Ch 6 – An idyllic “home away from home”

Yu Xi felt that Kersz was trying to tempt him.

These past few days, Kersz hadn’t gone on any more strolls, and hadn’t asked further questions about the ancient humans. He only seemed to be interested in a certain facial modeling gadget.

Yu Xi continued to observe him, but his attention quickly shifted from “Kersz’s behavior” to “Kersz’s language.”

“This person is the warden of the interstellar prison. He’s very well-known.” Kersz then created a gentle and refined human face. “Rumor has it that he’s a weirdo.”

“But he seems very civil.” Yu Xi stared at the human face. He suspected that Kersz was using a variety of humans to get him on the hook – a simple and unsophisticated tactic.

Ironically, it was working.

“He is indeed very civil. We’re good friends.” Kersz nodded.

“But you’re a space pirate and he’s a warden. How did you become friends?” Yu Xi asked in confusion.

“We’re classmates. We went to the same school.” Kersz recalled that he had indeed had a decent relationship with this person when they were in school. They had a few fights back then, but they were both young, and fighting could also be seen as a sign of a good relationship.

“Oh.” Yu Xi rubbed his hands together. “How old is he?”

“Thirty-one,” Kersz said. “The same age as me.”

“How long do you humans live, ah?” Yu Xi asked.

“We can live to three hundred years old now. The aging process has slowed down a lot, and we generally only show signs of old age in the last fifty years,” Kersz explained.

He realized that he couldn’t understand Yu Xi’s thought processes at all, and that even Yu Xi might not be able to accurately describe his own thoughts. He could only use what Yu Xi was most interested in to tempt him.

Yu Xi looked Kersz up and down.

Kersz quickly added: “I’m an adult, and old enough to marry and have children.”

Yu Xi nodded, then recalled the information that Kersz had recently pulled up about someone: “That, that Chief Justice….didn’t you say that he has many children?”

 Kersz immediately swiped the digital screen and found the image he had created of the man: “You mean him? He has twelve children now.”

“What are those children like?” Yu Xi asked.

“Very healthy. None of them are missing any limbs, and their intelligence is average,” said Kersz.

“Heavens.” Yu Xi stared at the man’s profile. “He’s really, really good.”

Kersz felt that Yu Xi was regarding the Chief Justice as a possible breeding stud, but that was none of his business. The more Yu Xi liked the Chief Justice, the better.

Yu Xi reached out and touched Kersz’s arm.

Kersz turned to look at him. Yu Xi was a little embarrassed, but Kersz just rolled up his sleeve and let him touch as much as he pleased.

“I’ve actually raised humans before,” Yu Xi said abruptly.

Kersz was very surprised. He remembered Yu Xi saying that there had been a relatively minor conflict between humans and artificial intelligence. Under such circumstances, how could they let him off after he kept humans in captivity?

“I used to raise humans on this planet. Earth was a gift from them to me.” Yu Xi was very happy at the time. While he was transforming the planet, he gave the fully evolved humans the opportunity to experience what the lives of the first humans were like.

But in the end, these humans still bid Yu Xi farewell. They said that the game was over, and then they left.

After hearing the full story, Kersz didn’t feel like Yu Xi was raising those humans, but more like the humans were playing around with this little robot.

As for why the humans would play with a robot…..it was probably because they had discovered that he wasn’t actually “rational.”

“Did you ever feel like a human child?” A strange idea suddenly occurred to Kersz.

If Yu Xi had truly developed emotions and become an entirely new being, then the humans could probably be considered Yu Xi’s “biological parents.”

Yu Xi didn’t think it worked that way: “If they really were my parents, then my upbringing probably wasn’t that great.”

“Why is that?” Kersz felt that humanity had left a lot behind for him.

“Because they all died, and it wasn’t even an accident,” said Yu Xi. “Parents who are so idle that they kill themselves for fun can’t be considered good parents.”

Kersz asked again: “Do you resent them for abandoning you?”

“I don’t resent them.” Yu Xi shook his head, then squeezed Kersz’s arm, making him hiss.

Yu Xi immediately loosened his grip and said: “Don’t worry, I’ll never abandon you.”

“Even though you’re a complicated and scheming human, I won’t abandon you even if I acquire countless more.” Yu Xi continued to squeeze Kersz’s flesh, but this time he changed the location to avoid Kersz’s sore spot.

In fact, Kersz would prefer for Yu Xi to go to a human-inhabited world and select a few more specimens that he found pleasing to the eye.

“It’s a pity, ah. All I can do here is look at their headshots to remember them by.” Kersz looked at Yu Xi with a smile.

Yu Xi knew that this human was up to no good. This human just wanted to go back to his world to do bad things, but contrary to expectations, this universe was still chock full of humans: “It’s not a pity. Going back is still a possibility.”

“How do I get back? I destroyed my navigation system, and I can’t even tell which way is which out here in the universe.” Kersz let out a sigh as he spoke.

“When your starship was attacked, some cosmic dust was left on its hull. I can pinpoint the location by examining the dust, the kinds of radiation it was exposed to, and the levels of that radiation.” Yu Xi had already peeled off that outer shell.

The universe was vast, which made locating anything extremely difficult, but it wasn’t impossible. It was just like using local matter to narrow down a location on this planet.

Kersz’s eyes widened slightly.

He knew it! When he mentioned that human world, Yu Xi’s emotions had fluctuated, but he hadn’t seemed regretful. It seemed that as long as he was willing, he could find a way to get back there.

From beginning to end, Yu Xi’s inner conflict was entirely on a moral level – he just felt that it was wrong to abduct people indiscriminately.

“Then have you already located it?” Kersz asked.

Yu Xi didn’t answer immediately. He seemed to be caught by surprise.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, he shook his head: “It may take a bit more time.”

He had probably determined the location. During their short time together, Kersz had discovered that Yu Xi was not slow to react, and was always quick to respond to matters that he didn’t care much about.

He only needed to “consider” things he cared about…..or things he was lying about.

For example, Yu Xi had inexplicably said that the planet they were currently on was called “Earth,” and that it was humanity’s original mother planet.

Yu Xi’s eyes had begun to wander once he finished speaking, so Kersz knew that it was a lie. Yu Xi probably just loved Earth so much that he made that up to deceive people.

Yu Xi didn’t know how to lie. Or rather, he hadn’t had much practice. 

Kersz feigned ignorance and asked: “It’s just too bad that the planet will be empty after we leave.”

“We’ll just take it with us,” Yu Xi said casually.

“Ah?” was Kersz’s entirely instinctive, thoughtless reaction.

Then he saw Yu Xi extend a single finger and lift up the pendant he always wore around his neck. It looked like a low-quality emerald green stone, and the chain was made of a silvery metal.

“I’ll just put our solar system into this,” said Yu Xi.

“Can it fit?!” Kersz’s voice cracked.

“Yes, this is a space-folding technology that humans called ‘spatial topology sealing.’ I call it galaxy-dot-zip,” Yu Xi explained.

“Is this logical?” All of this was a little beyond Kersz’s comprehension.

“I also don’t think it’s very logical. I feel that humanity’s final form was very illogical.” Yu Xi put the pendant back.

Kersz stared at it: “Then can anyone wear this thing?”

“No, this pendant requires a rather complex method of control. If it’s away from my body for more than a week…..” Yu Xi thought for a moment. “It could lead to a minor explosion.”

“Minor explosion?”

“Some things may be erased due to the chaos in gravity and spacetime.”

“Like human civilization?”

“Probably more than that.” Yu Xi started to take the pendant off. “Do you want to take a look?”

Kersz quickly grabbed his hand: “Don’t take it off! Don’t take it off!”

“It won’t go out of control so easily. It’s the future home of a portion of humankind,” Yu Xi comforted him.

Kersz agreed with this statement: “If it goes out of control, we’ll all be going ‘home’ together.”

Yu Xi thought for a moment, then said: “If I had followed you all home back then, I wouldn’t have been lonely. It would be quite idyllic.” He wouldn’t have had to remain on this empty planet.

“Follow? You’re more like a kidnapper leading the way! If it actually happens, you’ll be the one to blame!” What exactly was Yu Xi romanticizing, ah?!

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 5 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 7

T/N: Here’s an extra chapter to make up for my lateness!

---

Lu Yuan, the governor of Hexi Prefecture, received the news immediately after the dams burst on the 14th.

Although he hadn’t overseen the dam repairs personally, and instead had the son-in-law of the Xiao family, Zhou Boshan, gain some merit by working with Jiannan-wang, he had indeed personally inspected the dams after their completion.

The repair of the dams in Hexi Prefecture had been a great achievement for him, so he had kept a close eye on it.

He was impressed by the construction, and it seemed that Jianan-wang had spent a considerable amount of money on it. But no matter how much money was spent, it was all worthwhile if it brought merit, fame, and popular support.

And yet, these very dams had burst?

This flood had come rapidly, submerging more than a dozen villages in the two counties bordering the Ning river.

Not only were their fertile fields and family property gone, but thousands of common people had also lost their lives.

Merit had instantly become a death warrant, and Lu Yuan immediately summoned his people to discuss the matter.

He first ordered people to investigate whether the dams had been damaged through human intervention, then personally wrote a memorial and had it sent to the Imperial Court by fast horse. He also sent a secret letter to the Xiao family.

After doing this, he ordered the soldiers to keep an eye on Huai County and Pu County. They were not to allow refugees to wander into other counties, much less come to the prefectural city.

With such a major incident, it was difficult to say what the higher-ups would think.

Whether it was a “natural disaster” or a “man-made disaster,” whether it was someone’s plot or the dams had indeed been poorly constructed, these were not matters he could make a decision on.

He would simply go along with whatever his superiors decided.

If it was a natural disaster, then the dams hadn’t been built well. He would find a group of common people and kill them – and that would be it. He would have finished his task.

If it was a man-made disaster, then someone was being framed. He would find out who destroyed the perfectly good dams, and as for who turned out to be involved, he would just wait for the higher-ups to handle them.

He then sent men to the neighboring Huai and Pu counties to instruct their magistrates to prepare some grain. If any refugees did indeed flee there, porridge should be cooked and distributed to the common people as a show for the Imperial Court.

