Chapter 44

Chapter 44: The Tomb of Emperor Hui of Jin [12]

Translator: Xah

Editor: Ayish

Zhang Qiu looked at Pei Qing and said, “What Emperor Hui of Jin?”

Pei Qing might have hid something from them along the way, but it was about Su Wan Ting’s family, and he had made it clear. Zhang Qiu thought of Pei Qing’s appearance as if his life depended on it at the bottom of the cauldron just now. How could it be that Pei Qing suddenly was not Pei Qing?

From when they both met in the main tomb chamber, Pei Qing was never left alone. If Pei Qing was not Pei Qing, then what about Emperor Hui of Jin, when did it change?

Zhang Qiu was angry at the thought that the ghost Emperor Hui of Jin had robbed Pei Qing’s body unconsciously. After having experienced the struggle between life and death, Zhang Qiu thought of Pei Qing and Ling Dang as his friends.

“I don’t really know who I am.” Pei Qing’s eyes showed a bit of confusion. “When I just woke up, suddenly there was a fragment of other people’s memory in my head, and had been at the back of my mind for a very long time.”

Zhang Qiu choked, what he was supposed to question after he heard this tone of Pei Qing as if it was not Emperor Hui of Jin who robbed Pei Qing of his body.

“Your— Your Majesty?!” Ling Dang stammered in horror, his whole body frozen.

Pei Qing smiled when he saw Ling Dang like this and stuffed the borrowed Pixian Hui Wang’s bead close on Ling Dang’s chest. Ling Dang was so frightened that he couldn’t move. The palm on his chest was scorching hot that it could melt people.

However, Zhang Qiu totally felt that when Pei Qing gave the bead to the young Ling Dang, his hand seemed to be eating Ling Dang’s tofu. [T/N: taking advantage to grope a feel] (Editor: More CP!)

“What the hell is going on?” Zhang Qiu felt that if he did not speak out, Pei Qing’s hand would stretch down Ling Dang’s chest. Pei Qing originally displayed an upright straight soldier, how could he suddenly become a gay in the gay airs?

Li Shu glanced at Pei Qing and said, “When we separated from the underneath accompanying burial chamber, we were trapped in a place where we would return to the origin point after several times of walking around. Later, I realized that this was a huge magic array. Su WanTing herself was the array’s catalyst.”

Su WanTing had already come out, while Li Shu and Pixian Hui Wang had been trapped for a long time, but finally found the exit. Exactly under the pit was the main tomb chamber, which was the rear of this sacrificial ceremony in the middle. There were nine revolving Immortal Array Locks inside. The coffin in the middle was the body of Emperor Hui of Jin, but the body had already decayed and become a pile of white bones, just like in the General Tomb in Shandong.

Inside the General Tomb in Shandong lay Hua Ting, who was ordinary person being pressed within the magic array and tormented by premature dying of illness in all of his reincarnations. Theoretically speaking, Gou Wang’s venting anger on Hua Ting^[1] and thought to help send a secret message to Li Shu by intentionally made ordinary Hua Ting suffer like this, then was this tomb coincidental or not?

[1 Hua Ting with different pinyin of Ting]

Wasn’t it done by the people behind everything?

“Map.” Li Shu reminded, and in passing, he took out the wooden box. “It was found in the coffin of Emperor Hui of Jin Dynasty.”

Right, it was the map that brought them in, and yet there was a wooden box in the arms of Emperor Hui of Jin, which showed that this was not an accidental at all, but the planning of the people behind it.

Zhang Qiu was a little confused. Li Shu asked him, “Tell me about Emperor Hui of Jin.” They only knew Emperor Hui of Jin Dynasty from the inscriptions carved onto the monument, but Li Shu and Pixian Hui Wang were not clear at all about the important events of the past. After all, Emperor Hui of Jin was the emperor of Western Jin Dynasty.

“The most famous thing about this emperor is ‘why not eat meat?’^[2].” Zhang Qiu always liked to grasp an interesting point when he read records of history, such as this Emperor Hui of Jin. The history of the Western Jin Dynasty was chaotic, every kings built their own factions, among which was The War of the Eight Kings^[3]. “…. this Emperor Hui of Jin, Sima Zhong was comparatively pitiful. He was kept under house arrest all the time, and died soon after he was rescued. According to legend, Sima Yue, the king of the East Sea killed him by poisoning.”

