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Aww Ah Zhuo and Shangguan Qihua are so cute together lmao~ I really love the way the author tells their story. It feels slow, but so many things happen in this part. I think the slow feeling makes everything feel so much more memorable. Shangguan Qihua is so adorable and Ah Zhuo is just a little devil haha.
Chapter 1.1: Looking for her in the Crowd
The sixth month of the eighth year of Emperor Wuzong's reign. At the foot of Camel Peak, at a tea stall along the post road.
An old man selling tea greeted a man with a bamboo hat who had sat down. He poured him a large cup of tea, before engaging the man in conversation, "Lad, you must be tired after travelling a long distance. Would you like to order some food?"
"No need."
The man's voice was a little hoa.r.s.e, it sounded like he had not spoken in a long time. Of course, while alone on the road, what need did he have to talk? At this moment, the old man's train of thought was directed towards that of his own son who had gone off to find work. And having touched upon this bitter topic, his heart could not help but become wistful, "Lad, are you about to cross the Hundred Li Slope in front of us?" "Oh." Being caught quite off guard, the man's response was delayed. It seemed as if this lad was usually inept at socializing. "Seeing that you appear to be a jianghu wanderer, have you heard of the Shangguan Qihua who eliminated the leader of the Demonic Sect?" The man paused for a brief moment, but only responded with an indifferent sound, not speaking a word about his own ident.i.ty. Shangguan Qihua's reply was cold, but the old man's talkative spirit was not defeated. Very few people ever pa.s.sed through this place, and of those people only few had the conviction and temperament to listen to his story. However, upon meeting such a reticent individual, he was determined to tell him everything, regardless of whether or not the man was willing to listen. “Sigh. Did you know that back then, this Shangguan Qihua had only been the young doorkeeper of a small sect known as the Transient Sifting Sect? That sect was located on Camel Peak, so when the Demonic Sect initiated their large-scale invasion plan on the wulin in the Central Plains, this Transient Sifting Sect was unable to escape the catastrophe that was awaiting them. However, fortunately, two devoted subordinates of the doorkeepers saved their little doorkeeper before escaping into the Hundred Li Slope, which you see right before you.” Were they really his devoted subordinates…? Shanguan still remembered Ah Zhuo glaring at him, whilst his torso and lower half were buried in the dirt, as she said, “Tsk tsk, look at your two pig-like subordinates! Their master has still yet to die, but they’ve already buried him . But it’s okay, this is exactly what I need. Just stay in the dirt and fulfill your role as my fertilizer!” Shangguan was unable to recall anymore of this as the old man had resumed speaking, “Apparently, this Shangguan Qihua had met a celestial being in the Hundred Li Slope, which caused him to stay inside for a whole year. When he came out, not only was he extremely wealthy, he had also learned various forms of exceptional martial arts. You can hear all of these things from the jianghu. However, what many people don’t know is that when Shangguan Qihua did emerge from the Hundred Li Slope, this old man personally bore witness to the event.” “It was by chance that on that day, my son was out working. This old man didn't have much to do at home, so naturally, I decided to help him manage the tea stand. I can still remember that day very clearly as that was also the first day I worked at the stand. And coincidently, on that day, I saw two people walking out of the desolate underbrush of the Hundred Li Slope. Of the two, I saw that one was Shangguan. Alongside him was also a charming maiden, dressed in all pink and from where I stood, it seemed that their relations.h.i.+p with each other was anything but simple. The maiden called him by his name directly, but he didn’t say anything. She even continued to shout about how a tree couldn't walk, and how she was too tired to keep on going. She wanted him to carry her on his back. In the end, Shangguan Qihua obediently carried her on his back and walked off. Do you know how much the former Shangguan feared women? However, that maiden was indeed very beautiful… she looked like the peach blossoms in spring, truly a beauty!” Indeed. Shanguan still remembered the moment when he had first opened his eyes only to see Ah Zhuo. His body had still been buried within the dirt then and the sun s.h.i.