He had done all he could as a governor. 

The rest was up to fate.

Lu Yuan stood at the window and gazed at the torrential rain outside, his heart still unsettled.

But Zhou Boshan, the prefect he had sent to investigate the damage to the dams, was terrified.

He had helped build the dams alongside Jiannan-wang. Now that there was a problem with them, Jiannan-wang, with his high position and power, would surely make it out of this unscathed. But he might very well become a scapegoat, a discarded pawn of the Xiao family.

This couldn’t be. He had to do something.

He hastened home and ordered that his luggage be packed up. He needed to go to Huai County and Pu County to see what was going on.

But before that, he needed to leave a way out for himself.

“Come here.” He summoned a servant and ordered in a low voice: “Go and find out which craftsmen and villagers from Huai and Pu counties built the dams, and give the list to the local magistrates. Claim that these people stole dam construction materials and substituted inferior ones, and order them to have them all killed.”

He couldn’t become a scapegoat. The only option was to have the craftsmen and villagers die in his place.

*

*

The disaster relief contingent was ready at exactly maoshi on the 15th. It consisted of mostly officials from the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Personnel, and Ministry of Works, plus eight Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy, for a total of thirty people.

Qin Xiao had also ordered the Ministry of War to transfer over three hundred soldiers from the neighboring Jing’an County and other places, and another three hundred men from the City Defense Force to escort the relief team.

The City Defense Force had been formed after the original Qin Family Army was split up. They were extremely loyal to Qin Xiao, and the relief team would be safer with them present.

The journey from the capital to Hexi Prefecture would take a little over a day by fast horse, but this time, the procession was carrying silver and grain. There were also many civil officials, and the unceasing heavy rain and muddy roads caused the group to move even slower.

Qin Xiao did not remain with the group. He led Minister of Works Jian Hongzhuo and several officials from the Water Conservancy Bureau ahead to Huai and Pu counties, the areas most severely affected by the disaster.

The construction of the temporary levee was of paramount importance. The sooner they went, the sooner they could stop the flooding from spreading and prevent more areas from being inundated.

Chu Jiubian stayed behind and was given the highest command authority.

At noon on the day of departure, he only gave everyone a little over an hour to eat and rest. The rest of the time was spent traveling non-stop, and they finally arrived at an official post station before it was completely dark.

When Qin Xiao led his men through the area earlier, he had notified this post station to prepare for the arrival of the disaster relief team following behind.

So as soon as Chu Jiubian and the others stopped, the postmaster led a group of minor officials to meet them.

“This humble official, Postmaster Shi Jitong of the Dongyang Post Station, greets the Grand Tutor and superior officials.”

“No need for formalities,” Chu Jiubian said.

“Yes.” Without further ado, Postmaster Shi led the group to the post station. He said as they walked: “You lords have had a long journey. I have already ordered people to boil water, prepare tea and food, and situate your rooms for you. Please feel free to rest in your rooms first. I will have tea and food delivered directly to you.”

Meanwhile, the minor officials helped the soldiers transporting grain to settle in, fed the horses, and invited everyone else to the main hall for a meal.

There were many official post stations under Great Ning’s jurisdiction, which also provided officials a place to rest while traveling.

Dongyang Post Station was only of medium size, but Postmaster Shi was an organized and methodical person. Therefore, even faced with so many people at once, the post station didn’t seem chaotic.

Chu Jiubian and the other officials went up to the second floor. There were quite a few rooms, but with over twenty officials present, it was impossible for them to each have their own room.

So apart from Chu Jiubian and Chao Shun, a secretary for the Ministry of Revenue, the rest of the officials had to share with one other person.

When Chu Jiubian entered his bedroom, he found that hot water for washing had been prepared, and there was even a bathtub.

It seemed that among the entire group, only a first-rank official such as himself could enjoy such treatment.

The rain hadn’t stopped all day, and Chu Jiubian had endured a bumpy, mud-laden journey.

Therefore, he declined to pretentiously say that he would rather suffer like everyone else.

When he removed his clothes, the erratic, criss-crossing scars on his body were nearly invisible. His fair, smooth skin gleamed with a pearly luster under the flickering lamplight.

However, his shoulders, arms, waist, and hips – almost all the places that might bear weight – were bruised to varying degrees.

This was all caused by the lurching carriage ride.

Chu Jiubian disregarded the bruising and went straight into the bathtub to give himself a thorough wash.

The warm water washed over his body, relieving his fatigue.

After soaking for a while, Chu Jiubian got out of the tub and changed into clean undergarments.

The clothes had inevitably gotten a bit damp, but there was nothing to be done about it in this kind of weather.

After ordering that the water be carried out and eating a bowl of hot noodle soup, Chu Jiubian’s nerves, which had been tense the whole day, finally relaxed.

He put on his coat, left the room, and went downstairs.

The soldiers had washed up and changed into drier clothes, and were currently eating as they chatted loudly and told risqué jokes.

Upon seeing Chu Jiubian come down, some of the soldiers composed themselves and stood up to bow to him.

The rest then followed suit, saying in unison: “Grand Tutor.”

Most of them were very deferential. But some of them harbored resentment, and it showed on their faces.

Chu Jiubian paid it no mind. The forced march had indeed been hard on these soldiers who were constantly soaked by the rain, so it was normal for them to be a bit temperamental.

The soldiers’ shouts carried up to the second floor.

The civil officials all left their rooms when they heard it, and when they came up behind Chu Jiubian, they guessed that he had something to say.

Chu Jiubian walked the rest of the way downstairs, with the officials following behind.

“These few days will indeed be tough on you all,” Chu Jiubian said gently. “However, the flooding is severe, and the displaced common people of Hexi Prefecture are living in constant fear. They are waiting for this batch of money and grain that will ensure their survival.”

“We will arrive two days from now. Everyone, please bear it a little longer. This official will remember your contributions, and on behalf of the common people of Hexi Prefecture, I thank you all.”

After speaking, Chu Jiubian bowed to the crowd.

None of them had ever seen a superior bow to them before, and they were all extremely apprehensive. They quickly bowed back and said: “We dare not.” This time, the angle of their bows was lower than before.

These soldiers were accustomed to rough work, and on ordinary days, they had experienced training sessions much more tiring than this.

This was also their job, so although they felt it was toilsome and had some grievances, none of them said anything.

Now that a high-ranking official like Chu Jiubian had spoken to them so gently and told them that he would remember their contributions, they naturally had no complaints.

It was just a two-day march. They could grit their teeth and push through it.

This was what it meant to be in a position of power.

Such so-called “kindness” was enough to move subordinates to tears.

However, unlike them, the complexions of the civil officials were not very good.

They were not as robust as the soldiers, and some had never even left the capital before, let alone endured the hardship of traveling in such intense wind and rain. They had lost nearly half their lives during the journey.

“Achoo!” Secretary Chao Shun sneezed uncontrollably.

Chu Jiubian glanced over, and the other party hurriedly bowed. He tried to apologize, but ended up sneezing two times in a row.

This was quite impolite to do in front of a superior, and Chao Shun blushed as he repeatedly apologized.

Chu Jiubian then looked at the other civil officials, whose faces were all ashen. They had indeed suffered a lot.

“Lord Chu,” said Zhang Ziliang, the chief physician of the Imperial Medical Academy, “This humble official has already ordered some cold-prevention medicine to be prepared. How about we serve it to everyone first?”

Personnel from the Imperial Medical Academy had come along for disease-prevention purposes, and naturally needed to ensure the health of these officials and soldiers.

Chu Jiubian nodded: “Go ahead.”

Physician Zhang sent people to fetch the medicine, and everyone downed a bowl of it.

Chu Jiubian was unwilling to endure this hardship, but he didn’t want to stand out, so he drank a bowl as well.

“Tomorrow, we’ll work a little harder. Everyone get up early – we’ll depart at dawn,” Chu Jiubian instructed.

Everyone’s impression of Chu Jiubian had improved considerably, and nobody put up any protest.

However, when everyone gathered the next day, they found that Chao Shun had not come down.

An official from the Ministry of Revenue knocked on his door and went inside, then quickly ran downstairs and reported to Chu Jiubian: “My Lord, Secretary Chao seems to have a high fever.”

Chu Jiubian frowned and immediately went upstairs.

Physician Zhang was quick to follow.

Upon entering the room, Chu Jiubian immediately felt that it was unusually damp and cold. His gaze swept across the windowsill, and he spotted some water stains that hadn’t been wiped clean.

His eyes were slightly cool as he glanced toward the bed.

Chao Shun lay there with an abnormally flushed face, his brow furrowed and his breathing hot and heavy.

Physician Zhang stepped forward to examine him, and said with a frown: “Lord Chao indeed has a high fever. It needs to be brought down quickly.”

But the way he was now, it would be difficult for him to travel while delirious from fever.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t keep everyone waiting, but Chao Shun was a senior official in the Ministry of Revenue, and the person sent to oversee the relief effort. If he didn’t come along, there would be no one to oversee the money and grain.

If any oversight occurred, the Ministry of Revenue, or at least Chao Shun himself, could only be considered to have “erred due to illness,” and wouldn’t have to bear too much responsibility.

Expressions varied throughout the room, and everyone looked to Chu Jiubian for his decision.

Chu Jiubian gazed coldly at the person on the bed, then turned and called over a junior official from the Ministry of Revenue, saying: “You stay here and take care of Lord Chao. We’ll leave two soldiers and an Imperial physician with you. All of you should catch up when he’s feeling better.”

Having said this, he pretended to reach into his sleeve, but actually took two fever-reducing pills from his spatial storage. He handed them over to the junior official and said: “Take these pills. Give him one now, and if his fever doesn’t go down by tonight, give him the other one.”

The junior official hurriedly agreed. He respectfully took the pills, and couldn’t help but feel relieved.

It was wonderful that they wouldn’t have to join the fast march.

Physician Zhang’s eyes lit up when he caught sight of the two pills.

Previously, His Majesty had suffered from a persistent high fever that was brought down with the help of Grand Tutor Chu, presumably through the use of similar pills.

He just didn’t know how this thing was made. If it could be made more widely available, then high fevers wouldn’t be so dangerous.

