Chapter 4: “He didn’t want the phoenix, but wanted the pheasant?”
Hua Che held his breath.
He had a premonition: as long as he and Chu Binghuan met, creating an intersection between their lives, he wouldn’t be able to get rid of him for a lifetime!
In his past life, the meeting between Chu Binghuan and Hua Che had been an accident.
Back then, Hua Che had just set off for Shang Qing Immortal Sect. Because he wasn’t familiar with the way there, he found two brothers to ask for directions.
However, while those two brothers appeared like young, gentle scholars on the outside, they were actually swindling hooligans. When they saw Hua Che’s appearance, they immediately gave birth to immoral thoughts.
But Hua Che, thanks to his mother’s bad luck, mingled in the red-light district during his entire childhood. He had already seen people from all walks of life, so he was naturally able to see through the two brothers at first glance.
Hua Che decided he might as well beat these guys at their own game. He ended up swindling them until the two were running around in circles, cheating them out of their food, drink, and dwelling, until the two senior jianghu members were in unspeakable misery.
Ultimately, the two brothers belatedly became aware that they had been played with, and were about to use force. But just when Hua Che was ready to flee, he very coincidentally ran into Chu Binghuan’s embrace. The other youth had been just about to enter the hotel.
A chance encounter; a single glance that lasted a thousand years.
Since Hua Che didn’t intend to entangle with Chu Binghuan in this lifetime, it’ll be best if he could hide from him.
In any case, Chu Binghuan will worship Shang Qing Immortal Sect. In the future, on the great road into the sky, they will each walk their separate paths.
Hua Che held his breath and restricted his aura. He silently prayed in his heart ‘go away, go away, go away, go away, go away’.
Finally, Chu Binghuan walked into the distance.
Only after making sure he wouldn’t suddenly return did Hua Che release the teenager in relief.
Being stifled for so long, the youth’s face was extremely red. He gulped in big mouthfuls of air before asking, “Exactly who are you ah? What kind of a shameful thing did you do, for you to hide from Yuntian Shuijing’s Chu Binghuan like this?”
Hua Che rolled his eyes at him, “Does it have anything to do with you?”
The teenager: “Hey, you really want to talk to me like this? Do you know who I am? Do you know who my dad is?”
Hua Che shrugged his shoulders, “Nope, I don’t know.”
Extremely heroically, the teenager pointed at himself and said, “I, Mu Rongsa, am Feng Ming Valley’s Young Master. Know it now?”
Hearing this, Hua Che felt a bit surprised.
There was indeed someone like this in Feng Ming Valley—a hedonistic young master with a flamboyant personality. He was arrogant and despotic, relying on his father to tyrannize others outside.
However, this young master still had some courage and knowledge. During Hua Che’s past life, Mu Rongsa had participated in all those chaotic situations, and he had done his part in exterminating evil. While taking the lead, this young master had never retreated.
Unfortunately, his sense of existence was so weak, he hadn’t left an impression on the demonic lord at all.
Mu Rongsa urged, “I’ve even introduced myself. How about you?”
“Hua Che, Hua Qingkong.”
“Oh.” Mu Rongsa got to the heart of the matter and questioned again, “And your sect?”
“None.”
“What?”
“I have no sect?”
“How could that be possible?” Mu Rongsa didn’t believe him. “Then who taught you your cultivation? Don’t you dare tell me you comprehended it yourself. When did you start guiding spiritual energy into your body?”
Hua Che replied, “Now.”
Mu Rongsa: “Ah?”
Hua Che, “Just now.”
Mu Rongsa: “……”
The heavens knew, Mu Rongsa took a full three months to guide spiritual energy into his body, three months! Even just this, his dad would praise him everywhere about his outstanding talent!
Not possible, not possible! This was completely beyond reason!
Mu Rongsa suddenly made a move. Relying on instinct, Hua Che stretched out an arm to block him. Moving like thunder and wind, the two people exchanged two blows.
