Chapter 4: Burning Together Since you are not afraid of death, then let's die together. ...
The deity has many different names. Because he is the earthly immortal of Huaicheng, he is revered as the guardian deity of Huaicheng, or simply Huaixian. On a regular basis, many residents call Song Xieqing the Immortal Supreme God. Even the more disrespectful ones... Fallen Immortals and Demon Gods are common.
Zhu Hao was not quite sure why the people in the city had such polarized views on Song Xieqing.
Although Zhe'erzhai is small, it is exquisitely renovated. The patterns on the tiles and bricks are all different. When you enter the outer gate, you will see green bamboos surrounding it. There are still ninety-nine steps to enter the main hall.
Zhu Hao was sweating profusely when she climbed to the top. The eaves were towering into the clouds, and the white jade poles reflected the sunlight, making her dizzy. She walked straight into the main hall. She crossed the high threshold and saw Song Xieqing's jade statue placed on the altar.
The candlelight was dim, and a long table was filled with fruits and snacks. There was only one temple like this in Huaicheng, and many people who called him the fallen immortal and demon god went to the temples in the neighboring cities to worship him. Therefore, Zhe'erzhai seemed quiet on weekdays.
Zhu Hao approached the statue, which was three feet tall. Because it was placed on the altar, she needed to look up to see it. Zhu Hao observed the crack across the forehead of the statue, which was exactly the hole she had smashed with the hydrangea that day.
"My Lord Immortal?" Zhu Hao tried to test him, but as she expected, no one answered her.
She refused to give up and called out again, "Song Xianjun?"
There was clearly no wind, but the candlelight on the long table could be heard flickering.
His reluctance to pay attention was within Zhu Hao's expectations. She hadn't come here to bet all her treasures on Song Xieqing. Zhe Erzhai and Huailing were on the same route, so if she couldn't see Song Xieqing, she could go to Huailing immediately.
Zhu Hao knelt on the cushion, clasped his hands together, and said devoutly, "I, the good man Zhu Hao, do not wish to disturb the Immortal Lord's sweet dreams, but I have encountered difficulties today. I...I wish to see the Immortal Lord."
Is it that he doesn't want to see her, or is it that this place is simply inaccessible to him?
…
Nine Heavens.
A small courtyard is surrounded by clouds and mist. This is a secluded place in heaven.
Song Xieqingfang took a bath. His black hair was wet and his inner clothes were loose. He wore a cedar spring shirt on the outside. The water vapor between his eyebrows made him look like a misty rain in the south of the Yangtze River.
He rested his head on the clouds, a white jade porcelain pot appeared in his hand, and he raised his head to drink.
Just as he took a sip, Song Xieqing glanced at Chi Xing, who was approaching slowly from the side. He asked lazily, "Why are you looking for me today?"
Chi Xing's eyes lit up, and instead of answering, he asked, "Why are you bathing in broad daylight for no reason?"
"For no reason? You have been stained by the dust of the world, so you need to cleanse yourself."
Chi Xing raised an eyebrow when he heard this. "You haven't been home with Qingjun for a long time. I thought you were lingering in your hometown. Was I worrying too much?"
Song Xieqing said nothing and drank quietly.
Seeing this, Chi Xing sighed deeply. Song Xieqing was always like this. He was usually taciturn towards him and the gods in heaven.
He wanted to improve his relationship with Song Xieqing. After all, Song Xieqing was still somewhat related to him by blood.
Chi Xing walked to the side of Song Xieqing. He made a gesture with his fingers in the void, and a wide mirror immediately appeared in the air.
Suddenly, a young girl appeared in the mirror. She was a believer in front of the statue, murmuring and praying.
"Did you know she was looking for you?"
"Um."
Just a short word, no further context.
Chi Xing then asked, "Are you taking Qingjun with you just to lie back and watch the show?"
Song Xieqing looked at him with amusement, his fingers holding the pot turning white from the force he exerted. "The marriage certificate has been signed, the divine prayers have been answered, I've already married her, isn't that enough?"
Chi Xing was momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment's reflection, he echoed Song Xieqing's words, "That's absolutely not what I meant... While it's true that there's a rift between you and her, you're no longer an ordinary person, and you should shun the mundane world."
God cannot deceive the world, otherwise he will definitely be punished by heaven.
Song Xieqing is a god transformed from a mortal. He receives incense from the human world, and his duties cannot be fooled. On the 22nd day of March in the human world, there is a parade of gods in Huaicheng. A little girl unexpectedly threw a ball of hydrangea into the arms of Song Xieqing's statue, thus triggering the divine prayer.