[2 — there is no comprehensive understanding of things. Emperor Hui of Jin was mentally handicapped, so when there was a famine year and people had no food(rice) to eat, the emperor said “why not eat meat?” this has become a popular term for someone who can’t comprehend things]

[3 — during the Western Jin Dynasty (265-317 A. D.) when eight feudal lords rose and fought each other for control of the mentally deficient emperor.]

In consideration to Pei Qing, Zhang Qiu did not say that the head of Emperor Hui of Jin was a bit unwise, but ‘why not eat meat’ was enough explanation.

“I know what’s going on.” Pixian Hui Wang looked at Pei Qing. “It’s not that Emperor Hui of Jin wasn’t smart, rather it was lacking of soul’s spirit; a person with an incomplete soul. This magic array could not suppress him at all.”

“So Pei Qing is not an ordinary person.” Li Shu affirmed.

Zhang Qiu also thought that the tomb was very different from the General Tomb in Shandong. If the Tomb of the General was very casual and simple because the rank of the General was not high, then that meant that Emperor Hui of Jin had no real power at all. The burial objects in this tomb were ordinary, but the specifications were very large, and there was strange sacrificial area. How could it be said that it was not an ordinary Royal tomb?

“From ancient times, the higher the position, the easier to obtain immortal vein, especially the closer the time is, the greater the energy of the ancient inheritance.” Pixian Hui Wang’s words stopped here.

Zhang Qiu thought of his second brother’s Phoenix and looked at Pei Qing. Pei Qing bluntly said, “After waking up, besides the numerous fragments of vague memory, there is a powerful force pressuring in my body. It’s very painful”

“You are now awakening the immortal vein in your body; wait for the opportunity for it to burst out.” Li Shu hugged Zhang Qiu’s waist. “Talk about it again when we are up.”

“Wait a minute.” Pixian Hui Wang went to the place where Su WanTing’s body was. He carried it in one hand and went to the back. Zhang Qiu suddenly thought of that Jin LaoDa, who was terrified of the magic array when he was at the General Tomb. For this type of immortal thing, only throwing it into magic array would it not appeared before them again.

The tomb was full of stink and sweetness, but Zhang Qiu’s face was white and his sense of smell was degraded because of too much blood loss. The ground was full of the dead children, black and purple small limbs with big heads, looking like children over one year old. Who knew how many such things were stuffed into those hundred big jars, dust-laden for thousands of years.

Zhang Qiu could not smell it, but being in this kind of place, it was like hell on earth.

“What actually the people behind it want to do? This means are so cruel.” Zhang Qiu was angry. After Xiao Jiang was born, he experienced the parents’ love and treasure for their children.

Li Shu patted Zhang Qiu on the back, soothed Zhang Qiu’s mood, and said lightly, “What should be collected? Just now in the refining cauldron, maybe it was just to refine Pei Qing, just like Zhang Yushui’s Phoenix bead. As for the purpose —” Li Shu’s eyes turned cold. “It should be known soon.”

Ling Dang attached to the spirit bead, and Pei Qing kept it close to him. Then, they went out. Although Li Shu’s blood healed Zhang Qiu’s wound, but he had still bleeding too much. With soft legs, he almost fell, and then Li Shu half squatted down, “Get on.”

Zhang Qiu didn’t want to show off his ability either, so he obediently leaned forward and got on up his back. Xiao Jiang jumped around, as if he liked the environment here very much.

But Zhang Qiu’s head ached when he saw his son’s bare buttocks. His son seemed to be very happy running naked at anytime and anywhere.

When they went out, they met the two Liu brothers in the corridor. When the two saw them, they hugged each other and screamed like seeing ghosts. Zhang Qiu looked back unconsciously but saw nothing.

If it hadn’t been for Pei Qing and Pixian Hui Wang blocking them, the two men would have run away. Ling Dang came out of the bead and looked very white, but at least he wasn’t looking as his soul would fly away as before. He said to the Liu brothers, “His Majesty is here, you all still are not going to retreat immediately?”

Obviously, this was not said to the Liu brothers. Zhang Qiu freaked out and asked Ling Dang who he was talking to.

“They’re His Majesty’s funeral partners, and also the wandering souls, whom just wanted to eat Your Excellency moments ago, but Your Excellency had a very strong aura and frightened them.” Ling Dang didn’t say he failed to block them, but His Excellency had blocked them.

