I misunderstood.”
Before he could bend over, Sanlang held him up and said, "No, no. It's just a small favor."
Looking up, Xie Lian felt slightly bewildered. He didn't know why, but he felt that while the man in red looked serious, a smile lingered in his eyes. He suspected he'd seen his entire mess and embarrassment, and felt a bit embarrassed.
It was strange to say; among his peers, Xie Lian was considered quite composed, yet the sight of this man had unnerved him, leaving him feeling uneasy. Sanlang, however, seemed oblivious to this, saying, "Now that it's resolved, I'll be leaving. Taoist Priest, see you later?"
Xie Lian subconsciously said, “Yeah, see you later.”
Sanlang waved his hand and turned away. Xie Lian couldn't help but follow him for a few steps.
Perhaps because he really didn't know where to go, or perhaps because he was completely confused, Sanlang turned around, and Xie Lian was startled. He finally came to his senses and quickly stopped, pretending to look away. However, it was too late.
A few chuckles came from the other side, and Xie Lian's earlobes turned red with embarrassment.
Gritting his teeth and looking over, Sanlang folded his arms and smiled, "I think we shouldn't wait until later. I think now is the time. What do you think? Taoist priest, are you willing to have a drink with me now?"
·
It is still the same magnificent restaurant.
The man in red, whom he had just met, was incredibly generous. He immediately filled the table with the best food and wine in the restaurant. It was surprisingly comparable to the imperial court's cuisine, and many of the dishes were so novel that Xie Lian had never seen them before. Hungrily, he ate until he realized Sanlang had been sitting across from him, his cheek resting on his hand, his eyes fixed on him. His gaze was as if he were treating him like a dish.
“…”
Xie Lian felt uneasy once again under this gaze. Making sure he hadn’t lost his composure over his eating habits due to hunger, he put down his chopsticks, coughed lightly, and said, “…Excuse me.”
Sanlang said, "Huh? What's so funny about this? Don't mind me. Please, please. Continue."
Then he took out the steamed bun that the two of them had been fighting over and began to eat it without changing his expression. Seeing this, Xie Lian became even more embarrassed.
He sat upright, looked at the white silk, and decided to get down to business. He said, "Why is this evil thing hiding on me? I didn't even notice its existence. It's like..." It was as if it had been hiding on him for a long time and he was used to it.
The white silk swam towards him, shaking its head and tail. If Sanlang hadn't held it firmly, it would have entangled him like a dumpling. It looked like... she liked him quite a bit.
San Lang used a chopstick to pin it down, preventing it from lunging at Xie Lian. He smiled and said, "It seems this evil creature has some very bad habits. It needs a good lesson."
Xie Lian said, “Rather than teaching it a lesson, let’s first investigate its origins.”
The two chatted for a while, discussing everything under the sun. Xie Lian, who had grown up in the Xianle Palace and later trained at the Imperial Monastery, had never met anyone so engaging and knowledgeable. His eyes lit up and his face lit up as he listened to Sanlang's words, almost forgetting all his worries. It took him a moment to remember that he was in the middle of a strange vortex. He said seriously, "Sanlang, can I ask you about someone?"
Sanlang threw the white silk onto the ground, somehow making it limp and unable to jump up, and asked, "Who?"
Xie Lian said, "It's like this. I'm looking for someone named Huacheng."
Hearing the name, Saburo raised an eyebrow.
He said, "Well. Can I ask, what do you want to do by looking for this person?"
Xie Lian said sincerely, “To be honest, I don’t know.”
Listening to Sanlang's tone, he guessed that he must know who Huacheng was, and added: "Maybe you think I'm hiding something from you, but it's true. I don't know what I can do by looking for him. When I woke up today, I found myself in a very strange situation."
He recounted the entire story in one breath, omitting only the embarrassing details. Finally, Xie Lian said, "So I think this person must be very important. If you know who he is, Sanlang, would you please tell me?"