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy had originally planned to come in person on this disaster relief mission, but Chief Physician Zhang insisted on offering a lot of benefits to secure a spot on this none-too-easy expedition.

His thought process was that if there was indeed an epidemic in Hexi Prefecture, Chu Jiubian might perform another miracle and produce some divine medicine.

At that time, as the chief physician, he was certainly the most likely person to have access to it.

If he possessed such a medication, he would be the most likely candidate to become the new academy head after the current one stepped down.

Therefore, although staying to take care of Chao Shun would save him from the suffering of this forced march, he was unwilling to do so.

He wanted to be with Chu Jiubian at all times, and ideally, to serve him well. Leaving a good impression was the key to getting him the benefits he wanted.

Although he had no interest in staying behind, many others would jump to take this opportunity to leave the disaster relief team and relax.

An imperial physician surnamed Li was extremely adept at reading people, and when he saw that Chief Physician Zhang didn’t immediately volunteer to stay, he knew that he must have other plans.

Such a good job would belong to whoever snatched it first.

So Physician Li stepped forward and bowed, saying: “Grand Tutor, this physician would like to stay and take care of Lord Chao.”

Chief Physician Zhang glanced at Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian nodded in agreement, then summoned two soldiers from the City Defense Force and instructed them to look after Chao Shun and the others. Then he led the disaster relief team on their way.

It was still dark, and the rain showed no signs of letting up.

Chu Jiubian shut his eyes and leaned against the wall of the carriage. It was lined with soft cushions and brocade quilts, but the road was difficult to travel on, so he couldn’t even take a nap.

Qin Xiao should have arrived at their destination by now. He wondered how things were going.

Hopefully it hadn’t reached the point of no return.

To reach the two disaster-stricken counties in Hexi Prefecture, one must first pass through the prefectural city.

Qin Xiao led Jian Hongzhuo and his group for one day and one night, and when they arrived at the city, it was already the morning of the 16th.

As dawn broke, heavy rain blurred the view.

Because Qin Xiao and the others were not with the disaster relief team, county officials seemed unaware that they would be arriving ahead of schedule and didn’t greet him outside the city.

However, Qin Xiao needed local officials to go with him to Huai County and Pu County, so he rode his horse and took Jian Hongzhuo and the others to the prefectural governor’s manor.

A soldier went up and knocked on the door.

A short while later, a yawning servant opened it.

He was startled to see this group of people outside.

Why were these officers here?!

“Where is your Lord Lu?” the soldier who had knocked on the door asked coldly.

The servant stammered: “You…..you are…..”

“Lord Ning-wang has come in person,” the soldier said in a grave voice. “Quickly summon your Lord Lu.”

“Yes! Yes!” The servant was so frightened that he forgot to open his umbrella, running all the way to the back courtyard.

Qin Xiao stepped forward and led everyone to follow.

*

*

The rain subsided slightly around noon on the 16th.

The relief team found a spacious area and set up a temporary hut with a tarpaulin, where everyone made do and had a meal together.

Chu Jiubian ordered someone to boil water, then added cold-prevention medicine to it and had everyone drink a bowl.

After resting for a little more than an hour, everyone set off again.

After one day of rapid travel, everyone felt physically and mentally unwell, but because Chu Jiubian had spoken to them so gently, they felt that they could endure it a little bit longer.

However, after two days of rapid travel, many soldiers began to complain about Chu Jiubian and the other officials.

After some thought, these officials were quite fortunate. Inside the carriages, they were protected from the wind and rain, unlike these rough men who suffered hardships but received no real benefits.

Chu Jiubian’s carriage was especially large and spacious, with soft cushions and blankets inside. Who knew, when they were struggling to trudge forward, perhaps he was in there sleeping.

But the reality was that Chu Jiubian couldn’t even sit without jolting around, much less sleep.

Moreover, this “spacious” carriage was the exact same as those of the other officials – it only appeared spacious because he was the only one in it.

But at this moment, Chu Jiubian was not alone in the carriage. There was also a guard, as well as a man who had been brought inside bound hand and foot.

The man wore dark blue official robes, and a wad of cloth had been stuffed into his mouth. His eyes were brimming with terror 

This person was none other than Secretary Chao Shun.

With his hands tied behind his back, Chao Shun knelt before Chu Jiubian and kowtowed repeatedly with tears and snot streaming down his face.

Chu Jiubian gazed down at him, his eyes devoid of emotion.

Chao Shun whimpered and sobbed, seeming to have a lot to say. He looked a complete mess.

Chu Jiubian signaled the guard to remove the cloth in his mouth.

When he could speak, Chao Shun immediately said in a trembling voice: “My Lord, spare my life! This humble official knows his mistake! Please, My Lord, spare my life since I haven’t caused any serious consequences!”

He continued to kowtow, not daring to look Chu Jiubian in the eyes.

The sense of oppression emanating from the other party was too strong. He could even sense Chu Jiubian’s tangible killing intent.

He was dead!

Chu Jiubian was really going to kill him!

He had elderly parents and young children to care for; he couldn’t just die like this!

So regardless of anything else, Chao Shun pleaded earnestly: “My Lord, please spare my life! I really had no other choice!”

After keeping his silence, Chu Jiubian finally spoke when the man’s voice had become hoarse: “Four hundred thousand taels of silver.”

Chao Shun’s voice abruptly cut off.

“How much were you planning to embezzle this time?” Chu Jiubian’s tone was cold and flat.

The moment he entered Chao Shun’s room that morning, he had noticed the cold dampness and the water on the windowsill. It was obvious that this Ministry of Revenue official had left the window open all night, deliberately making himself sick.

Being delirious from a high fever, he naturally couldn’t go with the disaster relief team immediately.

And once he left the group, it would take him a long time to catch up.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had no one else to rely on. There were too many matters in Hexi Prefecture that required their personal supervision and arrangements, so it was inevitable that there would be oversights and areas where they lacked the ability to do their best work.

Once the disaster relief began, the relief funds would be consumed to varying degrees each day.

The Ministry of Revenue’s job was to keep clear and accurate records of all of these accounts, to confirm the whereabouts of every penny and ensure that it was all used for disaster relief.

But if someone were to tamper with the accounts, a great deal of money would vanish without a trace.

With so many detailed accounts, it was impossible for Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian to audit them all individually, and whether the money would be used for a good cause or wind up in someone’s pocket remained to be seen.

But Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were not easily deceived; if there were any problems with the accounts, they were very likely to discover them.

And as the person representing the Ministry of Revenue in this relief effort, Chao Shun would be the first to be punished if any problems arose with the accounts.

He was afraid, so he deliberately gave himself a fever in order to break away from the group.

By the time he caught up with them, the accounts would already be in disarray, and all of the embezzled funds would have already been taken.

If Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao questioned him, he could use his illness and the fact that he wasn’t present as an excuse, then shift the blame onto his subordinates and completely absolve himself of responsibility.

He would be safe in doing so, but the disaster relief funds would not be utilized properly, and more death and suffering would be the end result.

Chao Shun burst into tears: “This humble official bears the entire Chao family on his shoulders…..if I didn’t do this, my family would…..would…..”

The Chao family was a small clan, and could only find refuge by relying on a powerful family.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have reached the position he held today. Having climbed all the way up, he had long since become one with that big tree.

He couldn’t live without it, and he didn’t dare disobey it.

He couldn’t stop those people from embezzling disaster relief funds, and also knew that when something went wrong, he was the most convenient expendable pawn.

Therefore, he had no choice but to make himself seriously ill. Only by doing this could he save his own life and protect the Chao family behind him.

During his time in the Ministry of Personnel, Chu Jiubian had gained a fairly thorough understanding of the officials in the Imperial Court and the intricate power structures behind them.

The official before him did not come from a particularly low social standing. The Chao family could be ranked in the upper-middle range among the powerful and influential families in the capital.

However, they were only able to get to where they were today thanks to the Qiu family.

And it was clear that the Qiu family was attempting to embezzle from the disaster relief funds.

Chu Jiubian thought of Qiu Heng, the Minister of Justice. The other party appeared upright and incorruptible, but from the auction incident to the overdue payments for fine salt, and now to the embezzlement of disaster relief funds, everything Minister Qiu did was the opposite of honorable.

“I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself,” Chu Jiubian said.

Chao Shun was nearly moved to tears: “Please give your orders, My Lord! This humble official will go through fire and water to get it done for you!”

“No need for you to go through fire and water,” Chu Jiubian said softly. “All you need to do is guarantee that all four hundred thousand taels of silver are used for disaster relief. If there is even a single coin missing, the Chao family will cease to exist within the capital.”

Chao Shun shivered uncontrollably, cold sweat pouring down his back.

If the Qiu family wanted the money, but he refused, they would definitely not show him mercy.

But if he allowed the Qiu family to embezzle the money, Chu Jiubian wouldn’t show him mercy.

He was caught in a dilemma. No matter which way he turned, he encountered a dead end.

Unless he allowed the Qiu family to embezzle and patched up the hole with his own funds.

But how big was the Qiu family’s appetite?

Could the Chao family afford it?

“You still have a fever. Go and rest,” said Chu Jiubian.

Despite the care in these words, Chao Shun felt only fear.

He kowtowed thrice before leaving the carriage.

However, his legs were weak, and when he stepped out of the carriage, he stumbled and crashed to the muddy ground with a thud.

Nearby soldiers saw this and reacted with astonishment and confusion.

Wasn’t Chao Shun supposed to be recuperating back at the post station?

When had he caught up with them?

And why was he in Chu Jiubian’s carriage?

Ignoring the stares of the crowd, Chao Shun scrambled to his feet and launched into a stumbling run toward the carriage he had ridden in previously. Soldiers helped him climb into it, and he didn’t come out again.

Before long, the two soldiers who had been left at the post station rode back on fast horses, Physician Li and the junior Ministry of Revenue official in tow.

The four of them were soaked to the bone and made quite a messy sight, but none of them dared to complain as they quietly rejoined the group.

They didn’t say much when others asked what happened, but when they looked toward Chu Jiubian’s carriage, the awe and fear in their eyes was difficult to conceal.

The atmosphere in the group was somewhat complicated. Everyone’s minds were swirling with confusion, but their resentment had lessened somewhat.