+ning down her back seemed to cast a deep shadow of her figure, engraving it deep within his mind. “Man, be my fertilizer.” She spoke in a bold tone, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence. Ah Zhuo was carefree with her words, not refraining from saying the taboo names of the emperor and her elders as she told Shangguan about her dire situation. She even went as far as to call his subordinates stupid, while constantly expressing disdain and annoyance towards the cowardice of the demonic cultists who had pursued them. In the end, she told him that it was the heavens that had willed for him to buried. Such being the case, in spite of her conscience, she could only use him as fertilizer, in hopes of profiting from their equally dire situations. Ah Zhuo spoke quickly. It seemed to Shangguan that she was speaking quickly to conceal her own guilt, while forcing herself to steel her heart. Shangguan knew that even though she seemed very strange, she was actually a kindhearted devil, one without the intention to kill anyone. “I can help you in a different way,” Shangguan said, as he did not want to die, especially with his plans to avenge his Sect. Thus, he could not die in such a desolate area. Ah Zhuo blinked at him, focusing on him for a short moment, “Tell me.” “P-p-p-p.o.o.p…” Even if it was embarra.s.sing to say aloud, he still endured his humiliation and said it. “The fertilizer will be more effective, and as long as I’m alive, you’ll have an inexhaustible supply of fertilizer at your beck and call…” Ah Zhuo blinked at Shangguan for a moment, while giving him her appraisal, “You aren’t allowed to run away.” “I won’t even think of running away until your true form recovers.” Ah Zhuo was blunt with her response and waved her hand before saying, “Alright then, you can climb out of that pit yourself.” Shangguan’s still-buried body tensed up, “The dirt is pressing down on my hands and feet. How am I supposed to climb out of here by myself?” Ah Zhuo spread her arms out wide, “I can’t do anything about it myself. I can't even twirl any leaves at the moment.” Her extremely weak true form forced Ah Zhuo to be transformed into a faint ethereal form. Her hands pa.s.sed right through the gra.s.s and leaves on the ground, “See… Oh right!” At this moment, Ah Zhuo seemed to have recalled something important, “I can absorb your Yang vital energy.” While she said this, she lowered her head with courage and power. In a flash, she was face-to-face with Shangguan, and spared not even a second as she kissed his mouth with a lightning-like speed. When she released his chin, his body went rigid; thoroughly rigid. He seemed to have gone completely dumb. Ah Zhuo took the opportunity to stick her tongue in his mouth, slowly sucking up his energy. Her transparent form was slowly materializing. The physical feeling of her tongue became stronger and stronger. All of a sudden, a warm liquid began to flow between their mouths. Ah Zhuo pushed him away and wiped off the blood staining her face. While pointing at Shangguan’s mouth, she said, “Tsk tsk, look at you, look at you. You’re growing up. I’ve been alive for a whole millennium but this is the first time I’ve seen a man nose bleed during a kiss.” As she spoke, Shangguan slowly and silently bit his lip out of grief and indignation. After biting his lip for a while, his face flushed red as he said, “This was… first time…” Ah Zhuo frowned at him as she momentarily looked at him, “Oh, was that amazing enough to be your first kiss? That was my first kiss too!” Shangguan turned his head around and closed his eyes before saying, “You…win!” Ah Zhuo pulled up her sleeves and began to scoop him out of the dirt. As she dug, she said to him, “Don’t try to run away now. I’ve sucked your Yang vital energy and I’ve even drunk your blood. I’ll be able to find you no matter where you go. From now on, you are my gardener. It’s your job to apply my fertilizer on a daily basis, help me pull out the weeds and get rid of the bugs! If you even dare try to laze off, hehehe, know that I have demonic powers. Even if I can’t fight off other people, I’ll still have enough power to deal with you!” Shangguan Qihua thought about her slightly raised lips, radiant smile and energetic soul. So even if her true form had dried up into that… she should be capable of surviving up until now… Her life was as l.u.s.trous as an exquisite peach blossom… A rare softness had formed on the face under the bamboo hat. He wet his lips with a sip of the bitter tea, “Yes, she was very beautiful.” He flatly stated. However, the implications hidden inside his words made them feel mysterious to the ear. After finis.h.i.+ng his tea, and parting ways with the old man, Shangguan took the Icy Firmament Sword and walked directly to the Hundred Li Slope. Instead of using the post road, he entered from the underbrush through an overgrown field. By relying on his memory, he was slowly able to find the place he wanted to go. Before reaching the Hundred Li Slope, one would first see the Disordered Buried Mound. Legends said that malicious spirits were all around the wild field. However, Shangguan knew that only once in awhile would a few small demons that feared humans pop up; there weren’t any malicious spirits here at all. When he arrived at the place from his memories, Shangguan looked at the scene in front of him and slowly took off his bamboo hat. Weeds had grown, yet there were no traces of the dried up peach blossom tree from his memories. He became momentarily unnerved. Ah Zhuo was a peach blossom demon, so her true form was a peach blossom tree. If her true form no longer existed… His heart clenched. Rays of sunlight blinded him for a moment. Shangguan took a deep breath and continued to move onwards. The Icy Firmament sword that had made all of the people in the jianghu feel great admiration was now being used as a sickle to cut gra.s.s and to remove the weeds in the surroundings. Suddenly, the stump of a dead tree advanced into Shangguan’s line of sight. He was startled, but he straightened his body, continuing to survey his surroundings. The scenery around him was transforming, becoming one with the scene from three years ago. The fervent winds of June pa.s.sed by his ear, as the sound of the wind unexpectedly changed into that woman’s call. 