Sanlang smiled and said, "Ah, it's not inconvenient at all. Taoist priest, we hit it off right away, so of course I have to help you. As for Huacheng..."
Xie Lian listened intently and asked, "How is it?"
Sanlang said, "He's a madman."
Xie Lian asked, “How crazy?”
Sanlang poured a glass of wine, held it in his hand, and said, "He is a believer."
"Whose followers?"
"Prince Xianle's."
“Cough cough cough——”
Xie Lian quickly swallowed a mouthful of tea before coughing it out. "Wait, wait. I—Xie Lian, the Prince of Xianle in my country—aren't even deified yet. Where do I get my followers from?"
Sanlang said nonchalantly, "He'll become a god sooner or later. Besides, gods are just like that. If you say he's a god, he's a god. If you say he's not, he's not. If he thinks he is, then that's it."
Xie Lian was both amused and annoyed, saying, "That's too casual!"
After a pause, he continued, "...But does he really believe that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will become a god?"
Sanlang said slowly: "It's not belief."
Then he smiled and said, "I firmly believe it."
Xie Lian also smiled, thinking to himself, "Then I will definitely not let this person down."
He also crossed his arms and said, "So, where can I meet this Hua Cheng?"
Sanlang said, "Master, do you really want to go see him?"
Xie Lian said, “Yes.”
Sanlang didn't seem to agree with his idea and said, "Huacheng is a very bad person."
Xie Lian frowned slightly and said, "Very bad? What's bad about it?"
He was reluctant to believe that a believer who firmly believed that he would become a god was a bad person. Sanlang said, "Well..."
At this moment, Xie Lian noticed something.
Before this, he had been very cautious and rarely looked directly at Saburo. Now that they had been together for a while and were somewhat familiar with each other, he relaxed a little and let his gaze go.
Saburo kept one hand on the railing, tapping it gently with his fingers. His five slender fingers were tied with a thin red thread on the third finger, like a bright knot of fate.
Xie Lian immediately recalled the chaotic scene upstairs when the singer sang: beneath the gauze curtain, two hands, fingers tightly intertwined.
The hand covering the upper part is tied with a red string like this.
248|The Prince's Wonderful Memory Drift 3
Xie Lian’s eyes suddenly widened.
He looked incredulous. Sanlang asked, "What's wrong?"
Xie Lian was speechless. The shame, anger, and sadness of being deceived and tricked rushed to his head, mixed with the heat of his blood. He slammed his palm on the table and said word by word through gritted teeth, "...So, it was, you!"
The tabletop couldn't withstand his blow, shattering instantly. Luckily, no one else was on the second floor of the tavern besides them, otherwise they would have been frightened and fled in panic. Xie Lian, unarmed, struck out with another palm strike. Sanlang remained seated in his chair, his head tilted slightly.
The palm strike pierced the wall behind him, sending rubble tumbling down. He remained motionless, folding his arms and raising his eyelids slightly. "Master, what do you mean by this?"
Xie Lian's face burned intensely, and it was unclear how red it had become. The joints of his other hand cracked as he angrily said, "You... stop pretending. You know exactly what you did to me."
Sanlang raised his eyes again and said, "Unfortunately, I really don't know what I did to you to make you so angry. Could you please explain?"
“…”
This man, with an innocent look on his face, actually let him speak for himself. How could he possibly say that? Talking about that kind of thing in broad daylight?! Xie Lian had never seen such a person before. He was so angry that his whole body was shaking from shoulder to toe. His face was getting redder and redder as he cursed incoherently, “Shut up! You… I’m going to beat you to death, you shameless… vulgar… despicable… you…”
Sanlang sighed and said, "Master, I never thought that my sincerity would be met with such a response from you. How shameless, despicable, and vile am I?"
