tone wrong just now?”
After years of studying in The butterfly dies and the dream is born , the “inhuman” aspects of Gong Wei’s character had become rare, but they still occasionally surfaced. Xu Shuangce glanced at him, brushed his windblown hair behind his ear, and didn’t answer directly, but said gently, “You have the best nature in this world. Therefore, you don’t need to mind others. Just follow your own heart.”
Gong Wei understood the answer in his heart.
“Ying Kai’s reincarnation is for redemption. Each life is plagued by illness and does not live to adulthood.” He turned around, his expression changing from gentle to serious, and repeated to Yuchi Rui and Changsun Chengfeng.
But after a pause, he couldn’t help but let out a happy expression again. “But I just calculated in the Guiyuan that as long as he reincarnates to the ninth life, his sins will be redeemed, and he can reincarnate as an immortal affinity fetus.”
Initially, Ying Kai used a dagger to cut out his own godhead to confuse the Ghost Crown Prince. He could have chosen a more peaceful and painless method, but he chose this bloody self-injury to achieve inner peace.
Unexpectedly, this action greatly shortened the time he needed to reincarnate and redeem his sins. Now, as long as he reincarnates nine times, he can clear his sins and regain immortal affinity.
Xu Shuangce took Gong Wei back to the Cangyang Sect. When they were about to part ways, Changsun Chengfeng hesitated for a long time before speaking up, “Master Mirror Immortal, there is still one thing I would like to ask of you.”
Gong Wei said, “Actually, I can’t be considered an immortal. I should be considered a spirit of the Heavenly Dao… but it doesn’t matter. What is it?”
Changsun Chengfeng asked earnestly, “Could you shorten the time it takes for Alliance Leader Ying to reincarnate each time, or think of a way to alleviate his pain from illnesses in each life?”
Gong Wei was stunned.
His black and white eyes widened slightly, he pondered for a moment, and unexpectedly shook his head, “Although I like Senior Brother very much, unfortunately, I cannot.”
Although Changsun Chengfeng was somewhat disappointed, he still listened respectfully.
“I can visit him every lifetime, but I won’t do anything to alleviate his punishment because those who were involved in the War of Annihilation were innocent. Although those people have been reincarnated, someone must remember the suffering that occurred.”
“Chengfeng, do you know what you mortals have taught me in The butterfly dies and the dream is born over the years?” Gong Wei’s robe fluttered behind him, his eyes solemn as he looked at the vast earth beneath his feet. “- Good and evil, life and death, are not simple additions and subtractions.”
Changsun Chengfeng’s heart suddenly stirred.
“So, just do good deeds without asking about the future.” Gong Wei turned to him with a smile, “Every deed done by all living beings will receive corresponding rewards in the future.”
***
On the day of the Ghost Festival, the long-prepared inauguration ceremony of the Alliance Leader finally took place in Tui’e.
All the Hundred Schools of the Xuanmen gathered on Dai Mountain, and countless fireworks were set off along the way.
The newly built Ascension Immortal Platform was a hundred zhang high, shrouded in mist. Gong Wei sat on the white jade platform, holding hands with Xu Shuangce, watching the distant stars and the lights of the world intermingling, whispering in Xu Shuangce’s ear, calculating their future adventures in the mortal world together, as well as how much money the Cangyang Sect still had, and planning to take the opportunity to visit the imperial palace and taste the imperial kitchen’s saliva chicken in the future. It wasn’t until midnight that he stopped his many wonderful plans, stood up, stretched his muscles, and smiled:
“It’s time to fulfill my promise.”
Xu Shuangce stood by his side, just “Hmm”ed, with a hint of tenderness in his eyes.
Gong Wei raised his hands, as if summoning something from heaven and earth. The gentle and powerful divine power spread layer by layer, filling the entire mortal realm.
Immediately afterwards, countless points of light rose from the mountains, rivers, and earth, converging into thousands of bright halos in the night sky. Then, the halos scattered and scattered, each trailing its own tail light, drifting towards the various immortal sects in the mortal realm.
Yanchuntai, Yejinmen, Cangyang Sect, Tui’s, Julu City, and even the Medical Sect Golden Ship high in the sky… All the cultivators raised their heads in unison, looking at the dazzling and dreamlike scene in the night sky, and someone couldn’t help but utter an incredulous voice first: “Is this… is this the return of souls?”
“Is it the souls of the dead from the underworld?!”
“Soul returning.” On the Ascension Immortal Platform, Gong Wei’s eyes reflected millions of stars as he smiled.