Zhang Qiu was laying on Li Shu’s back. When he heard Ling Dang said that, his brain was greatly enriched, he asked excitedly, “Little Ling Dang, my body’s aura is very strong, is it because I too have inherited immortal vein?”

Although the immortal vein coveted by the people behind it, but it sounded very awesome, as if it had removed the blocked Ren Du’s two meridian^[4].

[4 –part of the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and belong to the “eight extra-meridians” in the “TCM twelve meridians”.

Ling Dang very cautiously looked at Li Shu. “This maidservant doesn’t know, but your aura very much like this Excellency; very strong. No, this Excellency’s aura is even stronger.”

Even stronger was meant towards Li Shu. Zhang Qiu wondered, his and Li Shu’s aura were very similar, but Li Shu was a zongzi and he was a person, how could they be alike?

Pixian Hui Wang saw Zhang Qiu’s unreasonable expression and kindly reminded him, “You’ve got too much Li Shu’s stuff on you.” (Editor: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) so it’s the semens)

“What —” stuff! In an instant, Zhang Qiu got it. His white face due to blood loss almost turned red. He was angry. It was Li Shu’s. He thought he himself was awesome.

Little Jiangshi leaned his head sideways and looked blank. “Daddy, what stuff?”

Li Shu chuckled lightly, and the ashamed and embarrassed Zhang Qiu bit Li Shu on the shoulder, ground it down and said fiercely, “Don’t laugh.” To Xiao Jiang he said, “It’s nothing. Why are you little kid asked so many questions?”

Xiao Jiang’s round face choke up, not happy. He was already so big, but Daddy still said he was too small. Oh so angry!

When could he grow tall?!

The Liu brothers over there had recovered their minds. Xiao Liu looked well apart from the black eyes and spiritual impoverishment, the expression showed in his eyes seemingly sober and calm. He greeted them and asked Bald Head about the others. Bald Head just sneered and said nothing else. Da Liu appeared to be not quite in good condition. The top of his nose bridge connecting the eyebrows was black and his state of mind was still looked muddleheaded. His mouth incessantly said something.

Li Shu didn’t have time to deal with this. He took the lead while carrying Zhang Qiu. Xiao Jiang bounced ‘da da’ behind him, even talking in the air along the way. The frightened Da Liu shivered and followed closely with his head down.

Ling Dang had returned into bead once again.

After they went out, they went to the hospital directly. Pei Qing lost too much blood. Bald Head also looked like losing half his life; grounding his teeth to persist on taking breathes like staking all his life. They got to the hospital on the point of death; especially the most seriously injured Zhang Qiu. When the hospital examination came out, according to the amount of blood loss, he should have gotten into shock and died long ago. But strangely, with this size of the healing wound, it should not have caused this much of blood lost.

Without thinking the matter through, Zhang Qiu handled it casually. He could say that there was a thousand-year-old zongzi beside him. Wasn’t zongzi’s blood especially awesome?!

They stayed in the hospital for ten days, probably because of it was related to Li Shu’s blood, they recovered quickly. Only, Zhang Qiu’s body now developing cold, and he was easily afraid of cold. All of these were caused by excessive blood loss. He couldn’t make up for the blood for a while. He could only rely on full recuperation later.

Bald Head was discharged the earliest and especially came to Zhang Qiu’s ward to thank him.

“You saved my life, and when something comes up later, just say. I Bald Head absolutely won’t decline.” Bald Head put a note on the head of the bed and left after he finished saying.

Zhang Qiu took a look at it. There was a series of phone number and address on it. He never expected that Bald Head was from Inner Mongolia, but he and Bald Head should have no further communication. Besides, they did not need Bald Head to ‘muster large forces’ this way for the handy things. He tore the note and threw it into the garbage can.

It was the end of August in a flash and school was about to start. Zhang Qiu dared not delay the time and insisted on getting discharge from the hospital. Li Shu could not do anything about Zhang Qiu. Although he nodded his head, but the food and drink must be according to Li Shu’s arrangements.

Blood tonic food such as pork liver and such was all right. However, Zhang Qiu didn’t know what Li Shu thought; made him a series of soups for pregnant woman to produce breast milk and enriched the blood. Every day he drank a lot of soup. If he didn’t drink it, Li Shu had a hundred ways for him to drink it. He felt his chest swelled recently.