Xie Lian finally managed to regain some composure and said, “Don’t try to deceive me again! The red string on your hand proves it. You are the one… the one…”
"Oh?" Sanlang raised his hand calmly and said, "What are you talking about? Is there something wrong with this red thread?"
Xie Lian felt as if he had been pricked by a sting when he saw the red line. He said, “I saw it. At that time, you… had this red line on your hand…”
Sanlang asked, "When?"
“…”
For a moment, Xie Lian really wanted to beat him to death.
It's awful to ask questions when you already know the answer!
But for some reason, no matter how angry he was, he couldn't move his hands. And it wasn't because he was restrained by the talent, it was because his own body wouldn't let him move!
At this moment, several people came running up the stairs, shouting, "What are you two doing? How can you just smash things up like that?"
Xie Lian turned around and said, “It’s dangerous here! You guys go first…” Unexpectedly, when he saw this, he was stunned again.
Those people all had a red string tied on their hands!
Xie Lian blurted out, “What’s with the red lines on your hands?”
One person said, "A red line? A red line is just a red line. What's so strange about it? It's not what's going on… it's not what's going on."
Xie Lian was confused. Could it be that tying red string on one's wrist was a common fashion trend here?
He turned around, and Sanlang seemed to see through his thoughts and said, "Master, your guess is correct. Tying a red string around the finger is the custom here. If you don't believe me, please look at the crowd below."
Xie Lian looked down at the restaurant. Sure enough, among the endless stream of people, many had red strings tied on their hands, some even with multiples. He asked, "What kind of custom is this?"
Sanlang smiled slightly and said, "Well, it's related to Hua Cheng."
"ah?"
"Because he and his beloved tied a red string together. So many people followed suit, hoping for marriage or expressing their love."
Xie Lian was stunned by what he heard. He said, “So… that Hua Cheng is actually quite a remarkable figure? So many people are keen to emulate him…”
Sanlang said, "It's amazing, it depends on who you're comparing yourself to. By the way, Taoist Priest, I think I dropped something on the ground. Can you let me pick it up and take a look?"
Xie Lian finally realized that he had been maintaining this attacking stance. It had been another misunderstanding. His anger completely subsided, and he quickly withdrew his hand, saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Sanlang. I really… I’m so sorry. I got impatient and misunderstood you again…”
Sanlang remained calm. He bent down to pick something up and said, "No problem. Taoist priest, is this something you dropped?"
He pulled out a gold leaf from the mess on the ground, likely something that had slipped from Xie Lian's sleeve when he attacked. Xie Lian was about to speak when San Lang held the leaf up to his eyes, squinted, and said, "Hey, this leaf looks vaguely familiar."
After saying this, he slowly took out something from his waist. It was also a gold leaf.
The two gold leaves are exactly the same!
Xie Lian blurted out, “So this is yours?”
Sanlang said, "Well, I did lose something, so I went back to look for it..."
Hearing this, Xie Lian was afraid he might misunderstand, so he hurriedly said, "Sanlang, let me explain."
Sanlang said, "Don't be nervous. I will naturally listen to your explanation, Taoist Priest."
Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief and said, “It’s like this. I just picked up this gold leaf on the road. I originally wanted to wait for the owner to come back and give it back, but I waited for over an hour and no one came looking. And I really…”
At this point, he felt a little ashamed, lowered his head, and whispered, "So... I took it upon myself to borrow a little. I wanted to go buy something to eat, that steamed bun... I was planning to return it many times over later, but no matter what, I ended up taking it without asking. Sorry."
Sanlang smiled and said, "Master, why are you so lame? Isn't this just human nature? Not to mention that I originally intended to invite you to drink, and didn't I end up eating that steamed bun? Don't take it to heart, it's such a small matter. Don't you think it's wonderful? It's a coincidence that the person who found my lost item is you, Master. This is truly a case of destiny meeting each other thousands of miles apart."
Xie Lian felt relieved at his understanding and said, “But, Sanlang, you have to be careful too. It fell so clearly on the road, and you didn’t even notice it. Don’t be so careless next time.”