“When I ascended the Ascension Immortal Platform that day, I promised that those who died by my hand would receive blessings in their next lives. Now, not only have I bestowed blessings upon them, but I have also allowed each soul to reincarnate back to their respective families, so that blood ties may continue and past relationships may be renewed.”
In the distance, in the direction of Tui’e, Changsun Chengfeng arrived on his sword and landed on the Ascension Immortal Platform behind the two, walking slowly towards them, gazing in amazement at the thousands of bright souls heading to their respective homes.
Gong Wei didn’t turn around, but pointed towards the direction of Julu City and smiled, “Chengfeng, look, those eleven disciples lost by your Changsun family have all returned to their own families now.”
Changsun Chengfeng’s lips trembled slightly, and after a while, he raised his hand to touch his chest.
Only he knew that this place had once been pierced by a sword, but the fatal wound had healed, leaving no trace.
Because someone had silently died in his place.
“My…” Changsun Chengfeng seemed to have gathered the courage and asked tremblingly, “…what about my younger brother?”
Gong Wei remained silent for a moment, and Xu Shuangce also said nothing.
“Do you want him to live?” Gong Wei finally asked after a while.
The despair at the moment of being killed and possessed in the Butterfly’s Death and Dream’s Birth, the shock at being resurrected on the Ascension Immortal Platform in this world, the intricate and complicated grievances deep in the bloodline… Countless past events flashed through his mind like a fleeting moment, eventually turning into a vast blankness.
“I want him to live, but I don’t want to see him again.” Changsun Chengfeng finally spoke hoarsely.
“I am a selfish mortal, I just want to be buried with Bai Xian at the Taihu Lake near Julu City a hundred years later.”
The night sky had returned to silence, and the thousands of reincarnating souls had each returned to their respective homes, disappearing from the mortal realm.
“In this world, some things go as wished, while others don’t.” After a long time, Gong Wei sighed in the night breeze, neither agreeing nor refusing, just sighing, “Du Kaixun should have thought the same!”
At this moment, the divine light from the Rakshasa Tower descended from the sky, and Yuchi Rui came to the Ascension Immortal Platform from Tui’e, exuding a strong smell of alcohol but walking steadily.
He had clearly been toasted by many, but his steps were very steady, and his eyes were clear. “Have they all returned to their families?”
“More or less!” Gong Wei smiled, “The babies born in the various immortal sects in the future years will all be the disciples who died under the Ascension Immortal Platform originally, and they will be born with blessings, which will be helpful for cultivation.”
He breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had finally completed a major duty, “The karma here has finally come full circle!”
The reason why the Hundred Schools of the Xuanmen were so dedicated to building the Heavenly Path was ultimately due to their desire for ascension and the temptation of the Ghost Crown Prince. If they hadn’t obstructed Gong Wei, Gong Wei wouldn’t have been forced to ascend the Ascension Immortal Platform at the last moment, and those young disciples wouldn’t have died by his hand; the karma here was too complex to be summed up by who was right or wrong.
Gong Wei could have let go, but he still did his best to return every soul that died in battle to their respective families.
Yuchi Rui looked towards the direction of the Yejinmen and seemed a bit pleased, then said after a while, “They made something for you.”
Gong Wei didn’t hear clearly, “What?”
Changsun Chengfeng covered his forehead with one hand, feeling helpless, “As the Mirror Immortal has dedicated himself to the mortal world, the Hundred Schools of the Xuanmen are all grateful. Therefore, after consulting the opinion of the gods in the Eastern Heaven, a temple has been built for you, hoping you won’t find it too crude.”
Gong Wei looked back in astonishment at Xu Shuangce, “A temple?!”
Xu Shuangce covered Gong Wei’s surprised eyes with his hand, his voice carrying a subtle wave, like a hint of a smile, “Follow me.”
***
The group flew straight down from the Ascension Immortal Platform, and after half an hour, Gong Wei finally opened his eyes and found himself standing in a place that was both unfamiliar and familiar—the site of the former Punishment Hall.
The Punishment Hall was established by Ying Kai in The butterfly dies and the dream is born, and Gong Wei had lived there for several years and had many happy memories. However, in the present world, the Punishment Hall had never existed from beginning to end, so this place had always been a flat land by the mountains and water.
Now, an exquisite and gorgeous temple stood on this flat land, with three large characters on the main plaque, which Gong Wei recognized at a glance—it was written by Xu Shuangce—
Heaven Temple.
