{"id":10068,"date":"2019-12-19T12:00:39","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T17:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/?p=10068"},"modified":"2020-01-09T01:56:05","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T06:56:05","slug":"pttp009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/pttp009\/","title":{"rendered":"Part-Time Taoist Priest 9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
<< Chapter 8<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Project Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Chapter 10 >><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

How To Deal With a Witch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Zhang Daoting thought that Xie Lingya was going to a gang fight, so he was relieved when he saw him take out the wooden sword. \u201cAre you going out for a ceremony? Should I stay behind to watch the temple?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, stay here. I will go alone,\u201d Xie Lingya took the Three Treasures Sword out of the box and headed out the back door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if Baoyang had more staff, he wouldn\u2019t bring Zhang Daoting. Zhang Daoting didn\u2019t have much skill and besides, Taihe\u2019s people would probably want to keep things low key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It had been a while since the shop owner came with the news. When Xie Lingya arrived at the scene, the ambulance was already there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya squeezed through the crowd and saw the medical staff lifting the old Taoist priest onto a stretcher. The priest\u2019s leg was deformed and blood was coming out from a big gash across his waist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you alright, Daozhang<\/em>?\u201d Xie Lingya asked the old man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The priest was conscious but rambling nonsense. The onlookers believed him to be a crazy old man who had somehow sneaked into the construction site and lost his footing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the haunted construction site where He Zun and his friends encountered a ghost previously. For some reason, the construction had stopped for the past several days. The old priest had fallen some time ago, yet the other priests from Taihe hadn\u2019t come to look for him\u2014it seemed like something was <\/strong>happening inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis person is a priest from Taihe Temple. Please call Taihe Temple later,\u201d said Xie Lingya to a nearby medical staff member, slipping away before the man could respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The sky gradually darkened as the sun set in the west.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya held the Three Treasure Sword as he sneaked into the site through a gap before the construction company reacted to the incident. They were building a large shopping mall here. The mall had been topped out some time ago and there were no workers inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walls and floor were still bare concrete, the interior work having been left for later. The lights weren\u2019t on because the work had stopped, leaving Xie Lingya in pitch black darkness as he moved further into the building..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Xie Lingya could hear no movements inside and the place was so large that he didn\u2019t know where to go. Then, an idea struck him. He set down the sword, took a small bag of cinnabar from his pocket and began to chant:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…Thee have no need for me to draw Thy sacred image,<\/em>
<\/em>As long as my heart follows Thy will.<\/em>
<\/em>I pray now for Thy advent,<\/em>
<\/em>For Thy holy light to fill this mortal shell!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He dipped his fingers into the cinnabar when he finished the incantation and drew a curved line between his eyebrows, shaped like the arabic numeral 2 but with a smoother curve. On the upper hook, he drew another circle in the centre, like an eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the Spirit Official Wang Urgent Invoking Incantation. It could be used during an emergency to ask Spirit Official Wang to take possession of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya only wanted to borrow a bit of the god\u2019s power, so he drew an \u2018eye\u2019 between his eyebrows. The statue of Spirit Official Wang had a third eye on the forehead, providing him perception beyond ordinary sight, and that was the power Xie Lingya needed right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally, not every priest was able to invite a god to possess their body, and even for those who could, they wouldn\u2019t succeed every time. However, Xie Lingya\u2019s situation was a little special\u2014in addition to his natural talent, he was also in the middle of restoring the god\u2019s statue… Logically, Spirit Official Wang shouldn\u2019t refuse his plea, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Xie Lingya moved his hands away from his eyes, he could see strands of yin <\/em>energy, some thick, some faint. The concentration of yin <\/em>energy in the construction site was a little higher than in other places, which made the feng shui here not good for the living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He found the switch and turned on the lights, then looked around in the dim glow. Noticing the yin <\/em>aura <\/strong>was particularly thick around one of the pillars, he dashed over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Xie Lingya rounded the pillar, he saw a short-haired man with his head lowered, standing alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man lifted his head, revealing a pale ashen face with blood streaming out of his orifices. His lifeless eyes stared straight at Xie Lingya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shocked, Xie Lingya took a step back: \u201cFuck!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAhhhh!!