At this time, the waiters who were cowering on the side said, "My two guests, are you calm now? If you are calm, let's settle the bill for the broken table!"
Xie Lian: “…”
In the past, he would have no problem paying any amount, but now, he couldn't even afford a steamed bun. Sanlang said, "It's okay. I'll take it all."
It was clearly he who had struck San Lang first, yet San Lang had offered to compensate him for the things he had broken. Xie Lian was so moved by his gentleness and thoughtfulness that he was speechless. His Adam's apple moved as he said, "You..."
The waiters, not knowing what was going on, cheerfully came over to help them move to a more luxurious table even after the shop had been vandalized. The two sat down again, and Xie Lian couldn't help but feel both guilty and grateful, feeling that no words could express it. Sanlang asked again with concern, "Master, from what you just said, it seems like there's something hidden. What's going on? Master, who did this to you?"
“…”
How could Xie Lian bring himself to say something like that? His face, which had just calmed down, flushed red again. He stammered, “…It’s nothing, nothing.”
Sanlang said, "If you don't mind, could you tell me a few things? I might be able to help you a little."
Although he had good intentions, Xie Lian was chased by him and had no way to escape. He was restless and said helplessly, "...It's really nothing. Sanlang, can you please stop asking..."
It's hard to say.
Since that was the case, Sanlang didn't force it and said, "Okay. Where were we just talking about? You want to see Huacheng, right?"
Xie Lian collected his thoughts and said seriously, "Yes. Does Sanlang know of a solution?"
Sanlang said, "Of course I know. However, Huacheng won't be around these days."
"Why?"
Sanlang used his chopsticks to arrange the vegetables on his plate into a large smiling face and said, "It's said that his loved one has been a little unwell these past few days, so he wants to keep her company. Otherwise, he's busy."
Xie Lian thought to himself, as expected, this Hua Cheng is a man of sentimental character, deeply devoted to love. He admired him even more and said, "I see. So, when can I finally meet him?"
"At most five days, at least three days. My suggestion, Taoist Priest, is not to be anxious. Before that, it's better to rest peacefully."
Just as Xie Lian was thinking about his lack of a place to stay, he heard Sanlang say, "If you, Taoist priest, don't have a place to stay, why don't you stay at my place for a while? My house is big, and there aren't many people living there anyway."
Xie Lian couldn't hold it in any longer and whispered, "Sanlang, you're so... so kind."
It was the first time he'd used such straightforward words to praise someone, and he felt a little embarrassed, but he couldn't think of anything more fitting. Hearing this, Sanlang seemed deeply moved, smiling broadly as he said, "It's no wonder we hit it off right away, Taoist Priest. Oh, and I have one more question, I forgot to ask, how old are you this year?"
Xie Lian said, “Seventeen.”
Sanlang said, "Ah, seventeen, that's younger than me."
Indeed, he looked about twenty years old. Sanlang said casually, "Then the Taoist priest should call me brother."
Xie Lian was a member of the royal family, the incomparably noble Crown Prince. He shouldn't have called others brothers; few could handle that. But this Sanlang really struck Xie Lian as a good person, and since he'd never addressed anyone as his brother, he found it quite novel and smiled, "So it's Brother Sanlang."
“…”
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but after he called out "Brother", the smile on Saburo's face suddenly became a little weird.
It was hard to describe. Sanlang's left eye seemed to suddenly catch fire, so intensely hot that Xie Lian felt his skin burning. He blinked and asked, "What's wrong?"
The terrifying heat faded in an instant, and Sanlang immediately returned to normal, smiling, "Nothing, just too happy. There's no one younger than me in my family, and I've never heard anyone call me that."
Xie Lian said, “If Sanlang doesn’t mind, then… I’ll call you that.”
Sanlang's eyes twinkled with laughter, but he still tried to refuse: "Oh, of course I definitely wouldn't mind. It depends on whether the Taoist priest minds or not."