As a last resort, Song Xieqing had to come to the mortal world and marry her.
Chi Xing knew that he was extremely resistant, so she waited until the last day to show up and make a vow with her. Afterwards, she ignored the girl, as if Song Xieqing had never met her.
Song Xieqing was a man known for his tough exterior and soft heart. How could he truly be as unmoved as a rock? If he were as cold-hearted as he appeared, why would he have sacrificed his own life a hundred years ago to save the people from riots?
They were both silent. The mirror still reflected the scene of Zhe E Zhai. The girl suddenly approached the statue, raised her sleeve and gently wiped the statue's temples. She got closer and closer, looking in the direction of Song Xieqing and Chi Xing. She actually wanted to...
Song Xieqing frowned, his face showing displeasure, and his heart was filled with inexplicable restlessness. Although the jade statue was not his real body, it was indeed a resemblance to him. Moreover, the name was undoubtedly his.
Chi Xing was just about to see what Song Xieqing's expression was, but as soon as she turned around, he had disappeared.
…
Zhu Hao was about to leave, but a strong wind suddenly blew outside, blowing the dust onto the jade face of the statue. She had no choice but to stand on tiptoe and wipe it with the corner of her sleeve.
At such a close distance, she could see the crack on the statue's forehead very clearly. She used her fingers to measure the size of the crack, and it was about the same length as her finger.
Jade statues are inherently difficult to repair, and this jade, with its translucent, emerald green hue and barely visible flaws, is definitely not ordinary jade. The Zhe'erzhai followers seemed kind enough to accept only twenty taels of silver from the Zhu family, but it seemed they had no idea how to repair it.
When Zhu Hao thought of this, she couldn't help but move closer to the statue to carefully observe the direction of its cracks, completely unaware that her face was almost touching the statue's. Her breath brushed against the statue. Looking from behind, Zhu Hao's figure completely overlapped with the statue's, making it difficult to tell them apart.
Zhu Hao wanted to measure the width of the crack again, but before her fingertips moved there, someone patted the back of her head.
Zhu Hao jumped up on the spot, her anger soaring. She turned around suddenly, her eyes flashing with brilliance, and the anger in her chest also subsided rapidly in an instant.
"Immortal Lord!"
"What are you doing?"
Zhu Hao confessed, "I saw that the Immortal Lord's jade statue was covered in dust, so I wanted to wipe it off."
"Why do you have to be so close to wipe it?"
Zhu Hao was stunned to find that Song Xieqing's underwear was loose, and his muscles and bones were vaguely visible. His hair was wet and his Adam's apple was dripping with icy beads, just like a cool beauty emerging from the bath in a painting of ladies. Zhu Hao didn't dare to look closely and hastily turned her eyes away from him.
She suddenly had an epiphany and frantically explained, "Please don't misunderstand me, Immortal Lord. I wasn't blaspheming you. I... I saw the crack on your forehead and wanted to find a way to cover it, so... I came closer."
Without waiting for Song Xieqing to answer, she stammered, "My Lord, could you please... help me a little?"
Song Xieqing knew what she was asking for and said resolutely, "Madam Zhu, have you heard that life and death are determined by fate? Although I am not an ordinary person, my fate in this world is not something I can control. For everyone in this world, life and death are determined before reincarnation. If her fate is determined today, not only me, but also the gods in heaven may find it difficult to solve the problem. If her fate is not today, even if Madam Zhu turns a blind eye, she can still save her life. Do you understand?"
Sure enough, nothing she did could escape his eyes.
But Zhu Hao didn't understand. Why was life and death already predetermined? Why wasn't it in his own hands? Shouldn't life and death, wealth and poverty, be determined by himself? Shouldn't it be determined by his own creation?
Just because I'm a mortal, am I only fit to be a plaything of heaven?
She was utterly disgusted by this, but she remained obedient and respectful. "I understand, but I'm not asking you to save Fang Xuyin." She drew the dagger from her sleeve. "This item is very precious to Xuyin. If she were dying, it would bring her peace of mind. A few days ago, I lent her some copper coins, but now I can't make ends meet, so I'm going to ask her to return them. Besides, Xuyin's mother is left alone at home. We've known each other for a while, so I'd like to send my regards to her, perhaps to comfort her. But I don't know where she lives."
Song Xieqing chuckled lightly and scoffed, "Is that all?"