\u201d At the same time, the ghost let out a shriek of horror and started to tremble like a leaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201c……\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201cFuck, why are you<\/em> screaming?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ghost shook his head fervently, not daring to look at the vermillion third eye on Xie Lingya\u2019s forehead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a god of thunder and fire, Spirit Official Wang, who was <\/strong>tasked <\/strong>with exorcising evil, was extremely valiant and unyielding. The ghost was, but a forlorn wandering spirit. Naturally, he ran away and hid, terrified, when Xie Lingya suddenly started invoking the god\u2019s power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya had never interacted with a ghost before. Well, to be honest, he hadn\u2019t seen all that many ghosts until now. He raised his sword, prepared to exterminate the ghost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terror-stricken, the ghost frantically waved his hands, his spiritual body floating about uncontrollably. He was just a weak, lonely spirit, and it hadn\u2019t been long since he became a ghost. Communicating with words was impossible, the most he was able to do was make some noise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHuh? Wait… Aren\u2019t you that guy who accidentally fell to his death here some time ago?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ghost nodded. Xie Lingya thought this ghost was about as timid as He Zun, nothing even remotely close to the Guest Spirits in Uncle He\u2019s house, and it made him too embarrassed to exterminate him. \u201cHave you seen any Taoist priests around?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ghost pointed to the darkness deeper inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a rock to every scissor\u2014this ghost had scared He Zun before, but when he met Xie Lingya, it was his turn to be scared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGreat, then you can lead the way,\u201d Xie Lingya said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he had acquired the Divine Eye of Spirit Official, compared to the ghost who resided here everyday, he was not as familiar with the surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ghost quickly turned and went further inside. Xie Lingya didn\u2019t know if it was his imagination, but he thought he heard a faint whimper in the silent space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya followed the ghost into the depths of the construction site and climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. From the stairs landing, he could see the thick plumes of yin <\/em>energy drifting around. It emanated an unpleasant, damp and slimy feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, he heard human voices coming from behind a doorway. He recognized them\u2014they belonged to the Taihe priests he met earlier today. Eager, he walked towards the empty doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ghost floated in front of Xie Lingya a few times in panic, wanting to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo then,\u201d Xie Lingya waved him away. He adjusted his grip on the Three Treasures Sword and stepped through the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fourth floor was an empty, open space; moonlight shone through the windows, making the surroundings faintly discernible. The situation did not seem to be simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An old woman sat in the corner, muttering something unintelligible. An old man lay motionless on the floor beside her, his head in her arms. He was obviously dead. Around the two were seven jars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearby, Shi Changxuan was fending off five ghostly figures with a wooden sword in one hand and talisman in the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the timid ghost from before, these five figures were either red or green. It was said red and green spirits were malevolent, and the more intense the color, the more ferocious ghost was. The colors of the spirit forms of the five haunts were very vivid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan strained to hold back their attacks. Sharp shrieks of agony could be heard when the malevolent spirits came in contact with the talisman. Thanks to the Divine Eye of Spirit Official Wang, Xie Lingya could not only see the ghosts and yin <\/em>energy, but also the aura on Shi Changxuan\u2019s talisman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three other priests stood close by, two seeming to have gone mad\u2014their faces contorted into a sinister expression as they tried to attack Shi Changxuan. The third priest struggled to block them and they ended up fighting in a tangle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShi Daozhang<\/em>!\u201d Xie Lingya shouted and ran towards him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan cast a quick look at him and a flash of surprise crossed his expressionless face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By this time, the old woman also noticed Xie Lingya. Her lips moved faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u2014In an instant, the five ferocious spirits around Shi Changxuan paused, turned and rushed towards Xie Lingya instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201c……\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya almost couldn\u2019t brake in time. A quick emergency stop and a U-turn later, he was sprinting the other way, cursing loudly as he ran: \u201cFuck you and all your ancestors to the eighteenth generation!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he was here to help, they didn\u2019t need to ALL come after him, right?