Xie Lian said, “I don’t mind, of course I don’t mind. Brother Sanlang, shall we go back to your house now?”
·
Sanlang's residence was an extremely spacious and magnificent mansion. When Xie Lian entered, he felt that it was no less magnificent than some of the palaces in the Xianle Palace, which further convinced him that Sanlang was no ordinary man.
At night, lying alone in bed, Xie Lian tossed and turned.
He always felt like something was missing beside him, and he couldn't feel stable no matter how much he tossed and turned. Adding to his vague discomfort, lying on his back made his waist ache; turning over to lie on his stomach, he felt as if something was pressing on his back.
He drifted off into a daze, dreaming of many chaotic dreams. He tried to move, but was held down firmly. The voice whispered in his ear again, sometimes a man, sometimes a boy; sometimes calling him brother, brother, sometimes calling him Your Highness, telling him not to be afraid, Your Highness.
Extremely gentle, extremely evil, but also extremely precious.
He suddenly woke up, his clothes drenched in sweat. Xie Lian panted, clenched his fists, and angrily and helplessly hammered the bed, fingers threading through his damp hair. He thought to himself, "...When will I ever forget this? When I catch this shameless bastard, I'll definitely..."
At this moment, he noticed a set of clothes had been placed beside his pillow. Although it was also white, the style was what he liked. Xie Lian felt as if he had been pardoned and hurried to the back of the house to take a quick shower.
After taking off his clothes and soaking in the water, he suddenly found that he was wearing a thin silver chain around his neck.
At the end of the chain hung a crystal-clear ring. He had been wearing it for who knows how long, but he hadn't noticed it at all. He was even curious: "Do I have a pendant like this?"
This ring was so beautiful that he was almost mesmerized by it, but he did not lose his vigilance. Suddenly, he noticed a flash of silver light and shouted, "Who!"
He struck the water with one blow, sending splashes of water flying like steel balls, making the wall crackle. But what he knocked out wasn't a person, but... a knife?!
Xie Lian clutched the hard knife, bewildered. Suddenly, a silver thread on the handle parted, as if an eye had opened, its pupils swirling around. Xie Lian was even more startled.
What is this strange thing?!
The scimitar's blade was long and slender, as if it had life, and it lunged passionately towards him. Xie Lian was caught off guard by it, and he cried out in fear, shivering all over.
But perhaps because he didn't sense any murderous intent, he instinctively felt the scimitar wasn't dangerous. Besides struggling to push it away, he didn't want to do anything more brutal, like slap it into the air. At that moment, a red figure flashed by, snatched the scimitar away, and said grimly, "So you're here..."
Looking closely, Sanlang was already standing by the bathtub, holding the knife in his hand. Although he was still smiling, veins on his forehead were faintly bulging. He slapped the man's face very rudely and said, "Didn't I tell you not to come over now?"
Xie Lian asked, “Sanlang, is this knife your…magic weapon?”
Sanlang turned to him, the veins on his forehead instantly disappeared, and he was calm and composed again. He said, "You are just a useless thing, brother... brother, I am sorry to have embarrassed you."
Xie Lian, however, was filled with awe, his eyes sparkling. He grasped the hem of his red robe and said, “No, no, no, Brother Sanlang, you are truly amazing! You can actually create a magical weapon with its own spiritual consciousness!”
The knife had just been struck by Sanlang's palm, and it frowned in frustration. But when it heard Xie Lian's praise, its eyes rolled around in triumph, and it tried to sneak towards him. Sanlang ruthlessly struck it again.
This time, it refused to give in. With a thud, it fell to the ground, rolling back and forth like a child who had been hit by an adult and was crying loudly. Xie Lian could almost hear its wailing next to his ear. It felt a little distressing, so he quickly stood up and said, "Wait, Sanlang! Forget it, don't hit it. I think it was just being naughty and trying to show some good will. There's no need to be so harsh on it."