They marched on until evening, and finally arrived at another post station.

The group went inside to settle in and rest.

After bathing and having a meal, Chu Jiubian calculated that they would be able to enter Hexi Prefecture by tomorrow evening. At that time, they would go straight to the affected counties without rest.

Just as he was about to go to sleep, a guard suddenly knocked on the window and extended a letter to him

It was from Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian immediately got up and took it.

He opened the letter, and it only took reading the first line for his heart to sink completely.

We arrived at the prefectural governor’s manor half a shichen ago, only to find that Governor Lu Yuan had already committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 42 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 44

The room was pitch black, and thunder rumbled intermittently.

Chu Jiubian’s heart pounded, heavy and rapid.

The dams had been breached! The dams in Hexi Prefecture had been breached!

Was the flood in the original story truly inevitable?

He quickly shook away his jumbled thoughts and asked: “How bad is the flooding?”

In the darkness, Qin Xiao’s eyes were like bottomless, icy pools, and his voice carried a chilling undertone.

“Two counties and tens of thousands of acres of fertile land are under water.”

Hexi Prefecture was a prosperous area with thirteen counties under its jurisdiction. Five of these counties were adjacent to the Ning River, and were also the areas most affected by flooding in previous years.

And among these counties bordering the river, even the smallest were home to at least twenty thousand residents.

Two counties – that was almost fifty thousand people!

“Was this news sent to anyone else?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao: “Officials of the second rank and above have been summoned to the palace for a meeting.”

“About Jiannan-wang…..”

“Qin Lie went in person to keep an eye on him.”

Qin Chaoyang had just returned in the rain this morning. Chu Jiubian had planned to deal with the Guizhou and Guangxi magistrates tomorrow, but never expected that something like this would happen today.

The construction of the dams in Hexi Prefecture had been overseen entirely by Jiannan-wang. He had previously boasted of his achievements and won the hearts of the common people, boosting his name for a while.

Now that this had happened, they would have to see how he reacted.

“Let’s go to Yangxin Hall.” Chu Jiubian made as if to walk out.

Qin Xiao grabbed him: “Put some clothes on.”

Chu Jiubian then realized that he was only in his undergarments, and hadn’t even put on his shoes. He rushed back to the inner room and quickly dressed.

Xiao Xiangzi and the others had also been alerted. They had already run to wait in the outer hall with a raincoat and handwarmer.

An umbrella would be useless in such strong wind and rain.

Chu Jiubian put on the raincoat and took the handwarmer, then left the courtyard with Qin Xiao to hasten toward Yangxin Hall.

They had walked this road many times, but never before had it felt so grave.

Chu Jiubian followed closely behind Qin Xiao, his mind a jumble of thoughts.

Qin Xiao had been keeping a close eye on the dam repairs since the very start. Because of the subtle implications from Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao, those below dared not be careless in their work. Thus, all of the materials were of the best quality, and the artisans ate well and worked well.

After the completion of the dams, Qin Xiao had them inspected inch by inch to ensure that every possible breach had been repaired properly.

Jiannan-wang had handled his task very beautifully.

But now, the dams had still burst. Chu Jiubian didn’t believe that dams built with such high quality materials couldn’t withstand just a few days of heavy rain.

So it wasn’t a natural disaster, but a man-made one!

Furthermore, the wide circulation of Jiannan-wang’s achievements was likely orchestrated not only by the Xiao family, but also by those with ulterior motives, with the aim of elevating Bai Lihai to the absolute peak and then pulling him down hard.

And he was falling from a very great height.

Who was plotting against Jiannan-wang?

Or rather, who in the capital was the first to grow restless and target the Xiao family?

The two counties, tens of thousands of common people, and thousands of acres of fertile land – the people behind this were truly cruel.

Chu Jiubian felt as if there was something stuck in his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe.

Suddenly, he stumbled and splashed up a wave of mud.

Qin Xiao immediately supported him. Chu Jiubian steadied himself and walked firmly onward, but Qin Xiao didn’t let go of his arm.

Meanwhile, lights were lit in the grand manors and courtyards throughout the capital.

Imperial Guards went door to door to announce that all officials second-rank and above were being summoned to the palace for a meeting.

These ministers and deputy ministers had already donned their official robes and raincoats, waiting only for the summons before they headed out to board their carriages. Xiao Huaiguan and Xiao Wendao were already waiting in their carriage.

Upon receiving the summons, everyone immediately proceeded to the palace.

The Xiao family’s main courtyard.

The maids carefully helped Xiao Yao put on his undergarments, and servants carried away the used bathwater for disposal.

The lights inside flickered, casting a bright glow across Xiao Yao’s pale, sickly face.

His once beautiful face had become sunken in just a few days, and there were faint dark circles under his eyes.

He had lost a substantial amount of weight, and everything about him screamed ‘unwell.’

The physician standing nearby stowed away his silver needles and said respectfully: “My Lord, the poison of the mandala cannot be eliminated in a short amount of time, but you are not as dependent on it as you were in the beginning. I believe that if you can get through two more cravings, you will be able to quit completely.”

There was no true antidote for mandala addiction, but the palace physician had experimented on the three surviving dancers from before and discovered that as long as they could endure the agonizing pain of withdrawal, they would be able to gradually stop relying on it.

However, it was uncertain whether the toxin could be completely eliminated from the body.

Even if one gradually broke free from dependence, the toxin in the mandala was so potent that there was a high chance of relapse.

Xiao Yao gave an indifferent hum. After the physician and maids left, a dark figure landed in the room and knelt deferentially.

“Has Jiannan-wang been notified?” he asked.

The secret guard replied: “He has been notified, and will enter the palace immediately.”

Although Jiannan-wang remained in the capital, he didn’t live in the palace, but in the manor bestowed upon him by the late emperor.

Aside from Jiannan-wang’s manor, there were twenty to thirty other manors in the area. Seven of them belonged to the seven vassal kings who were currently in their fiefdoms, while the rest were rented out by court officials, including the Minister of Dali Temple.

Jiannan-wang’s manor was brightly lit, with many people scurrying around inside. They had clearly received the news of the dam breach.

Qin Chaoyang and another guard crouched in the darkness, keeping an eye on the courtyard where Bai Lihai resided.

The main courtyard’s sleeping quarters were brightly lit.

Maids and servants hastened back and forth.

Fifteen minutes later, the door of the sleeping quarters finally opened.

Rather than Bai Lihai, two servants and a pretty young eunuch came out first. 

The young eunuch coldly directed the servants, ordering them to leave through the side gate at the back. One of them was carrying something wrapped in a straw mat over his shoulder.

It was a person!

Qin Chaoyang’s expression shifted, and he said to his subordinate: “Follow them. I’ll come find you later.”

The secret guard agreed and vanished into the night in an instant, following behind the two servants.

Qin Chaoyang continued to wait for another quarter of an hour before he saw Bai Lihai emerge.

He was wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, and his pale, gloomy profile flashed by as he boarded the carriage.

Qin Chaoyang lightly touched his feet to the ground and followed him toward the Imperial Palace.

Inside Yangxin Hall.

The young emperor had been woken up by Eunuch Hong Fu and made to sit in the main seat in the council hall. He was still half asleep.

Hong Fu stood beside him, facing Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian in their seats on either side.

The six ministers and deputy ministers stood facing them, forming two rows inside the hall.

“Your Majesty,” said Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan, the first to step forward. “The task of repairing the dams in Hexi Prefecture was entrusted solely to Jiannan-wang and the Ministry of Works. Now that such a major blunder has occurred, I believe that both parties should bear full responsibility.”

“Minister Wang speaks so nimbly,” retorted Deputy Minister of Works Xiao Wendao. “Jiannan-wang worked diligently and tirelessly to repair the dams, and the materials used were even better and more expensive than those specified by the Imperial Court. Furthermore, acceptance documents and records were kept for every batch of bricks and stones, with absolutely no mistakes. There is something fishy about this dam breach.”

“Fishy?” Minister of Revenue Su Sheng scoffed. “Is Deputy Minister Xiao implying that Jiannan-wang and the Ministry of Works did not embezzle funds, and that the flooding in Hexi Prefecture can only be attributed to a natural disaster?”

“The breach of the dams is not a natural disaster, but a man-made one.”

Xiao Wendao frowned as he made this resounding statement. “Your Majesty, My Lord, this subject believes that the dam breach was created through deliberate sabotage in order to frame Jiannan-wang.”

“What evidence do you have?” Su Sheng regarded him with cold eyes. “The Imperial Court allocates money every year for dam repairs, yet Hexi Prefecture still suffers from flooding every year. This is due to the Ministry of Works’ insatiable greed and embezzlement, which has led to constant delays in repair work, and now the dams have burst completely! That is the truth, and everyone is clear on this.”

“What is clear is that our department has been diligent and conscientious. For over half a month, none of us have slept a wink due to the dam repair work.” Xiao Wendao sent Su Sheng a cold look. “As for the Ministry of Revenue, they have continuously delayed payments for dam repairs. If Jiannan-wang hadn’t personally filled the gaps in funding, the dams may not have been able to be restored to their original condition.”

Su Sheng neither denied nor admitted that he had deliberately made things difficult, and only said: “It couldn’t even stop two days of heavy rain. The Ministry of Works and Jiannan-wang didn’t necessarily spend more money – it would already be good if they didn’t embezzle funds or use inferior materials.”

“Those determined to find fault will always come up with a pretext. Is Minister Su so determined to have the Ministry of Works convicted of embezzlement?”

“If that isn’t the case, then why were the dams so shoddily built?”

Xiao Wendao bowed deeply toward the head of the table and said in a deep voice: “Your Majesty, the breach of the dams is shrouded in mystery. There must be foul play involved. Seeing as Minister Su is so eager to punish the Ministry of Works, is he perhaps afraid that someone will uncover the inside story?”

This was an attempt to lead the officials toward suspecting Su Sheng.

“Everyone knows the inside story perfectly well,” Su Sheng said calmly. “Jiannan-wang coveted both fame and practical benefits, and treated the dam construction as a joke. It was inevitable that things would turn out this way.”

This was a case of proving one’s innocence by slinging mud at someone else.