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya looked over his shoulder. The five malevolent spirits pursued him, close enough that he could see how repulsive their faces were and feel the gusts of chilly air coming from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan wasn\u2019t sitting on his hands either. After the spirits stopped attacking him, he went to help his colleague who was wrestling with the two possessed priests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As big as the mall was, it wasn\u2019t endless\/boundless. Xie Lingya suspected that the old priest who fell off the building had also been forced to the edge of the floor and fell off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya reached the empty windows. Suddenly, he whirled around, sword held horizontally in front, and shouted loudly: \u201cAll-encompassing Dao, heed my call!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pure energy burst forth from the Three Treasures Sword!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rampaging ghosts screamed as they were thrown back, injured by the sword\u2019s power. Burns appeared on their spirit forms, making them look even more ferocious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the second technique of the Three Treasures Sword: Sword of <\/strong>Frugality.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compassion births bravery while frugality births abundance. The Sword of Compassion was a single-target attack, though its power could spread to the close surrounding, like when Xie Lingya destroyed the seven Guests Ghosts with a single strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sword of Frugality, on the other hand, was the real AoE attack. In a situation where enemies were coming from all directions, like now, the Sword of Frugality was more suitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing as it was the first time Xie Lingya used the second technique, it was a bit awkward. He needed some time to prepare before he could release the technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, these malevolent spirits were clearly controlled by the old woman. And they were extremely ferocious\u2014even after being injured, they continued to obey her command and attack Xie Lingya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the other side, Shi Changxuan shouted,\u201cCome here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya held out his sword before himself to open a path and ran back towards Shi Changxuan while rummaging in his pocket with his other hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan pressed one of the possessed priests to the ground with one hand while the other two priests continued to wrestle with each other. Shi Changxuan bit his finger and used his blood to draw a symbol on the possessed priest\u2019s face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The possessed priest let out an ear-piercing shriek, fainting as a green ghost shot out of his body and hid in the jar in front of the old woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan got up, drew another bloody symbol on his sword, and struck the other possessed priest with it. Another malevolent spirit shot out of the man\u2019s body, but this one floated in the air and screeched at Shi Changxuan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The old woman cackled and in a raspy voice said, \u201cOut of talismans? But how much more blood can you use?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan\u2019s expression cooled. He pushed up his sleeves, revealing his bloodstained hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that moment, Xie Lingya, who was already close to them, finally managed to pull out what he\u2019d been searching for, and threw it out. Fifty or sixty Spirit Official Protection Talismans scattered in the air, fluttering and falling like snowflakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old woman: \u201c…………\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan: \u201c…………\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan was quick to react. He picked one up by the tip of his sword and, instantly recognizing what kind of talisman it was, he chanted: \u201cI bow to the gods, let the evil be banished!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The talisman flew towards the vengeful spirit, sticking to it as if glued. The spirit\u2019s body dissipated into a fog, rolling and undulating in the air, a face twisted in agony appearing now and then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind Shi Changxuan, Xie Lingya learned from his example and also used his sword to pick up the talismans and fling it at the ghosts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And he was much more open-handed\u2014unlike an ordinary Taoist who used talismans thriftily, he, with the pride of a wholesaler, stuck seven talismans on one spirit. Try moving <\/em>now!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only clear-minded Taihe priest had been fighting the possessed priests for a long time. Relieved to see the situation improve, he plopped down on the floor in exhaustion, eyes filled with gratitude as he looked at Xie Lingya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou little bastard!\u201d The old woman gnashed her teeth, fuming with rage at Xie Lingya who appeared out of nowhere. He seemed to be a Taoist practitioner but she couldn\u2019t identify his background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were many Taoist schools\u2014the main ones included Quanzhen<\/strong><\/a>, Zhengyi<\/strong><\/a>, Maoshan<\/strong><\/a>, and Lushan<\/strong><\/a>, not counting their respective branches. According to the founder and patriarchs, these branches further split into groups such as Zhengyang, Chunyang, Ziran, and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya worshipped Spirit Official Wang, a minority among minority. It was no surprise the old woman wasn\u2019t able to tell off the bat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya wasn\u2019t happy to be insulted. \u201cMe, a bastard? Then what are you, you old <\/strong>hag? Being dead is bad enough, yet you treat them as slaves and won\u2019t let them rest in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He knew the dead old man was most likely the one who cursed the money Uncle He picked up and  the one who fought with Abbot Chen Sansheng, but he had to pretend he didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard that a priest jumped off the building. I felt that something was off so I came to have a look,\u201d he said to Shi Changxuan and the other priest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany thanks to you, Mr. Xie.