I wish you well and nod with sincerity in my eyes.
Since he is the guardian god of this city, naturally no one and nothing in Huaicheng can escape his eyes. There is no need for Zhu Hao to explain the reason, because Song Xieqing has already seen through the twists and turns.
Zhu Hao remained calm and spoke in a resounding voice, "I don't need the Immortal Lord to save her. Could you please tell me whether Xu Yin is in Xigao or Huailing?"
Song Xieqing did not answer this question, but said, "Madam Zhu, extend your hand."
Zhu Hao did as he was told, and suddenly several copper coins appeared in his empty palm. Zhu Hao counted them and found that there were exactly thirty coins.
"I will return you the same amount of the silver you gave her. The old mother of the Fang family lives two miles east of the city. Besides, the dagger comes from Rong Qiaotang. It is just a new item and is not rare." After he finished speaking, Song Xieqing turned around and was about to leave.
Zhu Hao suppressed her mixed emotions, and she didn't know where she got the courage from, but she raised her hand and pulled Song Xieqing's sleeve.
Song Xieqing glanced at her, his eyes slightly gloomy.
She knew she was overstepping her bounds and quickly let go. "I know it's pointless to try to beat around the bush with the Immortal Lord. I simply ask you to tell me where Fang Xuyin is. I don't need you to do anything more. If we're just talking about where we are, we're not really going against some so-called Heavenly Dao, are we?"
He wore a nonchalant smile and spoke in dialect for a while: "If I help you, what benefit can you give me?"
"Although I am a mortal, I do not think I am completely useless. If the Immortal Lord needs me in the future, I will definitely not retreat."
"Now that the marriage contract is concluded, Madam Zhu is no longer of any use to me."
"Not necessarily." She pulled out a marriage certificate from her bosom and raised it to her eyebrows. "A marriage certificate can be made or broken."
Song Xieqing leaned down to meet her eye level. "Very good. Life or death is the same to me, but I just learned that you are not afraid of life or death either. Well, in that case, you can tear up the marriage contract." He stepped over the high threshold without looking back. "As you wish, I will burn with Madam Zhu."
A few breaths passed, and Song Xieqing did not hear the sound of paper tearing. He only heard hurried footsteps behind him, and then a gust of wind blew his spring clothes. Song Xieqing caught a glimpse of the girl in red chasing him.
Zhu Hao held the marriage certificate in her arms and strode downstairs. Her steps were still pounding as she panted, "I hope you will forgive me. I may have offended you just now. Since you don't want to tell me, you must have your own opinions. I really can't use the marriage certificate to force you to obey me. I will also find a way to return the house you lent me temporarily as soon as possible. I hope you won't accept it..."
The rest of her words were replaced by vague shouts and sobs. When Zhu Hao reached the 62nd step, her foot twisted and she felt dizzy and her skin and bones tingled. In the midst of dizziness, she tried her best to grab the edge of the step to prevent herself from rolling down.
The copper coins were scattered all over the floor. She had no time to pick them up and had to climb up the stairs with her dizzy and swollen head.
I wish you to stumble and stagger with every step, and have unsteady feet.
He asked, "Where are you going?"
Maybe she was unable to answer or she didn't hear it at all, but Song Xieqing waited for a long time for Zhu Hao's response.
Song Xieqing teleported to the end of the stairs, and Zhu Hao crashed into his arms. The blood oozing from her forehead dyed his cedar gown red.
He felt resentful and took a few steps back before saying, "Do you know Ningtangfang? Buy some sweets and fruits and place them on the altar in this hall. Then burn incense and offer sacrifices to me. I will tell you where she is."
After she finished speaking, the copper coins scattered on the steps gathered together in an instant and then landed neatly in front of her.
Zhu Hao raised his head and said, "My Lord, Xu Yin's time is running out. I can't afford to gamble."
She now saw clearly that he was indeed an evil god and fallen immortal! What if he was just trying to bluff her? After all, he had just been saying that life and death were determined by fate.
The woman before him barely reached his shoulders. She hadn't taken off her wedding dress from the previous night, her face powder was smudged, and her hair was even more disheveled. The sun was at its peak, her eyes full of brightness, but a red tint lingered at the corners of her eyes. She had a bruise on her forehead, thick blood streaming down. She held her breath, fighting back tears. Though she was only mortal, she possessed a proud spirit that could not be broken.
Song Xieqing was furious with her and sarcastically said, "Madam Zhu is so capable, how could she be more knowledgeable than me?"
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