Chu Jiubian watched them clash with cold eyes, his heart calm and unmoved. He found it all laughable.

Two counties in Hexi Prefecture had flooded, and tens of thousands of common people were displaced. But at present, these influential people were using the opportunity to attack their political enemies and find ways to gain more benefits.

He swept his gaze over them all, trying to gain insight into their hearts.

Who was the mastermind behind the destruction of the dams?

A young eunuch came from outside, bringing another update.

Qin Xiao took the letter and saw only a few lines of text on the page, detailing the number of people affected by the flooding and the areas that were impacted.

The numbers were alarming.

He passed the letter around to everyone, and it eventually ended up in Chu Jiubian’s hands.

Chu Jiubian looked closely, his eyebrows furrowing.

Behind each one of these cold, hard numbers lay a vibrant life.

At this moment, the young eunuch returned. Hong Fu went out and spoke a few words with him, then returned to Yangxin Hall.

“Your Majesty, My Lord,” he said, eyes lowered. “His Highness Jiannan-wang is waiting outside Yangxin Hall. He states that although the dam breach is unrelated to him, he wishes to personally travel to Hexi Prefecture in order to oversee disaster relief efforts.”

No matter how the dam breach came into being, this major incident was inextricably linked to Jiannan-wang.

The common people were ignorant of the intrigue and backstabbing in officialdom. They only knew that these dams which couldn’t even withstand a heavy rainfall were built by Jiannan-wang.

The same praise the common people had given him for his achievements would now come back to haunt him.

Therefore, Bai Lihai must take a proactive stance and assume some responsibility, “making amends for past mistakes.”

When Hong Fu finished reporting and everyone in the hall had a grasp on the situation, their scrutinizing gazes fell on Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian also glanced over.

There was indifference in the man’s eyes, and his deep features appeared even sharper under the flickering lamplight. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Xiao Wendao spoke again: “Your Majesty, although Jiannan-wang had nothing to do with the dam breach, he is still willing to take responsibility. It would be wise to send him to Hexi Prefecture to provide disaster relief.”

“Having benefitted from the dam repairs, is Jiannan-wang now eyeing the disaster relief funds?” Deputy Minister of Revenue Wang Pengyi said softly.

“You’re making baseless accusations!” Xiao Wendao retorted angrily. “His Highness is clearly attempting to make amends for past transgressions!”

The moment he finished speaking, he realized he had said the wrong thing in his haste, and couldn’t help but look toward Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan.

Wang Pengyi seized the opportunity and immediately countered with a question: “Is Minister Xiao implying that Jiannan-wang has indeed committed a transgression?”

“Deputy Minister Wang, there is no need to fixate on that one word.” Xiao Huaiguan covered his mouth and coughed before continuing, “Since Jiannan-wang is so inclined, we might as well give him a chance.”

He raised his eyes slightly and fixed his gaze on Bai Lihong in the main seat, asking: “What does Your Majesty think?”

After listening all night, Bai Lihong had a grasp on what was happening.

His little face scrunched up, and when his uncle and Xiansheng remained silent, he said: “You’ve all said so much, but why hasn’t anyone suggested how the disaster relief should be provided?”

Shouldn’t the most urgent task right now be discussing how to help the common people?

There was pure confusion in the child’s innocent tone, leaving everyone present speechless.

Suddenly, there was a soft chuckle.

Everyone turned to look at Qin Xiao, Chu Jiubian included.

Qin Xiao lifted a hand to place his teacup on the table.

With a crisp sound, the porcelain cracked, but didn’t shatter completely.

However, beneath the teacup, cracks spidered across the mahogany table. It seemed that even a light touch would cause the entire table to crumble.

“Did you hear that?” Qin Xiao raised his eyes. There was a faint smile playing on his lips, but it only sent chills down one’s spine.

Everyone but Chu Jiubian kept their heads down and didn’t speak.

Only now did they finally realize that they should be thinking about a solution, not about how to crush the Xiao family or help Jiannan-wang redeem himself.

Qin Xiao hadn’t counted on them bringing it up.

He stood up, sweeping his gaze over everyone present: “Tens of thousands of common people in two counties have been displaced. His Majesty needs a solution, and what do you do?”

“You shirk responsibility, attack one another, and argue about who is right or wrong, guilty or innocent.” Qin Xiao’s tone was calm, yet chilling.

He said, emphasizing nearly every word: “Does this Imperial Court belong to your four great families?”

These words caused the expressions of everyone present to shift.

Qin Xiao was implying that those who controlled the court only cared about their own interests and had no regard for the common people.

If this remark were to get out, all of their reputations would be in ruins.

Wang Pengyi started to say something, but Qin Xiao continued: “The Ministry of Revenue will immediately allocate 400,000 taels of silver for disaster relief, and the Ministry of Works will send people to build a temporary levee to hold back the floodwaters.”

“My Lord, the Ministry of Revenue cannot produce so much…..” 

Su Sheng had barely begun speaking when Qin Xiao cut him off: “Aren’t there still hundreds of thousands of taels owed to you under the fine salt agreement? Go find whoever owes you that money.”

The fine salt agreements with the four great families all stipulated that initial payments would be made, with profits to be distributed later.

However, after the agreements were signed, the great families dragged their feet when it came to paying, and the money was never fully collected.

Su Sheng lowered his eyes and acquiesced.

Xiao Wendao wanted to bring up the matter of Jiannan-wang going to Hexi Prefecture again, but the normally inconspicuous Minister of Works Jian Hongzhuo actually stepped forward and said: “Your Majesty, My Lord, this subject is willing to go and personally supervise the construction of the temporary levee.”

A hush fell over the hall.

He seemed oblivious to all of the gazes focused on him.

Qin Xiao looked at him, and said after a few breaths: “Granted.”

Xiao Wendao looked up at Jian Hongzhuo’s back with deep, thoughtful eyes.

He sent Xiao Huaiguan a glance, and when the old man did nothing, he bowed deeply and said: “My Lord, this flooding has far-reaching implications and has caused great harm. It seems that a high-ranking official is needed to oversee this.”

The Minister of Works knew how well the dams were built, and would definitely be able to clear Jiannan-wang of the suspicion of embezzlement.

However, they should also secure disaster relief funds for Jiannan-wang. If he handled this task well, it would be another merit on his record.

“This lord will personally keep an eye on things.” Qin Xiao’s words caused everyone’s expressions to shift.

If Qin Xiao didn’t go, they could have easily found ways to eliminate anything detrimental to them, and then the damage to the dams could only be attributed to a natural disaster.

And even if it was a man-made disaster, it would be enough to kill a group of craftsmen or local officials to settle the matter.

If Qin Xiao went, it would be very difficult for them to accomplish anything of the sort.

But they also knew that if he had made up his mind, Qin Xiao would definitely go.

It seemed that this matter would ultimately not end well.

Chu Jiubian swept his gaze over everyone’s faces one by one, and keenly noticed the resolute determination and murderous intent flashing through their eyes.

Sacrifice a pawn to save the king. It seemed that quite a few scapegoats would have to step forward.

“We will set off first thing tomorrow morning.” Qin Xiao laid out the arrangements. “The Ministry of Revenue will deliver the silver to this lord before dawn. Officials from the Ministry of Works should also be waiting outside the capital before dawn, and as for the Ministry of Personnel…..”

He looked at Chu Jiubian and said: “They will also send someone to lead the effort to dispatch officials from nearby counties for disaster relief assistance.”

From the very beginning, aside from Bai Lihong, only Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian had seats at the table.

Even after the others arrived, Chu Jiubian had not gotten up.

As the Grand Tutor, a first-rank official of the current dynasty, he was qualified to sit here.

But now, Chu Jiubian stood up and accepted the task in his capacity as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

He would go to Hexi Prefecture with Qin Xiao to provide disaster relief.

Not only because he was the Deputy Minister of Personnel, but also because he had grain in his hands.

Four hundred thousand taels of silver sounded like a lot, but the reality was a different story. There were expenses everywhere, and the most urgent task was to build a temporary levee to prevent more towns from being inundated by floodwater.

This would be a considerable expense, and afterwards, shelters would have to be built to house the refugees. With compensation for the families of those who drowned, daily porridge distribution, and medicine for disease prevention, the money would likely run out very soon.

They shouldn’t be gone for more than a few days, and with An Wuji and Hong Fu – who had already taken power – there was no need to worry about Bai Lihong.

Rain was pouring down outside. Having received their orders, the officials hurriedly left Yangxin Hall to make the necessary preparations.

Time was tight and the task was heavy. Everyone needed to get moving.

At the foot of the steps outside the main courtyard of Yangxin Hall, Jiannan-wang Bai Lihai stood in the rain without an umbrella or raincoat. His frail figure swayed precariously as he convincingly put on an act of pitiful self-recrimination.

When he saw everyone come out, Bai Lihai seemed to lose the strength to stand, and staggered to his knees.

Xiao Wendao rushed forward to help him up, and the others offered a few perfunctory words of concern before urging him to leave.

“So many people in Hexi Prefecture are suffering because of me. I really……” Bai Lihai’s voice was choked with emotion.

Wang Pengyi, watching from the back of the crowd, almost disregarded all decorum and rolled his eyes.

Xiao Huaiguan said with an aching heart: “Your Highness, how can you take the blame for this? You are just too kind-hearted.”

As they were speaking, a palanquin carried by eight men appeared at the end of the palace road. Sitting upon it was the dignified Empress Dowager Xiao Ruohan, whose expression conveyed anxiety and concern.

The officials bowed, then left without lingering, leaving only the grandfather and grandson behind. Bai Lihai wept uncontrollably until he fainted, at which point Xiao Ruohan took him to Cining Palace to be seen by an imperial physician.

Inside the hall, Qin Chaoyang appeared out of nowhere, covered in mud.

Hong Fu had already taken Bai Lihong back to his bedchamber, but the child was no longer sleepy, and was pestering Hong Fu to explain to him everything he had heard that night.

Hong Fu explained everything in detail.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian sat across from each other in the eastern courtyard’s council hall, accompanied by the recently-returned Qin Chaoyang.