\u201d The Taihe priest sitting on the floor cupped his hands in front of him in gratitude<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too early to be happy.\u201d The old woman\u2019s eyes shone with malicious intent. She formed a complicated seal with her hands and started to chant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya\u2019s reacted instantly. He bent down, picked up a brick the construction workers left lying around, and flung it at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bang!<\/em> The old woman was caught off guard. She managed to dodge but the brick still grazed her face, scratching it hard enough for blood to appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya: \u201cEh? Those are some quick reflexes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan: \u201c……\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taihe priest: \u201c……\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya was bewildered. \u201cWhy are you looking at me like that? I couldn\u2019t let her finish chanting, could I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was profound knowledge, left behind by countless predecessors\u2019 bitter experiences: you should never let an enemy mage finish casting a big spell or you were done for. Unfortunately, Xie Lingya hadn\u2019t expected the old hag to still be so sprightly and have such quick reflexes. If the brick did hit her, wouldn\u2019t he \u2018solo the boss\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After having a brick thrown at her, the old woman was even more resentful. She wiped the blood off her face and onto the face of the old man\u2019s corpse on her lap. It was easy to see the action exhausted her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya saw the yin <\/em>energy around the corpse getting thicker and thicker when suddenly, it sat up. Its face rapidly decayed in several places, and a horrible stench began to emanate from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Taihe priest\u2019s expression changed, exclaiming in disgust, \u201cIs she completely mad? She even refined her own husband\u2019s corpse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya didn\u2019t have much knowledge on the subject, but judging from the priest\u2019s reaction, he figured that refining and animating the corpse was not good for the deceased\u2019s soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The old woman leaned against the wall, having no strength to speak. That last spell had consumed all her energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan\u2019s brows creased\u2014he hadn\u2019t thought she was this insane. \u201cSeal up this place,\u201d he whispered to Xie Lingya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, Xie Lingya had no idea what to do, but when he saw Shi Changxuan look at the talismans scattered on the floor, he understood immediately. He nodded, gathered all the sheets, and ran to the side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stuck the Spirit Official Protection Talismans on the doors and windows. This talisman was almost universal: it could drive out evil spirits, serve as protection, and even maintain health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, he had brought many talismans. This place was too big; it was probably meant to be a supermarket because the first floor was mostly an open space. One or two talismans wouldn\u2019t have been enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan and the Taihe priest were fighting off the <\/strong>animated corpse, while Xie Lingya was pasting the talismans everywhere. In the end, he was still short of a few, so he hurriedly took out the remaining cinnabar and began to draw the symbols on the walls with his fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This part of the floor still wasn\u2019t completely finished, and several window panes were still missing. When Xie Lingya turned to draw, he heard the Taihe priest shout, \u201cBe careful!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same moment, a gust of yin <\/em>energy came from behind. He whipped around, raising his sword to block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A green shadow rushing at Xie Lingya collided with the Three Treasures Sword and disappeared with a shriek. It was the vengeful spirit which had escaped by hiding in the Ghost-Nurturing Jar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affected by the force of the impact, Xie Lingya\u2019s body fell backward toward the empty window.  He thought, Shit!<\/em>, guessing he would accompany the old priest in the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But right then, he felt something push against his back, stopping him from falling out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stunned, Xie Lingya looked behind him\u2014it was the ghost from earlier who showed him the way that helped him.  He perched on the windowsill watching Xie Lingya timidly, his form less vivid than before due to the energy he had expended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you!\u201d Xie Lingya quickly finished up the symbols. Shi Changxuan and the priest were still locked in a stalemate with the animated corpse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The corpse was extremely strong. With one hand, it grabbed the Taihe priest\u2019s arm, its fingers sinking into it, leaving several bloody holes. The other hand held off Shi Changxuan\u2014his peachwood sword that was pressed against the corpse\u2019s waist couldn\u2019t advance further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya rushed over to help. He grabbed the corpse\u2019s neck, pulled it back, and stabbed it with the Three Treasures Sword. Despite it being just a wooden sword, it sunk deep into the corpse\u2019s back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The animated corpse roared in pain and let go of Shi Changxuan and the Taihe priest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hands freed, Shi Changxuan swung his sword around.Smooth as drifting clouds and flowing water<\/strong><\/a>, the sword pierced the corpse\u2019s waist all the way through, the tip emerging from the other side!