The Taoist temple had three entrances and three exits, entirely made of white jade and cyan gold, shining brilliantly like a forest of jade in the clouds, seeming like a fairyland under the reflection of countless stars. Gong Wei unconsciously opened his mouth slightly, then grabbed Xu Shuangce’s hand, his voice a bit unsteady:
“This… is for me?”
Before this, Changsun Chengfeng had previously represented all the sects of the immortal sects to inquire about Gong Wei’s opinion on building a temple, but Gong Wei had repeatedly declined. His reasoning at the time was: “People pray to gods and buddhas because they have desires, but I won’t fulfill their requests just because they offer sacrifices to me. Good and evil have their own consequences, and in the long run, people will find that praying to me is useless. Eventually, my influence will disappear, and my temple, no matter how splendid, will be abandoned. So it’s better not to build a temple from the beginning and instead save money to build bridges, pave roads, and provide medicine and porridge!”
At that time, Gong Wei really meant what he said from the bottom of his heart, so he thought that after he said those words, the Hundred Schools of the Xuanmen would shelve the matter of building the temple.
Who knew that Yuchi Rui and the others still built a Taoist temple, and even at the original site of the punishment hall!
“Xu Shuangce said that the Tao is formless, so there are no statues inside, nor are there cushions for people to kneel on.” Yuchi Rui, with a sword in his arms, stood at the entrance of the Taoist temple, honestly saying, “And it’s built on this mountain, so no one will come to worship you. The temple next door, the Eastern Heaven Temple, is much more prosperous, all for wealth.”
Xu Shuangce glanced at him lightly, and Yuchi Rui immediately shut his mouth.
“…How much money does this cost? It would be much better to use it for good deeds.” Gong Wei seemed to be oblivious to everything around him, still refusing verbally while pushing the gate open very honestly, but his actions contradicted his words. He pushed open the gate of the temple and his eyes tried hard to hide the excitement: “The various places of the Alliance need to be revitalized, and there are many independent sects… Is that a fox pattern carved on this pillar?”
Xu Shuangce replied calmly, “Yes. The fox symbolizes auspiciousness, taking the meaning of good fortune.”
Gong Wei’s joy couldn’t be contained anymore: “I have a temple!!”
Gong Wei rushed into the main hall of the Taoist temple, disappearing instantly.
Changsun Chengfeng smiled. Yuchi Rui shook his head. Although he didn’t understand where this joy came from, he couldn’t help but be curious, wanting to go in and take a look, “I haven’t been here since it was built…”
But the next moment, he found himself blocked in front.
Xu Shuangce waved his hand casually, and with an indifferent tone, said, “You two can leave.”
Saying that, he crossed the threshold without looking back, following Gong Wei.
Staying in place, Yuchi Rui, “…”
Changsun Chengfeng: “…”
Xu Shuangce walked through the long white jade path and arrived at the front of the main hall. He happened to see Gong Wei rushing back from the rear hall, almost bumping into him, but Xu Shuangce stopped him with a hand.
“Xu Bai, Xu Bai,” Gong Wei’s eyes sparkled with joy, his happiness evident in his words, “I have a temple!”
Xu Shuangce gazed at him, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, and nodded.
With both hands held by Xu Shuangce, Gong Wei couldn’t contain the excitement in his eyes. After a while, he suddenly remembered something and looked towards the main entrance, “Huh, where are Changsheng and Chengfeng?”
Xu Shuangce replied, “I let them go.”
Gong Wei was puzzled, “But I haven’t invited them in to take a look yet, why did they leave?”
Xu Shuangce said, “I’ve seen it, that’s enough.”
Gong Wei actually wanted to be alone with Xu Shuangce, but still had to politely feign concern: “Isn’t that not so good? After all, they’ve put in so much effort and money into building the temple…”
Xu Shuangce replied calmly, “It’s okay. I footed the bill.”
Gong Wei was suddenly taken aback, then burst into laughter.
“Xu Bai, Xu Bai,” Gong Wei shook the Cangyang Mountain God of Wealth, unable to contain his laughter, “Did you tell Changsheng and the others to build the Taoist temple for me? Is the layout of the main hall also your idea?”
―― There were no cushions, no shrines, nothing for people to worship in the Taoist temple. The center of the main hall should have been occupied by a deity, but at the moment, it was empty, with only a huge mercury mirror standing.
The affairs of the world, good or bad, have their own cycles. No matter who insists on worshiping the dao, in the end, they can only worship their true selves reflected in the mirror.
Xu Shuangce didn’t directly answer, but raised an eyebrow, implying that only he knew about it. Who else could it be?