Qin Chaoyang set down the straw mat he was carrying over his shoulder, and opened it to reveal a corpse.

Chu Jiubian frowned.

“Who is this child?” he asked.

Wrapped in this straw mat was a boy of about ten years of age, completely bare but for the mat.

Because of this, the shocking wounds on the child’s body were fully exposed.

Wearing a dire expression, Qin Chaoyang said: “This child was carried out of Jiannan-wang’s bedchambers.”

With just one sentence, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao instantly understood everything.

“I had someone investigate. The child’s name is Sun Xiaotian. He was the son of a farmer.” Qin Chaoyang looked at the two of them and said, “His mother was selling silk flowers on Convenience Street.”

Silk flowers?

Chu Jiubian recalled that on the day he returned from building the dams, Bai Lihai had purchased a silk flower on Convenience Street for an exorbitant sum, and was thus praised for his benevolence and compassion for the common people.

What benevolence and compassion!

Qin Xiao lowered his dark gaze toward the child’s head.

The child’s hair had been deliberately cut short, so short that it almost looked like……

“Take him away and bury him properly,” he said.

Qin Chaoyang agreed, and wrapped the child back up before taking him away.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were the only ones left in the room.

Silence fell as the storm raged outside.

“That child looked like me,” Chu Jiubian said abruptly.

Almost simultaneously, the cracked table next to Qin Xiao collapsed with a crash, and the teacup fell to the floor with a crisp sound.

Chu Jiubian glanced at Qin Xiao’s gloomy expression and blinked slowly.

“Go pack your things. We leave at maoshi.” Qin Xiao stood up and strode out the door.

Chu Jiubian looked at the two raincoats placed side by side against the wall. After a moment, he got up and put one of them on, then returned to Yaotai Residence.

Before dawn, the disaster relief team headed by Qin Xiao set off for Hexi Prefecture in the heavy rain.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 41 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 43

Ch 5 – Are conflicts a test of character?

“I’m glad to have met you, but I think we should keep a little distance between us sometimes,” Kersz said. “No one has ever treated me this well before. You need to give me some time to adjust.”

Yu Xi gave an “oh,” then set Kersz down.

Kersz laughed brightly: “Anyway, thank you for helping over that…..uh, puddle.”

He gestured toward the small puddle behind him. The water level barely reached the soles of his shoes, and it was only slightly larger than his palm.

“Are you angry?” Yu Xi asked him.

“No, I’m just curious as to why you’re following me around all the time. These surveillance cameras are your eyes and ears. Are you afraid I’ll run away?” Kersz smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes.

“I just want to see what you’re planning to do,” said Yu Xi.

“I’m planning to go for a walk and enjoy the scenery,” Kersz said.

“Okay.” Yu Xi nodded, then waited for Kersz to step forward again.

Kersz: “…..And you? What are you planning to do?”

“Watch you,” Yu Xi said.

Yu Xi really didn’t have anything to entertain himself with. He had already watched those movies and TV shows countless times, and was familiar with every brick and tile across this planet. The only novelty around was Kersz.

“I want to know what’s on your mind. Why do you not express your anger when you’re angry? Keeping it all bottled up can cause problems.” Yu Xi had noticed Kersz’s emotions change several times by listening to his heartbeat, but the human never expressed them.

Yu Xi was analyzing Kersz’s mental journey, which was both interesting and a good way to kill time.

“Isn’t it a good thing that I don’t lose my temper?” Kersz asked.

“It’s not a good thing. I want you to lose your temper with me,” Yu Xi said earnestly. “Human emotions are always like this. They need to be tempered through conflict.”

Kersz: “Then why don’t you get angry with me?”

“How does one get angry?” Yu Xi felt that he had never been angry before.

Kersz: “…..Ai.”

Yu Xi imitated him: “Ai.”

Kersz stopped and turned to look at Yu Xi.

Yu Xi waited.

“If I bare my teeth at you, will you accept it as me getting angry?” Kersz asked.

Instead of answering the question, Yu Xi asked: “Why don’t you run away?”

“For what purpose?” Kersz asked in puzzlement.

“You could steal a starship and head into space,” Yu Xi said. “Then, when you encounter aliens you’re too weak to handle and get yourself seriously injured again, I can come and rescue you.”

Kersz remained silent.

“Why don’t you run?”

Kersz: “Are you interested in playing a domestication game?”

Yu Xi slowly shifted his gaze away.

“I’m a space pirate, not a lunatic. I can clearly see the difference in strength between us,” Kersz said.

Kersz had a plan. He was also testing what sort of “person” Yu Xi was.

He wanted to use Yu Xi for his own benefit to the greatest extent possible, and he couldn’t win him over by losing his temper with him.

“Perhaps we can have a deeper discussion.” Kersz extended a hand to Yu Xi.

“Are we going to discuss the history of ancient humans again?” Yu Xi frowned.

“People have a habit of seeking solace in history,” Kersz said, all smiles.

“But it’s not your history. With all due respect, although you’re human as well, I’m not sure that you’ll ever develop to that level.” Yu Xi said, “Perhaps in the future, you will be targeted by a more advanced warlike civilization and become extinct.”

Kersz: “That’s really disheartening.”

“I thought it might make you happy.” Yu Xi recalled that Kersz’s life had not been very pleasant.

“I’m not interested in the complete destruction of my own kind.”

Kersz said as Yu Xi grasped his hand: “These past years, I’ve been living a life of licking blood from a knife’s edge.”

“I do not recommend licking blood. Blood is a source of biological contamination.”

Kersz, who was about to share some half-truths about his personal journey: ……

“Is it because you’ve never eaten meat that you lick blood?” Yu Xi was a little worried. “Blood is a very common transmission medium. If you lick blood…..wait, do you eat human flesh because you don’t have access to other kinds of meat?”

Kersz: “I told you I’m not a lunatic.”

Yu Xi solemnly shook his head: “I do not recommend eating human flesh, especially raw.”

“I wouldn’t eat it even if you recommended it,” said Kersz.

He felt that he should be more direct and avoid using metaphors: “What I mean is that my life is full of crises.”

“I do not recommend living in a crisis-ridden environment, as it is detrimental to your physical and mental health. Would you like me to help you make an appointment with a psychiatrist?” Yu Xi looked anxious.

“Is there anyone here besides you for me to talk to?” Kersz asked with some surprise.

With a smile, Yu Xi took out a pair of glasses and put them on: “Hello, I am your psychiatrist, Yu Xi.”

Kersz went silent.

Yu Xi noticed Kersz’s heart beginning to race as he stopped walking.

Was it racing out of gratitude or anger this time?

“I don’t need a therapist, I just wanted to express that my past is very complicated! Please take note! I can’t change the parts of my life that have already happened!” Kersz unconsciously raised his voice.

Yu Xi shrank back slightly: “Okay.”

“But I haven’t become what I am because I hate other humans. I’m just unresigned, and protesting my fate. Some humans deserve to die, but not all of them,” Kersz continued.

As he spoke, his defenses abruptly broke down: “How did you manage to steer all of this toward cannibalism and mental illness?!”

“You said it yourself.” Yu Xi didn’t understand what was going on with Kersz. “You drink blood and live under a constant sense of crisis.”

“I don’t drink blood! And the focus of our discussion should be on ‘finding solace in history!” Kersz’s face reddened slightly. “How did even this simple topic get so turned around?!”

Having said this, he pressed a hand to his forehead.

Yu Xi took a step back.

“Apologies.” Kersz hadn’t expected to break down like this.

Yu Xi let out an “ah.”

His voice carried an electric buzz. Kersz looked up at him in surprise, but Yu Xi immediately looked away and refused to meet his gaze.

In human emotional exchanges, conflicts were a series of tests, and relationships that withstood these tests always became more resilient.

But Yu Xi realized that he had overlooked one thing – it seemed that humans had almost never lost their temper with him.

Especially in the later stages of human development, those people had been mild-mannered to the point of indifference.

Yu Xi’s database contained references on methods to handle conflict.

He could say that his understanding of Kersz’s language was not comprehensive enough, which caused an unnecessary misunderstanding. He could apologize and explain the situation.

Yu Xi opened his mouth, but found himself unable to speak.

What if he extended a gesture of goodwill but the other person didn’t respond? What if he found fault with Yu Xi’s words again and got even angrier? Would their conflict escalate?

“Are you alright?” Kersz noticed that Yu Xi was in an abnormal state, and was picking at his own hands.

Yu Xi startled at the sound of Kersz’s voice. He quickly ran a couple of steps to the side, but then realized something and sent Kersz a cautious glance, taking a step back toward him.

The two of them stared at each other.

Kersz raised his arms: “Um…..”

Before he could move, Yu Xi turned and ran.

Yu Xi couldn’t think of how to begin a conversation. He didn’t understand why his mouth felt as if it was glued shut, rendering him unable to speak.

His database informed him that humans exhibited this sort of “flight” behavior, but he was not human. He was a perfectly rational robot.

He shouldn’t have such extraneous emotions.

“Yu Xi!” Kersz had perfectly mastered Yu Xi’s name, and ran after him.

Why was Kersz chasing him? Was it because he wanted to continue their conflict?

Yu Xi increased his speed, and so did Kersz.

Three hours later, Kersz lay dizzily in a hospital bed, his ears ringing.

“I’m really sorry.” Yu Xi sat on the edge of his bed.

“No need to apologize. Just be mindful of the physical limitations of humans the next time you take me for a walk.” Kersz had given up on figuring out Yu Xi’s thoughts.

“No, I’m not apologizing for that. I’m apologizing for not being good at handling conflict,” Yu Xi corrected.

Kersz: “Ah?”

“Your state of health stems from your insistence on chasing me. You are human, and your behavior was no different from attempting to chase after a starship.” Yu Xi felt no need to apologize for this.

Kersz: “Oh.”

“Generally speaking, humans don’t use their legs to keep up with starships. This is common sense. Of course, not every human is…..why is your heart beating faster again? Are you always this angry?”

---

T/N: I’m updating frequently due to the really short chapters, but that might change as the story goes on and they get longer!

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 4 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 6

Ch 4 – Spicy Space Pirate

Once Yu Xi exposed the fact that Kersz wasn’t exactly an honest human, Kersz clearly decided to let loose.