“Where did it swell? Let me see.” Li Shu’s eyes were flowing with crimson at the question.

Zhang Qiu, as if facing a great enemy, snorted, “I’m a sick man. You, don’t go too far ah!”

“I’m just taking a look, where’s your mind going?” Li Shu lightly retorted.

Zhang Qiu internally thought:  which appearance of yours that I haven’t known? Now you are playing the big-tailed wolf with me! No matter what he said, don’t give up; just don’t let Li Shu see it.

“Song Bao.”

It was the kind of alluring voice again. Zhang Qiu’s ears itched and his hands were hesitant. But Li Shu raised his hand and rubbed his head. He said lightly, “For your health’s sake, you’ll have another bowl of soup today.”

Damn it!!!

Zhang Qiu dared not speak up. When Li Shu brought the soup, Zhang Qiu beckoned to Xiao Jiang, who was lying at the side, playing softly. Little Jiangshi came over running ‘da da’ with his two short legs.  “My good sonny, Daddy has delicious food for you.”

Xiao Jiang, with his own smoke effect, shook his head and refused solemnly. “Big Daddy said that the soup could not be drunk by children.” [T/N: what is smoke effect? Ethereal?]

“You have already grown up, not a child anymore.” Zhang Qiu said this without conscience.

Xiao Jiang did not buy this at all. He showed his tiger’s teeth and childishly snorted. “Daddy, you said in the tomb that I’m still a child.” After that, he stared at Zhang Qiu very seriously. “Daddy, quickly drink. Once you’ve finished drinking, you’ll be as good as Xiao Jiang.”

Zhang Qiu:…

Did not know whether to say he was sweet and naive or cunning boy.

–

Zhang Qiu sadly boarded the plane. The family of three went to Beijing first. Pei Qing and Pixian Hui Wang both left early. Especially Pixian Hui Wang was in a very urgent mood. When he learned that Zhang Qiu was alright, he returned to Beijing overnight.

Xiao Jiang had grown big, so he did not need to be put it in the bag this time. When they waited for the plane, many young girls at the airport privately chatted and looked this way. Compared with Li Shu’s beauty, even Xiao Jiang could gain ticket to the uncle’s, aunt’s, grandpa’s and grandma’s heart.

Xiao Jiang wore an adorable big yellow duck T-shirt, short jeans and leather shoes, with natural-curling hair on top of the head. His normally keeping a straight face made him looked like a little adult. When speaking, he showed two tiger’s teeth. The contrast was too adorable. He also had smoke effect, with white skin, the kind of porcelain feeling.

Zhang Qiu heard more than once that the young girl privately chatted behind him, said that she had never seen such a beautiful child; the child was adorable, cute and elegantly indifferent, especially when the tiger’s teeth came out, he looked like a little vampire.

Are the girls’ eyes so poisonous nowadays?!

The grandpa and grandma were more concerned: Your child is really good-looking, it’s just that, hasn’t he slept well? How come the under the eyes are dark, children still needs enough sleep, so that the body can grow up…

Xiao Jiang was interested in the topic of growing up. He listened carefully with a serious-looking small face. He got all the methods of growing up, such as not picking food and sleeping more.

But Daddy didn’t let him suck blood. Truly distressful ah! (Editor: I see, so the panda eyes is because he doesn’t suck blood.)

When the plane landed in Beijing, Zhang Qiu was very tired. He really missed the Xiao Jiang who was packed in his bag before. His son being so popular was also not so good ah!

Li Shu held Xiao Jiang with Zhang Qiu walked beside him. As soon as they came out many girls went to surround them, which frightened Zhang Qiu. Then he heard the other person said that they were mistaken, not Xixi, but the long-haired man was really beautiful, the child in his arms was lovely and they looked like stars….

Zhang Qiu’s face cold. He had never been called a handsome man since he was with Li Shu. He also used to stand in the crowd as a small flash point.

Only heard a girl shouted ‘Xixi came’, thereupon the crowd that surrounded them went to rush forth. Li Shu’s face cold, with a hand around Zhang Qiu came out from the crowd. Behind them were the enthusiastic cries of the girls; Qi Xi or something.