Gong Wei suppressed his amusement and asked, “But I said I didn’t want to build a temple. How did you know that I actually liked it?”
Xu Shuangce hadn’t spoken yet when, with a distant “bang” from outside the window, fireworks once again soared into the night sky. The brilliance reflected on the handsome and upright profile of the Eastern Heavenly God, revealing a hint of unhidden affection in his eyes.
“I know all the words unspoken in your heart,” Xu Shuangce gazed at Gong Wei, calmly stating.
****
As midnight approached, the festivities at Tui’e were once again lit up by fireworks.
The dazzling tails shot into the night sky, bursting with a loud crack, casting a brilliant glow over the starry sea.
The Heaven Temple, built of white jade, shimmered with flowing colors. At the highest point of the cliff, Gong Wei’s robes and long hair fluttered in the wind, his immaculate profile shining brightly in the reflection. Suddenly noticing something, he pointed towards the horizon. “Xu Bai, isn’t that the Blood River Carriage?”
Indeed, Xu Shuangce had released Di Jiang, Bi Fang, Mie Meng, and Gu Diao without a cariage this time. The four divine birds circled around Mount Dai, their magnificent tail feathers trailing in splendid fireworks. This sight drew countless cultivators out of Tui’e, their exclamations of awe and admiration echoing in the air.
Standing side by side with Gong Wei, Xu Shuangce made a sound of acknowledgment, “For you to look.”
Gong Wei, who had never been stingy with his approval, exclaimed, “The fireworks and the dragons holding candles are very beautiful!”
As if understanding his praise, the four divine birds simultaneously let out melodious cries, echoing through the sky.
Gong Wei smiled as he watched the cultivators in the distance admiringly, then suddenly asked, “Xu Bai.”
“Hmm?”
“People are so eager to build a temple for me because they all like me now, right?”
Gong Wei still had some traits of a mirror, liking beautiful things, liking the colorful surroundings, and liking to see the love and kindness in people’s hearts. Xu Shuangce didn’t answer immediately but took his hand, gripping it tightly in his palm, and after a moment, said coldly, “They seem to like you a bit too much.”
Gong Wei burst into loud laughter, drowned out by the next round of fireworks.
“I like them too!” he raised his voice, “Qu Xie once said that in this world, only humans repay kindness with enmity, but only humans also remember their roots when drinking water; only humans kill their own kind, but only humans are willing to sacrifice for each other; the worst in the world is human, but the greatest kindness also comes from humans!”
Xu Shuangce did not respond verbally but held his hand tightly.
“I love this world.” As the fireworks dissipated, Gong Wei looked at the distant lights of ten thousand households and, after a moment of divine realization, said slowly, “When I was very young, I reflected whatever emotions were in people’s hearts, reflecting hatred when I saw hatred and joy when I saw kindness. Then, as I grew up, I finally realized one day that in addition to reflection, I also have emotions that are completely my own, strong and uncontrollable.”
“Because on that day, I met you.”
Gong Wei turned to look at Xu Shuangce, smiling, “The mirror reflects the same love to everything in the world, but Gong Wei gives the unique love to only Xu Bai.”
The divine birds darted through the fireworks, countless dots of light sprinkling upon the earth, reflected in Xu Shuangce’s gentle eyes. After a moment, he reached out, holding Gong Wei tightly in his arms.
As their lips met in a tangled breath, their mingled breaths were carried away by the wind, drifting towards the distant horizon.
“I’ve always loved you…”
“Because you are everything to me, my only miracle, unchanged for nine thousand years.”
A bright moon hung in the sky, the world below serene and peaceful, filled with auspicious signs.
Inexorable as a shooting star, a sword streaked across the sky, trailing a long aura as it rushed towards the heavenly realm. In the vast expanse of the sky, Gong Wei’s clear and smiling voice gradually faded away, “Xu Shuangce, can I move to the Eastern Heaven Temple after returning to the heavenly realm?”
“Yes.”
“Can I move tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Why not!”
“Move immediately tonight.”
“Why do we have to move tonight? Isn’t it too rushed? Xu Bai, why aren’t you answering me?”
……
The two figures, leaning on each other, disappeared behind the Heavenly Gate, as the gentle breeze descended from the clouds to the mortal world.
The Milky Way stretched far and wide, with golden wind and jade dew, and the night wind bloomed thousands of flowers.
The Taoist temple stood atop Mount Dai, with the lights below resembling a sea, casting a warm yellow glow over the thousands of households.
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