Mu Rongsa was shocked. “Damn, Foundation Establishment! If you finished f*cking Qi Condensation in a single night, that’s maybe reasonable, but how did you reach the peak of Foundation Establishment? This isn’t logical! Also, you’re merely a little Foundation Establishment cultivator, how did you win against that golden core fox spirit?”
Hua Che laughed in spite of himself. “Realms don’t determine everything. A Foundation Establishment cultivator can even beat a Nascent Soul until all their teeth fall out, do you believe it?”
Mu Rongsa didn’t even think before replying, “Don’t believe it!”
“If there’s a chance, I’ll let you experience it.” After saying this, Hua Che was ready to leave. However, Mu Rongsa immediately chased after him. “Brother, walk slowly. I don’t want that fox spirit’s core anymore. Let’s become friends?”
Hua Che smiled knowingly, “Becoming friends with someone like me, wouldn’t this wrong you, Young Master?”
Mu Rongsa feigned anger, “Look at what you’re saying! Am I, Mu Rongsa, that type of a shallow person? I just found you to my taste! In the future, if you encounter something troublesome, just report my name. This big brother will cover you ah!”
Hua Che said cooperatively, “Then I truly thank you.”
“We’re all brothers, what are you being polite for?”
As if they were very familiar with each other, Mu Rongsa reached out an arm and swung it around Hua Che’s shoulders. With this move, he suddenly realized that Hua Che didn’t merely look slender, his body was very frail in reality too.
But despite appearing delicate and too weak to stand up to the wind, his cultivation level was actually unreasonable.
Sure enough, you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover!
“Brother Hua, do you have any plans?”
Hua Che replied honestly, “Unaffiliated, casual cultivators have no one to rely on and have meager strength. Thus, I still think it’s best to find an immortal sect to depend on. However, there’s a lot of sects in the immortal realm, so I haven’t decided what’s the best place to go to yet.”
Mu Rongsa suggested sincerely, “Then of course you should go to Shang Qing Immortal Sect.”
Hua Che rejected bluntly, “Not there.”
Mu Rongsa didn’t ask why. He only smiled mischievously and said, “The best immortal sect in the world is good, but there’s too many rotten rules there. I don’t like them either. You have a feud with Chu Binghuan, so you naturally cannot go to Yuntian Shuijing. How about you come to my Feng Ming Valley? But hehe, truth to be told, brother, I have another good destination in mind. I was chasing after that fox-spirit precisely to use it during the worshipping ceremony.”
Hua Che’s eyes brightened, “Where?”
Mu Rongsa enthusiastically yelled the name, “Ling Xiao1 Temple.”
Hua Che: “Ah?”
Mu Rongsa: “You didn’t mishear me. My destination is precisely Ling Xiao Temple, the place where the Jade Emperor goes to court.”
Hua Che carefully thought it over. Perhaps, maybe, probably, truly……there was indeed a place like this.
Despite choosing a famous name that would shake the heavens and earth, the actual sect had been declining for many years. In the immortal realm, it was either of no interest to anyone when mentioned, or it was something people sneered at.
During the distinguished meetings of immortal sects; for example, worldly martial competitions or immortal beauty pageants, although they used to participate, Ling Xiao Temple would always get last place. Even during demon elimination campaigns, they were only capable of staying at the tail ends of armies, picking up the leftovers by the wayside and being completely unremarkable.
Gradually, to refrain from being a disgrace in the eyes of others, Ling Xiao Temple stopped attending these kinds of immortal way meetings. As such, the Sect began to decline even more.
According to the historical records of the immortal realm, the founder of Ling Xiao Temple had been an emperor.
In the imperial court of the mortal realm, everyone sought power and authority. Just to become the emperor, people would fight until their heads were broken and blood was flowing.
However, this guy wasn’t the same. The founder of Ling Xiao Temple hadn’t even sat on his imperial throne long enough to warm the seat before he took the initiative to abdicate. He cupped his hands and handed over a nation with a century’s foundation to his nephew, before happily running deep into the wilderness to open a sect.