'Shangguan Qihua, Shangguan Qihua…' It was as if it would never stop. Just like how it had been that June… In accordance with his promise, he helped Ah Zhuo apply her fertilizer. But aside from the time that was being used to apply her fertilizer, he had plenty of time to spare. Ah Zhuo was a demon who had a lot of things to say. She couldn’t stay still everyday, so she loved to tell him the many ghost stories that had been pa.s.sed down from the Hundred Li Slope from the many people who had pa.s.sed through there . She loved telling him her own stories from her lifetime the most. As a peach blossom tree that had been planted by the son of a local tyrant who had gotten rich in a night, Ah Zhuo described her birth like this, “The person who planted me was a stutterer. The first year I bloomed, his master taught him the Book of Songs. In the end, he said, “Zhuo…. zh-zh-zh-zhuo” for a really long time, but he was still unable to recite the entire poem. Thus, that was how my name was formed.” Ah Zhuo turned her head to look at him, “Actually, you're pretty compatible with me. Shangguan Qihua- the flowers are brilliant when in bloom [1].” She whispered into Shangguan’s ear, making his whole face turn red. [1] Their names are from the line 灼灼其华 (zhuo zhuo qi hua). You can clearly see that this line of the poem is composed of both their names, and as mentioned above it means: The flowers are brilliant when in bloom. Hua means flowers. Thus, the line means that the flowers bloom gloriously and abundantly. The name Shangguan Qihua and her name, Ah Zhuo form a line of a poem called 桃夭.This is a poem often used to congratulate brides, as the poet compared the spring tender and willowy branches and blooming peach blossoms with the bride's youth and beauty. Poem: The peach tree is young and elegant; Brilliant are its flowers. This young lady is going to her future home, And will order well her chamber and house. The peach tree is young and elegant; Abundant will be its fruits. This young lady is going to her future home, And will order well her house and chamber. The peach tree is young and elegant; Luxuriant are its leaves. This young lady is going to her future home, And will order well her family. Translated by tranzgeek Edited by Ely
The man's voice was a little hoa.r.s.e, it sounded like he had not spoken in a long time. Of course, while alone on the road, what need did he have to talk? At this moment, the old man's train of thought was directed towards that of his own son who had gone off to find work. And having touched upon this bitter topic, his heart could not help but become wistful, "Lad, are you about to cross the Hundred Li Slope in front of us?" "Oh." Being caught quite off guard, the man's response was delayed. It seemed as if this lad was usually inept at socializing. "Seeing that you appear to be a jianghu wanderer, have you heard of the Shangguan Qihua who eliminated the leader of the Demonic Sect?" The man paused for a brief moment, but only responded with an indifferent sound, not speaking a word about his own ident.i.ty. Shangguan Qihua's reply was cold, but the old man's talkative spirit was not defeated. Very few people ever pa.s.sed through this place, and of those people only few had the conviction and temperament to listen to his story. However, upon meeting such a reticent individual, he was determined to tell him everything, regardless of whether or not the man was willing to listen. “Sigh. Did you know that back then, this Shangguan Qihua had only been the young doorkeeper of a small sect known as the Transient Sifting Sect? That sect was located on Camel Peak, so when the Demonic Sect initiated their large-scale invasion plan on the wulin in the Central Plains, this Transient Sifting Sect was unable to escape the catastrophe that was awaiting them. However, fortunately, two devoted subordinates of the doorkeepers saved their little doorkeeper before escaping into the Hundred Li Slope, which you see right before you.” Were they really his devoted subordinates…? Shanguan still remembered Ah Zhuo glaring at him, whilst his torso and lower half were buried in the dirt, as she said, “Tsk tsk, look at your two pig-like subordinates! Their master has still yet to die, but they’ve already buried him . But it’s okay, this is exactly what I need. Just stay in the dirt and fulfill your role as my fertilizer!” Shangguan was unable to recall anymore of this as the