But as soon as he emerged from the water, he remembered that he was naked underwater. His face flushed inexplicably and he sank back down in embarrassment. However, Sanlang had already turned around very naturally and walked out.
Xie Lian hurried out of the water and changed into new clothes. The material of his underwear felt incredibly fine, finally no longer rubbing against his skin. He felt even more grateful. He left the house and arrived at the elegant reception hall. Sanlang was already waiting at the table of honor.
Somehow he had disciplined the knife, and now it sat obediently on Sanlang's waist. When it wasn't moving, it looked incredibly cold and stern, completely different from the way it had been rolling around on the ground just now. Seeing Xie Lian approach, Sanlang smiled and asked, "Are you up? Did you sleep well last night?"
Xie Lian answered truthfully, “I didn’t know why I kept dreaming the first half of the night… but I slept well the second half.”
Sanlang said, "I'm probably too tired."
The two chatted a few words and exchanged a few small discussions, and the day was almost over. They would probably continue to get along like this until Hua Cheng was free.
However, at night, Xie Lian lay alone in bed and had that restless dream again.
He was tossing and turning in his dream and couldn't bear it any longer. He woke up suddenly, sweating profusely. Angry and helpless, he had to get up and go out, wanting to walk a few laps to calm down, but suddenly he heard a sound coming from the other side of the room in the distance.
That was Sanlang's master's room. The room was well soundproofed, so the sound was very faint, but Xie Lian's five senses were sharp enough to detect it. He held his breath and concentrated, silently approaching the room.
Looking inside through the crack in the door, he saw Sanlang sitting on a seat in the middle of the room, holding a purple hair brush in his hand, seemingly writing. His expression was completely different from the cold and solemn one when he faced him. There was also a man in black clothes and a ghost face next to him, bending over and reporting in a low voice.
Somehow, the ghost-faced figure's presence was so subtle that one might have missed it if not paying attention. Just as Xie Lian was about to listen closely, the figure had already finished his report. He only caught fragments of something like, "That monster has been causing trouble for a long time," "I think they received a request for help and went to deal with it, and something unexpected happened," and "This is the direction they just discovered."
He was slowly combing his hair when he heard Sanlang say, "I have to accompany him now and can't get away. Bring that monster to me before tomorrow night."
The ghost-faced man whispered, "Yes. Do you want to spare its life?"
Sanlang put down his pen, glanced at what he had written, and seemed unsatisfied. He crumpled it up and threw it away. Then he said slowly, "Leave a few more bites for it to spit out, and then slowly crush its dog head."
The look and tone he used when he said this were chilling. Yet, Xie Lian surprisingly showed no signs of resentment or alarm. The ghost-faced figure responded by attempting to leave, but Xie Lian immediately dodged and hid.
Back in his room, Xie Lian couldn't sleep any more. He paced back and forth a few times, wondering, "Who the hell is Sanlang? What kind of monster is he talking about?"
It sounded as if something important had been swallowed by a monster that had been causing trouble for a long time. Sanlang was quite angry, but because he had to accompany him, he could not spare the time to smash the monster's head.
Thinking of this, Xie Lian felt deeply embarrassed. This Sanlang had truly treated him with the utmost sincerity.
Suddenly, an idea struck him: Why was he just sitting there like this? Since he couldn't see Huacheng for the time being, and he'd always wanted to do something for his good brother, Sanlang, why not help him capture that monster?
Xie Lian made up his mind and left a letter immediately, saying, "Don't worry, Brother Sanlang, I'll be back soon." Then he jumped up and quietly left this magnificent house.
249|The Prince's Wonderful Memory Drifting 4
The location the ghost-faced man had given was not complicated: it lay within a cave a few miles south of a certain mountain. Xie Lian was confident that ordinary people couldn't match his current speed, and he would definitely reach it faster than Sanlang's men.