This Qix Xi was supposed to be a star, but the name was special enough, Qi Xi [7 Up (soft drink)].

Zhang Qiu laughed ‘hee hee’ when he heard the croaking of fans behind him. “That’s a funny name!”

Out of the airport entrance, Pixian Hui Wang was waiting. Xiao Jiang twisted in Li Shu’s arms. Li Shu put him down. Xiao Jiang ran to Pixian Hui Wang and called Er-Ma.

Zhang Qiu saw that Pixian Hui Wang’s face was green, but he still smiled gently and pinched Xiao Jiang’s big face.

Xiao Jiang was a face-con like Zhang Qiu. He especially liked playing with Pixian Hui Wang. It was okay to love your loved ones. Pixian Hui Wang’s status was precious and he also had children before. But he was very dignified and never had a child been so close to him. At first, he was not used to it. Now slowly and unexpectedly he felt that this was the kinship between father and son.

But now he was wholeheartedly trying to resurrect Zhang Yushui. He might never have the chance to enjoy this father and son’s affection again in his life. However, Pixian Hui Wang had been depressed for these days. He did not feel regretful thousands of years ago, nor would he now. For him, the most important thing in his life was Zhang Yushui.

“Er-Sao, did you drive over here? When did you get your driver’s license?” Zhang Qiu remembered that Er-Sao’s car sickness was worse than his.

Pixian Hui Wang looked at the car and glanced away. Zhang Qiu walked in two steps and could hear the soft and crisp voice inside. It was Little Ling Dang.

“Let me see. It’s all right. Let me see what’s going on?”

“No—no, your maidservant is afraid of staining Your Majesty’s eyes.” Little Ling Dang seemed as if he was about to cry.

“Not at all. Call me by name, or how about you call me big brother?”

Zhang Qiu could feel Pei Qing’s intention of eating tofu through the glass window. Little Ling Dang was so small, yet Pei Qing had no shame to put his hands on him! Dong dong, he knocked on the window twice, and heard little Ling Dang with a crying voice said softly, “Your Majesty, Theirs Excellency are waiting outside for a long time. Maid—I’ll let big brother see it when we go back.” The last sentence was said pitifully.

“Okay Ling Dang, I’m doing this for your sake. You don’t have a reference, how do you know how long—” Pei Qing paused, as if to coax him. “Okay-okay-okay, I won’t say it. Don’t cry.”

After a while, Pei Qing showed his head out and laughed heartily and sincerely. “Ling Dang is too weak to bask in the sun outside.”

Right now, Zhang Qiu didn’t see Pei Qing, who used to be frank and honest. Now how did he think that Pei Qing has a black belly? Like Li Shu, he was a big-tailed wolf!

They got into the car and Ling Dang sat in the back, huddled in a pitiful sighing with red eyes, looking like he had just been bullied. Zhang Qiu internally scolded ‘beast’ and placated Ling Dang. “Don’t be afraid. If you are unwilling, you say it, we’ll all help you.”

“I—I will.” Ling Dang was also very happy to see Zhang Qiu. “I’m just afraid that I can’t do it well and make His—big brother worried about it.”

Zhang Qiu felt sorry for little Ling Dang; he was being bullied like this but still talked about Pei Qing. He was about to open his mouth to fight against Pei Qing, but saw little Ling Dang blushed and whispered, “I never thought I could become a man in my whole life, so—so I just don’t know how it feels, and has not been able to do well.”

What thing? (Editor: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) become a man, huh?)

Zhang Qiu’s head was in a fog. Pixian Hui Wang explained, “Ling Dang is castrated, but now he has become a ghost. It is reasonable to say that the ghost who practices austerities for thousands of years should be able to grow, but Ling Dang was castrated from an early age. Without this experience, he won’t be able to transform well.”

“So big brother helped me. Your Excellency, don’t get him wrong.” After all, Ling Dang was a eunuch; he was able to read people’s face. He was afraid that Zhang Qiu misunderstood Pei Qing and quickly explained, “I just have not been able to do well.”

Pei Qing, who was driving at the front, said, “It’s all right. You can look at mine to learn when we go back.”

Zhang Qiu:…

This fucking is seeking private interests by public interests; open and above board to eat tofu at others’ expense.  Little Ling Dang even showed a grateful face; Zhang Qiu did not even know what good to say.

As long as you guys are happy.

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