old man had resumed speaking, “Apparently, this Shangguan Qihua had met a celestial being in the Hundred Li Slope, which caused him to stay inside for a whole year. When he came out, not only was he extremely wealthy, he had also learned various forms of exceptional martial arts. You can hear all of these things from the jianghu. However, what many people don’t know is that when Shangguan Qihua did emerge from the Hundred Li Slope, this old man personally bore witness to the event.” “It was by chance that on that day, my son was out working. This old man didn't have much to do at home, so naturally, I decided to help him manage the tea stand. I can still remember that day very clearly as that was also the first day I worked at the stand. And coincidently, on that day, I saw two people walking out of the desolate underbrush of the Hundred Li Slope. Of the two, I saw that one was Shangguan. Alongside him was also a charming maiden, dressed in all pink and from where I stood, it seemed that their relations.h.i.+p with each other was anything but simple. The maiden called him by his name directly, but he didn’t say anything. She even continued to shout about how a tree couldn't walk, and how she was too tired to keep on going. She wanted him to carry her on his back. In the end, Shangguan Qihua obediently carried her on his back and walked off. Do you know how much the former Shangguan feared women? However, that maiden was indeed very beautiful… she looked like the peach blossoms in spring, truly a beauty!” Indeed. Shanguan still remembered the moment when he had first opened his eyes only to see Ah Zhuo. His body had still been buried within the dirt then and the sun s.h.i.+ning down her back seemed to cast a deep shadow of her figure, engraving it deep within his mind. “Man, be my fertilizer.” She spoke in a bold tone, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence. Ah Zhuo was carefree with her words, not refraining from saying the taboo names of the emperor and her elders as she told Shangguan about her dire situation. She even went as far as to call his subordinates stupid, while constantly expressing disdain and annoyance towards the cowardice of the demonic cultists who had pursued them. In the end, she told him that it was the heavens that had willed for him to buried. Such being the case, in spite of her conscience, she could only use him as fertilizer, in hopes of profiting from their equally dire situations. Ah Zhuo spoke quickly. It seemed to Shangguan that she was speaking quickly to conceal her own guilt, while forcing herself to steel her heart. Shangguan knew that even though she seemed very strange, she was actually a kindhearted devil, one without the intention to kill anyone. “I can help you in a different way,” Shangguan said, as he did not want to die, especially with his plans to avenge his Sect. Thus, he could not die in such a desolate area. Ah Zhuo blinked at him, focusing on him for a short moment, “Tell me.” “P-p-p-p.o.o.p…” Even if it was embarra.s.sing to say aloud, he still endured his humiliation and said it. “The fertilizer will be more effective, and as long as I’m alive, you’ll have an inexhaustible supply of fertilizer at your beck and call…” Ah Zhuo blinked at Shangguan for a moment, while giving him her appraisal, “You aren’t allowed to run away.” “I won’t even think of running away until your true form recovers.” Ah Zhuo was blunt with her response and waved her hand before saying, “Alright then, you can climb out of that pit yourself.” Shangguan’s still-buried body tensed up, “The dirt is pressing down on my hands and feet. How am I supposed to climb out of here by myself?” Ah Zhuo spread her arms out wide, “I can’t do anything about it myself. I can't even twirl any leaves at the moment.” Her extremely weak true form forced Ah Zhuo to be transformed into a faint ethereal form. Her hands pa.s.sed right through the gra.s.s and leaves on the ground, “See… Oh right!” At this moment, Ah Zhuo seemed to have recalled something important, “I can absorb your Yang vital energy.” While she said this, she lowered her head with courage and power. In a flash, she was face-to-face with Shangguan, and spared not even a second as she kissed his mouth with a lightning-like speed. When she released his chin, his body went rigid; thoroughly rigid. He seemed to have gone completely dumb. Ah Zhuo took the opportunity to stick her tongue in his mouth, slowly sucking up his energy. Her transparent form was slowly materializing. The physical feeling of her tongue became stronger and stronger. All of a sudden, a warm liquid began to flow between their mouths. Ah Zhuo pushed him away and wiped off the blood staining her face. While pointing at Shangguan’s mouth, she said, “Tsk tsk, look at you, look at you. You’re growing up. I’ve been alive for a whole millennium but this is the first time I’ve seen a man nose bleed during a kiss.” As she spoke, Shangguan slowly and silently bit his lip out of grief and indignation. After biting his lip for a while, his face flushed red as he said, “This was… first time…” Ah Zhuo frowned at him as she