Sure enough, an hour later, he arrived at that place, rushed into the mountain and started to destroy and beat things wildly, making the mandrills and night cats howl like ghosts and wolves. Finally, he found that cave in the mountain.
Although the monster was quite impressive, with three or four hundred minions guarding its gate, to Xie Lian, it was no different from just three or four minions guarding the gate. Initially, he was concerned about the enemy's strength and held back from any rash action. However, after patiently waiting near the cave for a while and listening to the minions' idle chatter, he realized that the monster had been having a rough time these past few days.
"...Yes, yes. The mountain master barely escaped from a wicked Taoist priest. He was scared half to death and returned injured. As soon as he got back, he abandoned his original cave and fled here in a panic."
"I see! I was wondering why they suddenly summoned everyone away. It turns out they were afraid of the Taoist priest's revenge!"
"There's no need to be afraid. The Taoist priest was bitten several times by the mountain master. Even if he could wake up now, he would definitely be confused and disoriented."
"How could I not be afraid? After all, the mountain master is a renowned demon who's hundreds of years old. It's said that the Taoist priest suddenly appeared out of nowhere and struck him with two palms, leaving his nose and eyes crooked. If the Taoist priest hadn't had some injuries that allowed him to take advantage and bite a few times, I'm afraid the mountain master wouldn't have been able to return."
"Oh my god, where did this wild Taoist priest come from who is so powerful!"
After hearing this, Xie Lian felt that it was enough, so he walked out calmly and greeted them gently, "Hello."
The little demon minions were startled and jumped up, shouting, "Who is it?"
"Where did this pretty boy come from?"
Xie Lian smiled faintly, not giving him time to explain, as he charged straight into the cave. He casually grabbed several and tossed them dozens of feet away. Even without any magical powers, he still frightened the minions into screaming, "What's wrong with this pretty boy?! He looks so gentle! Why is he so brutal!!!"
He walked into the cave unimpeded as if he was pulling out weeds. Xie Lian was prepared for a fierce battle with a well-known monster, but after entering, he saw a monster in human form rolling on the ground, holding its stomach and crying out in pain.
At first Xie Lian thought it was pretending, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't. Its belly was swollen, as if it had swallowed something powerful. So Xie Lian squatted down and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
The monster was probably in so much pain that it was losing its mind. The moment it saw Xie Lian, it screamed, "You've come just in time! You! I won't eat anymore! I don't dare eat anymore! Never again! I'll return what I swallowed to you! I can't digest it, I can't digest it!"
Xie Lian asked, “You’ve got the wrong person, haven’t you? You didn’t swallow anything from me, so what are you giving me back?”
The monster, however, rolled on the ground in agony, not even bothering to answer. Confused, Xie Lian casually drew a talisman and put it away first. Miraculously, as soon as the talisman was applied, the monster transformed into a chubby roly-poly doll, its belly even larger than the others, a truly comical sight. Xie Lian was amused and amazed, looking at the talisman he had drawn. He wondered how it had turned out like this. Had he made a mistake?
But that wasn't a big deal. This battle was incredibly easy. By the time Xie Lian emerged from the mountains, daybreak had arrived. He tucked the tumbler into his sleeve and hurried back to the city.
Xie Lian was elated, having finally done something for San Lang. He was already thinking about how he would show the monster he'd captured to San Lang. He warned himself that if San Lang showed surprise, he should remain reserved and avoid showing joy. After a night of running around, his legs and feet were a little tired, so Xie Lian found a stall to sit down and get a bowl of free tea.
As he was drinking, he suddenly heard someone shouting at him from behind: "Thank you!"
Xie Lian immediately put down the tea bowl.
Who was so audacious as to call him by his name in the street? Even among the royal family, few were so disrespectful. Everyone would call him "Your Highness" with trepidation and respect.