The founder even shamelessly named his sect Ling Xiao Temple without feeling it was presumptuous at all. In fact, he even said that the old man Jade Emperor had been a king, but he had also been a king, so they were all on equal footing.
These bold, visionary words made everyone’s blood race. But unfortunately, the development of his sect wasn’t up to the people’s expectations. After a hundred years, the sect was still completely unknown.
If you mentioned the name Ling Xiao Temple, people would just think of the Ling Xiao Temple in the legends. Nobody knew this was actually an immortal sect in reality too.
That being said, with Mu Rongsa’s identity, why would he want to worship Ling Xiao Temple, this tiny Sect?
He didn’t want the phoenix, and instead wanted a pheasant?
As if he knew what Hua Che was thinking, Mu Rongsa took the initiative to explain, “The name Ling Xiao Temple sounds so assertive, it’s so much more amazing than my Feng Ming Valley. If I become Ling Xiao Temple’s master, doesn’t that mean I’ll become the Jade Emperor? Hahahaha!”
Hua Che: “……”
Alright, as long as you’re happy.
“Brother Hua, since you don’t have any plans, why not follow me to Ling Xiao Temple?” Mu Rongsa smiled and said, “Us men are all ambitious, who doesn’t want to accomplish great achievements? If I become the Sect Leader one day, I’ll make you one of my Elders!”
Ling Xiao Temple was obscure and unknown. It was actually possible for Hua Che to go there.
Thus, Hua Che beamed before saying, “Then I’ll need to trouble you, brother, to take care of me in the future!”
Mu Rongsa said in elation, “No problem, no problem at all!”
The children of powerful families didn’t always stay in their own family to study. In order to increase their experience, people would often send their children to other sects to cultivate.
For example, Chu Binghuan went to Shang Qing Immortal Sect.
As for this Young Master Mu Rongsa……if Feng Ming Valley’s master finds out his precious son didn’t go to Shang Qing Immortal Sect, and instead ran to a small, unregistered sect no one knew, he would definitely be angered into vomiting blood.
Every three hundred years, all the immortal sects simultaneously opened recruitment for new disciples. Talented teenagers from across the world would run to different sects to worship. Outstanding heroes would pop out from everywhere, making the world extremely lively.
Mu Rongsa was quite skilled at flying via sword. While Hua Che was carried by him, he was forced to hear him flaunt his sword.
He wasn’t just bragging either. Mu Rongsa’s sword was genuine goods at fair prices, extremely top quality.
After all, how could the majestic young master of Feng Ming Valley use scrap metal?
Mu Rongsa: “Guess what’s my sword’s name? I’ll give you a hint: Domineering Aura Side Leakage2.”
Hua Che reacted instantly, “Domineering Leakage?”
“F*ck you! It’s called Domineering Side!” Mu Rongsa yelled.
Hua Che laughed until his stomach ached.
Mu Rongsa: “Hey, do you have a spiritual weapon?”
Hua Che: “I guess you can say that.”
“What do you mean by ‘you guess’?”
“I have a black bamboo xiao,3 it used to be my mother’s. Originally, I thought it was just a normal instrument, but two days ago someone told me it was a spiritual weapon.”
Mu Rongsa asked with delight, “Your mother was a musical cultivator ah?”
Hua Che only laughed it off, not replying.
“Then what kind of cultivation method are you planning to learn?”
One will never end up in awkward silence when talking to Mu Rongsa, the chatting genius. He was always capable of finding a topic to get rid of the awkward atmosphere.
“Musical cultivator, sword cultivator, medical cultivator, spiritual beast master? After picking one, you can’t change it for your entire lifetime. Sword cultivators are known to be the strongest, why don’t you cultivate the sword path?”
There were many types of cultivators in the world. Other than medical cultivation and demonic beast cultivation, Hua Che had tried them all in his last life.