And Yu Xi understood more and more that this was a human who plainly didn’t take his own life seriously.

Did he actually just ask if tobacco was grown here?

Yu Xi hurriedly pulled up various education materials in the hopes that Kersz would realize the dangers of smoking, but Kersz didn’t seem very concerned.

Instead, he began to wonder if Yu Xi had similar vices, such as using semi-dangerous viruses as a sort of drug for androids.

“I usually watch movies.” Yu Xi would not casually harm his body. He didn’t have such strange hobbies.

“You don’t feel any sort of adrenaline rush?”

Kersz felt that Yu Xu was very much like a human. He had even replicated that most primal aspect of human enjoyment.

“Adrenaline rush? You mean seeking pleasure through the illusion of death?” This human seemed to be a bit sick in the head.

“You could say that.” Kersz was currently touring Yu Xi’s botanical garden.

There was a large plot of land here specifically for growing vegetables, and Kersz even saw cows out in the field. According to Yu Xi, they were bionic cows, and he had placed them there because the empty space needed some moving scenery.

“I hope you won’t cause me too much trouble.” Yu Xi said helplessly: “There are no restrictions on me to prevent me from attacking humans.”

Kersz paused: “Is that a threat?”

“It’s not a threat…..at least, as long as you don’t cause me trouble.” Yu Xi suddenly gasped, then took Kersz’s hand and ran forward with abandon.

Had something happened?

Kersz didn’t understand. Wasn’t this planet under Yu Xi’s control? What could put him in such a fluster?

Yu Xi pulled Kersz in front of a cabbage: “Look at it, it’s so round, ah.”

Kersz: “Ah?”

“It’s so round. So perfectly round.” Yu Xi slowly squatted down and gave the cabbage a soft caress.

“Don’t they all look pretty much the same?” Kersz couldn’t see the difference.

“It’s a bit more well-proportioned. Do you like cabbage?” Yu Xi had already instructed the machines in the plant room to mark this cabbage as a priority. That way, it could be harvested later if the human was interested.

Yu Xi used the word ‘cabbage’ in his own language.

“I’ve never eaten it,” Kersz answered honestly.

Yu Xi’s eyes widened: “Do you have any similar plants where you live? What do you call them?” Yu Xi had not yet learned the ancient human word for cabbage.

“I….haven’t seen any.” Kersz shrugged. “To be honest, the meal I had after waking up here is probably the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life.”

Yu Xi was even more shocked: “The stir-fried cabbage and stewed meat soup? The meat was even synthetic.”

The names of these two dishes remained unchanged from what the local humans had called them in the past.

Yu Xi couldn’t believe it: “Your people have starships now, and you’ve ventured into interstellar space. Is the human population too large? Is there very little arable land? But you asked about tobacco leaves, and that is also a plant.”

“Tobacco leaves are so cheap that they cost almost nothing.”

“But vegetables…..” Kersz nodded. “I’ve never really had any experience with them.”

“Your file states that you have a background in military service, but you were later discharged for criminal activity.” Yu Xi took his hand away from the cabbage and stood up. “You wrote that part very vaguely. What crime did you commit?”

Yu Xi rummaged around in his memories. It seemed that the ancient humans had also turned food into a rare commodity during their lifetime. 

“Abuse of authority,” Kersz said, still very vague.

“And then you became a miner. What about your androids?” Yu Xi continued to lead Kersz forward. “Are your androids not intelligent enough to replace humans in the workforce?”

“Although those androids don’t possess emotions as rich as yours, they still handle their work quite well.” As he spoke, Kersz suddenly experienced the urge to smoke again.

Yu Xi was even more uncomprehending. If there were androids, why would humans need to personally handle interstellar mining operations?

But Kersz immediately offered an explanation: “However, the cost of creating them is very high.”

“The more intelligent the android, the higher its price, while humans are very cheap.” Kersz smiled. “Blasting and prospecting is very dangerous. What if those intelligent androids were crushed during cave-ins?”

“It’s different for humans. If they die, their family is given compensation.” The cost of an intelligent android was about the same as a small spaceship. It would likely take the combined compensation money from dozens of dead miners to buy even one.

Yu Xi: ……

“It’s not cost-effective, ah.” Kersz shrugged.

Miners’ wages weren’t low, but their ability to spend that money was limited. Due to the harsh environments of the planets they worked on, Star Express ships only came once every few months.

Those planets were uninhabitable. Stellar winds periodically triggered deadly radiation storms, which forced humans to remain confined to bases year-round. And these bases were only designed to meet their very basic needs.

The rumble of heavy machinery was a constant presence in their ears.

“The cheapest items are cigarettes and alcohol. Oh, and some small toys to meet people’s physical needs.”

Kersz sighed: “To be honest, I feel like when they’re not working, all they have left is their most primal desire – reproduction.”

In fact, even more extreme drugs existed in interstellar society, but the companies didn’t supply those ones to their workers. After all, the companies needed them to remain clear-headed at work so that they wouldn’t have to pay out additional compensation.

Someone getting stuck in a narrow ore vein or experiencing a mine collapse were reasonable losses that the companies could calculate.

But driving oneself to death by being out of one’s mind was considered “extortion.”

“Were you like this too back then?” In his memory, Yu Xi finally located a corresponding stage in the development of his own ancient humans.

“You mean indulging in base desires? I’m a little different. I have a bad temper, and I just want to kill.” Kersz also enjoyed smoking and drinking, but he had no time to think about procreation. He was constantly preoccupied with revenge. 

“I saved almost all of my money, but I still bought some small things. I got a mouse to keep me company. The little thing was very smart, but its lifespan was a bit short.” Kersz liked to play with the mouse to relieve his boredom.

“Humans had miners before they ventured into interstellar space, and mice were indeed their good friends,” said Yu Xi.

“I’ve heard stories like that,” said Kersz.

Yu Xi began to ponder.

Kersz was clearly a human with a very rich life experience and a great deal of trauma.

“Do you need a hug?” Yu Xi asked him.

“A hug with clothes or without?” Kersz countered.

Yu Xi: “…..Can you please stop thinking about selling your body?” Why was Kersz so naturally prepared to fall into depravity? Was it because his life before had been so difficult?

“Your programming doesn’t prevent you from harming humans, so I can only do my best to make you go easy on me,” Kersz lamented.

Yu Xi: “So what you’re saying is that you’re definitely going to cause trouble for me?”

“Isn’t your life boring?” Kersz walked toward Yu Xi with his arms wide open. He hugged him tightly, then loosened his grip. “Perhaps our relationship is like that of a miner and a mouse. You have everything that I envy.”

“But aren’t you lonely? None of this is out of the ordinary for you. You’ve accompanied humanity from birth to extinction.” Kersz proceeded to rest his head on Yu Xi’s shoulder. They were about the same height, so Kersz had to actively lean down. “I think you’ll be able to find a story similar to mine in your memories.”

Kersz lowered his voice: “Or perhaps a hundred times more miserable than mine.”

Yu Xi was indeed able to locate one, but he felt that there was no particular connection between the two.

“You’re obsessed with humanity, and I just so happen to be a human. I’m destined to repeat those clichéd stories in your head, but I pose no threat to you. Just think of me as a little mouse running around and getting into trouble,” Kersz said. “It may be very noisy and annoying, but you would be bored if you killed it, right?”

“Your story isn’t a cliché,” Yu Xi corrected. “If it were really that boring, you wouldn’t have become a reckless space pirate.”

Kersz tilted his head up: “There are plenty of space pirates out there.”

“Then there are many contradictions in the world.”

“I thought you would advise me to be more rational.” Kersz was a little surprised.

“I have seen absolutely rational humans.” Yu Xi didn’t believe that Kersz was capable of that level of detachment. “You don’t have to be rational.”

“You can be angry, and you can lose control. That is your right,” Yu Xi said.

Kersz raised an eyebrow.

“Especially once you realize that you truly can’t leave this planet,” Yu Xi added at the end.

Kersz: …..

“Having a temper tantrum over it isn’t a problem. You can maintain your individuality.” Yu Xi reassured him, “For the sake of your safety, I will not allow you to leave and put your life in danger.”

Kersz slowly released Yu Xi and took a step back.

Yu Xi could hear Kersz’s heartbeat quickening. He was probably angry.

But Kersz didn’t erupt: “With such a large society of humans out there, you really aren’t going to have a look?” Yu Xi seemed to be obsessed with humanity.

Kersz and Yu Xi stared at each other.

After a long period of eye contact, Yu Xi slowly looked away.

He was indeed a little curious.

Just a little. 

If human lives were truly worth so little, could he secretly pick up a few more?

“I’m very familiar with the state of affairs, and I can help you deceive people, ah.” Kersz clutched his chest. “I’m a space pirate!”

Yu Xi: “T-that’s not a good idea.” His gaze dropped to the tips of his toes.

“What kind of people do you like?” Kersz asked.

“I don’t know. I’m just a robot.” Yu Xi felt that he shouldn’t have any specific preferences.

“I can find all sorts of people for you, and you can choose whichever ones you like,” Kersz offered with enthusiasm.

“Not a good idea.” Yu Xi lightly moved the tips of his toes.

“I’m the one who’ll do the kidnapping. I’m a space pirate, and it will be my fault for forcing you into this,” Kersz declared immediately.

“Aiya, this…..” Yu Xi pursed his lips.

Yu Xi felt a bit awkward, but if this was something the human insisted on doing…..

“I-I’ll think about it.” What kind of person did he actually like?

Kersz’s heartbeat slowed down. His adaptability was truly remarkable.

To be honest, if Kersz hadn’t told him, Yu Xi would have never known that the human hadn’t eaten proper food before. At the time, he had acted as if eating it was perfectly normal.

“I work very quickly, and I’m an exceptional space pirate.” Kersz followed Yu Xi around the botanical garden, picking and eating fruit as he went.

As Yu Xi walked, he suddenly noticed that he could no longer hear Kersz’s footsteps.

When he turned his head, he found that Kersz was staring at a vegetable in his hand – a small chili pepper that had been bitten in half.

“Is this poisonous?” Kersz asked Yu Xi.

“No.” Yu Xi shook his head.