Looking back, he saw that the man was actually a civilian, carrying a large wooden box. He strode towards him and shouted, "Wait! Wait! You forgot Xie Lian! Take him with you!"
It turned out they weren't calling him, but someone else with the same name. Xie Lian was even more puzzled. Although he didn't care about avoiding taboos, he was still surprised that someone would dare to use the same name as him.
He immediately realized that the "Xie Lian" the man was talking about was not a human.
There was a man sitting near Xie Lian. The man holding the box walked over to the man and sat down next to him. He patted the box and said, "I've brought Xie Lian here. Remember to deliver it to the one you worship at home today! Don't be fooled by this. If you don't put these two together, you'll be in big trouble!"
"That's right. Of course I know..."
Xie Lian couldn’t help himself any longer and asked, “Excuse me…”
The two men turned to look at him. Xie Lian said, "Forgive me for being so intrusive. May I ask, what's in this box?"
The man said, "Didn't I tell you? It's Xie Lian inside."
Xie Lian was puzzled: "But... isn't Xie Lian His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
The two men seemed to find it funny and said, "No one said he wasn't the prince. He is. Look!" As they said that, they opened the box.
Xie Lian's eyes widened. The wooden box was actually a small shrine, and within it sat a dusty statue of a Taoist monk in white, wearing a bamboo hat.
He doesn't know him.
"..." Xie Lian was completely confused and asked, "Are you saying that this statue is Prince Xianle, Xie Lian?"
"What else?"
Others also gathered around him, partly because they were surprised by his strange behavior. "You are such a strange young man! You look like a Taoist priest, but how come you don't know such a simple thing?"
Half of them were looking at this "statue": "Wow! This shabby immortal statue is well carved! It's so depressing."
"Yeah, he looks so dejected, and at first glance he looks like he's going to be unlucky!"
"Okay, okay! The uglier it looks now, the better it will look once that person helps break it open. It will take at most eight days for the effect to show up."
“…”
Xie Lian was bewildered, “A tattered immortal? How did he become a tattered immortal again?”
Everyone said, "Master, you're really weird! Xie Lian is just a rag collector!"
“…”
Xie Lian wasn't someone who got angry easily, but at this moment he felt a little annoyed.
No one would be happy to hear someone mock him for being a rag collector. He stood up and said in a deep voice, "Do you have any grievances against the Xianle royal family? Even if you do, it's not very polite for you to insult the crown prince like this."
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, laughing at him, saying, "What are you talking about? Which country's etiquette is this in line with? The Xianle Kingdom was destroyed over eight hundred years ago!"
…
An hour later, Xie Lian was walking on the street, still somewhat dazed.
It was horrible. Everything he had just received was too horrible for him.
"How could Xianle Kingdom be destroyed? My father, the emperor, and my mother, the queen, are clearly still alive and well? And how could it be me who destroyed it? Did I lose the battle? Did I destroy the kingdom? Was I demoted twice? Did I become a rag collector?"
He questioned himself over and over again, telling himself again and again: Impossible. Impossible. Impossible!
He tried to convince himself: "This is not true at all. There must be someone behind this."
Yet, everything about it felt vaguely wrong: the strange accents, the strange attire, the strange architecture, the strange wind signals, and the strange affections. All of this told him that this wasn't a nightmare, and this wasn't some illusion. No demon or monster could create such a vast and realistic illusion.
It really has been eight hundred years.
How come eight hundred years have passed?
How come he became like this after eight hundred years?
The Xianle Kingdom was destroyed; his father, the emperor, and his mother, the queen, died; Feng Xin and Mu Qing ascended to heaven. He became a rag collector.
how so?
It can't be like this. It shouldn't be like this!
Xie Lian walked faster and faster, finally breaking into a run, as if an endless darkness was closing in behind him, ready to devour him. Suddenly, a red shadow flashed, and a tall figure stopped him in his tracks, saying, "Master, where have you been? It took me so long to find you."
It was Saburo.
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