momentarily looked at him, “Oh, was that amazing enough to be your first kiss? That was my first kiss too!” Shangguan turned his head around and closed his eyes before saying, “You…win!” Ah Zhuo pulled up her sleeves and began to scoop him out of the dirt. As she dug, she said to him, “Don’t try to run away now. I’ve sucked your Yang vital energy and I’ve even drunk your blood. I’ll be able to find you no matter where you go. From now on, you are my gardener. It’s your job to apply my fertilizer on a daily basis, help me pull out the weeds and get rid of the bugs! If you even dare try to laze off, hehehe, know that I have demonic powers. Even if I can’t fight off other people, I’ll still have enough power to deal with you!” Shangguan Qihua thought about her slightly raised lips, radiant smile and energetic soul. So even if her true form had dried up into that… she should be capable of surviving up until now… Her life was as l.u.s.trous as an exquisite peach blossom… A rare softness had formed on the face under the bamboo hat. He wet his lips with a sip of the bitter tea, “Yes, she was very beautiful.” He flatly stated. However, the implications hidden inside his words made them feel mysterious to the ear. After finis.h.i.+ng his tea, and parting ways with the old man, Shangguan took the Icy Firmament Sword and walked directly to the Hundred Li Slope. Instead of using the post road, he entered from the underbrush through an overgrown field. By relying on his memory, he was slowly able to find the place he wanted to go. Before reaching the Hundred Li Slope, one would first see the Disordered Buried Mound. Legends said that malicious spirits were all around the wild field. However, Shangguan knew that only once in awhile would a few small demons that feared humans pop up; there weren’t any malicious spirits here at all. When he arrived at the place from his memories, Shangguan looked at the scene in front of him and slowly took off his bamboo hat. Weeds had grown, yet there were no traces of the dried up peach blossom tree from his memories. He became momentarily unnerved. Ah Zhuo was a peach blossom demon, so her true form was a peach blossom tree. If her true form no longer existed… His heart clenched. Rays of sunlight blinded him for a moment. Shangguan took a deep breath and continued to move onwards. The Icy Firmament sword that had made all of the people in the jianghu feel great admiration was now being used as a sickle to cut gra.s.s and to remove the weeds in the surroundings. Suddenly, the stump of a dead tree advanced into Shangguan’s line of sight. He was startled, but he straightened his body, continuing to survey his surroundings. The scenery around him was transforming, becoming one with the scene from three years ago. The fervent winds of June pa.s.sed by his ear, as the sound of the wind unexpectedly changed into that woman’s call. 'Shangguan Qihua, Shangguan Qihua…' It was as if it would never stop. Just like how it had been that June… In accordance with his promise, he helped Ah Zhuo apply her fertilizer. But aside from the time that was being used to apply her fertilizer, he had plenty of time to spare. Ah Zhuo was a demon who had a lot of things to say. She couldn’t stay still everyday, so she loved to tell him the many ghost stories that had been pa.s.sed down from the Hundred Li Slope from the many people who had pa.s.sed through there . She loved telling him her own stories from her lifetime the most. As a peach blossom tree that had been planted by the son of a local tyrant who had gotten rich in a night, Ah Zhuo described her birth like this, “The person who planted me was a stutterer. The first year I bloomed, his master taught him the Book of Songs. In the end, he said, “Zhuo…. zh-zh-zh-zhuo” for a really long time, but he was still unable to recite the entire poem. Thus, that was how my name was formed.” Ah Zhuo turned her head to look at him, “Actually, you're pretty compatible with me. Shangguan Qihua- the flowers are brilliant when in bloom [1].” She whispered into Shangguan’s ear, making his whole face turn red. [1] Their names are from the line 灼灼其华 (zhuo zhuo qi hua). You can clearly see that this line of the poem is composed of both their names, and as mentioned above it means: The flowers are brilliant when in bloom. Hua means flowers. Thus, the line means that the flowers bloom gloriously and abundantly. The name Shangguan Qihua and her name, Ah Zhuo form a line of a poem called 桃夭.This is a poem often used to congratulate brides, as the poet compared the spring tender and willowy branches and blooming peach blossoms with the bride's youth and beauty. Poem: The peach tree is young and elegant; Brilliant are its flowers. This young lady is going to her future home, And will order well her chamber and house. The peach tree is young and elegant; Abundant will be its fruits. This young lady is going to her future home, And will order well her house and chamber. The peach tree is young and elegant; Luxuriant are its leaves. This young lady is going to her future home, And will order well her family. Translated by tranzgeek Edited by Ely