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A vast amount of yin <\/em>energy escaped from the corpse\u2019s mouth. Losing all its previous strength, the corpse crumpled into a heap on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three men panted, catching their breath. The only sounds left were the anguished whimpers of the ferocious ghosts restrained by the talismans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The reinforcements of about a dozen priests from Taihe Temple finally arrived. Some helped the wounded, others cleaned up the corpses. The priest wounded by the animated corpse was drawing the poison out of the bloody claw holes that had turned black.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This priest was called Mao Zhengqing. He was a member of the management committee of Taihe Temple. To put it in more conventional terms, he was like an Elder in a martial arts sect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While using glutinous rice poultice to extract the poison, he repeatedly thanked Shi Changxuan and Xie Lingya. Shi Changxuan had been assisting them from the beginning, and if it wasn\u2019t for Xie Lingya\u2019s help, Shi Changxuan would\u2019ve likely hurt his vitality by drawing symbols with his blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking Xie Lingya was not aware of the inside story, Mao Zhengqing turned to Xie Lingya, \u201cThat old couple were \u2018shi niang,\u2019 witches. Do you know what they are?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya nodded\u2014\u2019Shi Niang\u2019 was the alternate name for \u2018Wu<\/strong><\/a>.\u2019 Among the folks, practitioners of Wu, no matter men or women, were all known as witches. They excelled in spells and summoning ghosts, but not all were like this couple, who cast curses for money. Many practiced folk medicine and helped people communicate with the spirits of their ancestors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey were the ones behind the curse on the money Mr. He picked up. They came from another province and had done many such dealings in Queshan. In order to make money, they\u2019ve already killed several people,\u201d Mao Zhengqing explained. \u201cWhen Shi Daozhang <\/em>broke the curse, the old man suffered a backlash. At that time, we sensed he hadn\u2019t been alone, and our search led us to this place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He omitted the part about Abbot Chen\u2019s failure in breaking the curse and getting injured instead. Xie Lingya didn\u2019t expose him, only sighed with emotion, \u201cI see, so it was like this. It seems the brick was the right move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mao Zhengqing: \u201c……\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be honest, the young man\u2019s generous use of talismans and excessive use of force left a deep impression on him. While these two young men both were good at talismans, in terms of behaviour, this youngster and Shi Daozhang <\/em>were on two different ends of the scale!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever Mao Zhengqing might\u2019ve thought, he kept his opinions to himself\u2014there was too much on his plate already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya seemed to not have noticed anything. After Mao Zhengqing walked away, he asked Shi Changxuan quietly, \u201cIs Master Chen alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan shook his head. After a momentary pause, he said, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xie Lingya waved his hand: \u201cNo need to thank me. When one sees injustice, he must draw his sabre and help!\u201d <\/strong>After saying that, he noticed Shi Changxuan staring at the sword in his hand and promptly corrected himself, \u201cHis sword, I meant his sword.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His pale and slender fingers, lustrous like jade in the moonlight, contrasted with the dark color of aged wood when he held the sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But looks were deceptive\u2014just now, the same hands decisively and skillfully wielded the sword and the talismans. Upon a closer look, some cinnabar remained on his fingertips, staining it vermillion, just like the vermillion on his forehead\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shi Changxuan\u2019s phoenix eyes rested on Xie Lingya\u2019s hands for a long moment before he looked away. \u201c…Thank you anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His intense, inexplicable gaze made Xie Lingya want to hide his hands. He forced out a dry laugh, \u201cHa ha, you\u2019re welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Author\u2019s Note:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Xie Lingya appeared on the scene:
Normal people: Damn him! Interrupting my cool moves again!
Shi Daozhang <\/em>: (All kinds of mysterious mental workings)<\/em> \u2026Thank you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Translator: Velvet
TL Checker : Eques<\/em>
Editor: Kiri<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
<< Chapter 8<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Project Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
Chapter 10 >><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[35,67,39],"class_list":["post-10068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pttp","tag-bl","tag-comedy","tag-modern"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10068"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10068\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10467,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10068\/revisions\/10467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/betwixtedbutterfly.com\/translations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}