From childhood, he had learned the four arts with Hua Mei’er. Hua Mei’er had been best at music, so she had attached the most importance to music when instructing Hua Che.
Thus, when Hua Che had entered a sect to cultivate, musical cultivation was actually the most convenient choice for him.
Unfortunately, the sect that nurtured musical cultivators was Ye You Prefecture, and the sect Hua Che entered, Shang Qing Immortal Sect, comprised of sword cultivators.
Thus, Hua Che ended up studying the sword.
Hua Che agreed readily, “I was thinking the same too.”
“Great! But you need to first obtain a sword.” Mu Rongsa began sizing up Hua Che before he said, “My family’s hidden treasury has many top-quality swords. Let’s first go to Ling Xiao Temple and pass the disciple recruitment examination. Then, I’ll take you back to Feng Ming Valley, and you can pick any sword from our hidden treasury!”
Hua Che was very grateful for Mu Rongsa’s enthusiasm. However, compared to picking a new sword, he was more interested in his sword from his past life—Gentle Breeze.
Gentle Breeze followed him for a hundred years. Those fetters carved onto Hua Che’s soul, were they capable of resisting space and time to return to him once more?
He was Gentle Breeze’s destined owner. But Hua Che didn’t know if he could summon Gentle Breeze again with his current self.
Thinking of this, Hua Che became eager to give it a try.
Closing his eyes, Hua Che held his breath before he called “Gentle Breeze” in his heart.
Something was coming!
Hua Che felt overjoyed beyond his expectations. He immediately opened his eyes to welcome the sword that had been separated from him for so long.
But who would have expected—
The sword flying from afar wasn’t Gentle Breeze. Instead, the source emitting abundant spiritual energy was a different sword.
Hua Che recognized it with a single glance.
Hearing Spring Sword.
Hua Che felt like a mouse who just saw a cat. He grabbed Mu Rongsa’s shoulder and yelled, “Young Master, Young Master, quickly turn around!”
Mu Rongsa was completely incapable of reacting. In addition, that sword’s momentum had been extremely violent, almost like lightning. Carrying a certain person, Hearing Spring reached them in an instant, making it impossible for them to flee.
Hua Che’s breathing nearly stopped.
“……”
It was game over!
- This can be translated as “Spiritual Firmament”. In mythology, this is the Jade Emperor’s palace.
- This is an online saying that means someone acts domineering but have shortcomings (from the sides), meaning that they end up looking immature.
- A type of Chinese flute. For more information, check: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiao_(flute)
Ciao Ciao says:
Murong Sa sounds like a silly boy hahahaha–choosing such an unknown sect just so he could become the “Jade Emperor.”
And–is that Chu Binghuan who has arrived? How exciting!
Thanks for the update!
Sakhyu says:
Yup, that’s our ML! (finally)
lowtide says:
Thanks for translating!
Sakhyu says:
Thank you for the support!
Blood says:
finally the long-awaited meeting, I want to see his reaction when I see him accompanied, maybe he thinks it is his new love
Thanks for the update! (♡´▽`♡)♡
Sakhyu says:
I too, cannot believe I’ve translated nearly 15k charas but still haven’t gotten to their meeting, LOL.
Thank you for the support!
emiliers says:
Thanks for translating!
I also read ahead a bit, and, uh, doesn’t it say in chapter 7 that his surname is actually “Mu” and his given name is “Rongsa”? LOL.
林言忙起身，朝他恭恭敬敬的見禮：“慕容公子。”
慕容颯失笑：“什麼慕容，我姓慕。”
林言傻了：“啊？”
花澈：“姓慕，名容颯，字招搖。”
I was pretty surprised when I reached this point too, so here’s just a small fyi in case you haven’t read that bit yet. Sorry if I’m overstepping!
Sakhyu says:
Oh man, thanks for the reminder! I admit it’s been a while since I read this novel and I’ve forgotten this was the one where the author did a twist on the Murong surname hehe. You’ve saved me three chapters worth of find and replace, I really appreciate it LOL!