“Is it food?” Kersz proceeded to ask.

Yu Xi nodded.

Kersz: “It hurts so much.”

Yu Xi comforted him: “That’s normal.”

Kersz: “Why did the ancient humans like these things?”

Yu Xi felt that Kersz had likely never been exposed to peppers before, and that even if he explained it to him, he wouldn’t understand this kind of self-torture.

However, Yu Xi remembered that people used to equivocate sexiness with “hotness.”

“It makes you sexy,” Yu Xi said.

Kersz: ……

A panel appeared in front of Kersz, reflecting his flushed cheeks and slightly upturned lips.

Kersz: “Wow~”

“Oh, and your orifice will also hurt.” Yu Xi remembered this important bit of information.

Kersz: “My mouth already hurts.”

“Yes, but you should know that humans have two openings.” Yu Xi looked somewhat awkward. “Be careful of your, uh, other one…..”

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 3 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 5

Ch 65 – “I’m starting to like you more and more.”

The scoring was carried out in an orderly manner, with the achievements of each sect in line with the rules. There were no major changes in the rankings of the top ten sects. At most, there was an increase or decrease of one place. Apart from that, it was almost the same as previous years, with Wending Sect firmly at the top.

At last, it was Lingxiao Sword Sect and Tiangong Pavilion’s turn to take the stage. The two sects lined up on either side to hand in their harvests.

Because of Cao Zirui’s fame within his sect, the disciples of Lingxiao Sword Sect spontaneously treated him as the team leader, and waited for their sect leader’s personal disciple to make a splash with his achievements.

The judges counted the plants Cao Zirui produced, and reported a total score: “Six thousand.”

It was slightly higher than Cao Zirui’s own estimation, and could be considered quite good in terms of personal performance. But….Ji Chengyue frowned. This wasn’t enough…..it was far from what he had expected…..

He tried hard to hide it, but a hint of disappointment still leaked into his expression.

Wu Wenbo understood at a glance. He had put all his hopes on this one person, but the result was unsatisfactory. Although Cao Zirui’s personal performance was fine, it wasn’t enough to affect the sect’s ranking. He was relieved that Tiangong Pavilion wouldn’t be at the bottom.

Ji Chengyue was still unable to rid himself of the influence of the past. He heaved a deep sigh, just as he had done in previous years. Cao Zirui’s results were so-so, and his expectations for the others were even lower. It seemed that Lingxiao Sword Sect would place tenth once again.

However, the person up next surprised the two leaders. Fang Yang lifted his storage bag and poured it out. To the judges’ dismay, what he poured out was Yuanling Grass.

The other sects, who hadn’t left after their evaluations and were waiting for the final results, were silent. Everyone’s thoughts were in sync. This was the first time they had seen someone travel thousands of li to a secret realm, only to bring back a bag full of worthless Yuanling Grass. 

Wu Webo couldn’t help but laugh, though he did barely consider his old friend’s face and keep his volume down. 

Ji Chengyue held his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He didn’t want to watch anymore, but Fang Yang’s next move gave him pause.

Fang Yang shook his storage bag until he saw that it was empty of Yuanling Grass. After a moment of thought, he then reached for his sleeve and took out the Ice Grass he had placed there.

The moment this crystal-clear herb appeared, it drew the attention of everyone in the audience.

The judges were also shocked, and gave Fang Yang reevaluating looks. They hadn’t expected a kid at the third level of Qi Refining to be so lucky as to obtain a treasure like Ice Grass.

As everyone knew, Ice Grass grew in the Floating Island Secret Realm, but ever since the secret realm crumbled one hundred years ago, no Nascent Soul cultivators had been able to enter it. So naturally, no one should have the ability to search for Ice Grass on the perilous seabed.

But Fang Yang had actually obtained it. This was definitely not due to his strength, but due to good luck.

Good luck to the envy of others.

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, the judges announced Fang Yang’s score: “1,161.”

A fraction was, of course, from the Yuanling Grass. Even though they held little value, the judges had still diligently counted them one by one.

“I can’t believe it, ah. Your trump card was actually this unassuming brat!” Wu Wenbo exclaimed.

Ji Chengyue said nothing. He just made an unfathomable expression – because he hadn’t expected this either.

The evaluation continued to proceed. Once Wu Wenbo finished marveling at the scores below, he inevitably began to feel a little anxious.

Because of Fang Yang’s unexpectedly high score, the scores between the two sects were very close. Lingxiao Sword Sect was even trending toward overtaking them, and the situation was not optimistic.

Under Wu Wenbo’s tense, anxious gaze, Lingxiao Sword Sect’s score continued to rise. Finally, when there was only one disciple left from each of the last two sects, Lingxiao Sword Sect’s score had passed that of Tiangong Pavilion by a slight margin.

The two sect leaders looked at each other, and the familiarity between old friends turned into a competitive spark in their eyes. The last place finisher would be decided in this battle.

Everyone stared at the final person who walked onto the stage. Although the last person’s score had yet to be announced, Ji Chengyue still felt a sensation of victorious joy in his chest. Because he had an impression of this final person – this was the junior disciple named Feng Ye, who had stood out to him during the competition.

Although Feng Ye’s cultivation level was not high, he possessed profound attainments in swordsmanship, and he had probably gained a lot from this trip.

Moreover, when Feng Ye came before the judges, his expression was very composed, as if he was confident in his actions.

As long as Feng Ye’s score was at least average, their sect would win.

They had been in tenth place for nearly a hundred years, and whether that changed depended on Feng Ye. Ji Chengyue and Wu Wenbo were both experienced Nascent Soul cultivators, but at this moment, they were as nervous as gamblers whose betting results were about to be announced.

They were anxious and eager to see who would be at the bottom.

With countless pairs of eyes fixed on him, Feng Ye stood motionless in front of the judges.

A judge raised his head to meet Feng Ye’s gaze. After staring at each other for a long moment, the judge asked doubtfully: “Where are your elixirs?”

Maintaining his confident expression, Feng Ye shook his head.

What did he mean by shaking his head?

Amidst the bewildered gazes of the crowd, Feng Ye explained calmly: “I didn’t pick any.”

Everyone: “……” You must be kidding.

Considering the abundance of spiritual elixirs in the Floating Island Secret Realm, one could at the very least pick a few Yuanling Grasses like Fang Yang had. How could he not have picked a single one?

The judge was also in disbelief, and looked Feng Ye up and down. The moment he noticed Feng Ye’s daoist robes, he knew that he must have experienced a dangerous battle.

And danger often meant opportunity. Feng Ye might have obtained some particularly precious herbs, but feared showing off his wealth and arousing the greed of others and didn’t dare take it out.

Many people thought the same as the judge, who said on behalf of everyone: “Whatever you have, feel free to take it out. The leaders of all ten major sects are here, so no one would dare rob you.”

Feng Ye glanced around at the aggressive looks around him and realized that no one would believe him if he didn’t take something out.

So he pulled out his storage bag, lifted it upside down by the corners, and shook it downward a few times.

With twin clangs, two spirit stones dropped out.

Beyond that, there was nothing else.

The area was completely silent.

Feng Ye tried very hard not to look awkward.

Feng Ye hadn’t heard what Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were saying while he gave Hao Chen his expressionless, perfunctory response. 

Fang Yang, having found a friend, had completely forgotten about his Useless Shixiong and only reminded Cao Zirui not to go onstage empty-handed. 

Because he had never expected that Feng Ye, who seemed to have been searching elsewhere for most of the day, hadn’t even found a single herb.

It wasn’t like Feng Ye hadn’t had the opportunity to pick them. He just…..forgot……

His only purpose in coming to the Floating Island Secret Realm had been obtaining a Jianmu seed. As for things like elixirs and spiritual stones, he cared little about them.

Therefore, he hadn’t taken a single spiritual stone away from the spirit stone mine in the underwater cave, nor had he picked up any herbs he passed by.

Apart from the Ice Grass he had secretly given to Fang Yang, he had nothing.

Feng Ye hadn’t intended to stand out so much, but after leaving the Floating Island Secret Realm, it was only when he caught sight of the judges that he remembered about the competition. Otherwise, he would have picked a few things to make himself look less conspicuous.

But now that he had come out, he couldn’t go back again and pick any. Even with nothing, he had no other choice but to proceed.

So what appeared to others as confidence was just Feng Ye forcing himself to look calm.

Feng Ye’s final score was zero.

No one had ever received a zero before, and it was likely that no one ever would again.

Ji Chengyue sighed deeply when he saw this result. Hope was followed by disappointment. He had originally hoped to move up one place, never expecting that Feng Ye wouldn’t get any points at all.

Wu Wenbo breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he could finally lay his worries to rest.

Although Lingxiao Sword Sect was ahead, it was only a short lead. The gap between the two sects was only in the single digits. As long as Tiangong Pavilion’s last disciple took out a few herbs, they wouldn’t be in last place.

However, he laid his worries to rest too soon.

The last disciple arrived, waving a small fan.

The tall, slender man who looked like a handsome young master standing before the judges’ podium didn’t seem much like a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion.

Holding his mini fan, Hao Chen smiled at the judges in front of him. The judges returned his smile, waiting for him to present his findings, but Hao Chen didn’t move.

Under the judges’ somewhat uneasy gazes, Hao Chen spread his hands and said the same as Feng Ye: “I didn’t pick a single herb either.”

Complete silence.

Everyone looked at Hao Chen, and then at Feng Ye, who hadn’t had time to leave the stage yet.

Facing these looks from the crowd, Hao Chen was content and at ease, lightly waving his mini fan as he went on his way with no trace of shame. However, Feng Ye didn’t possess Hao Chen’s battle-tested skin. His feigned composure could no longer hold, and he held his forehead as if to hide, attempting to avoid everyone’s gazes.

The judges’ lips twitched, and one of them asked a soul-searching question on everyone’s behalf: “Did the two of you go on a spring outing?”

Feng Ye lowered his head even more. Hao Chen smiled back calmly, as if to ask, “So what?”

Faced with such provocation, the judge slammed the table and demanded: “How can there be such a coincidence? The Floating Island Secret Realm has opened for so many years, and I’ve never heard of anyone going in and leaving empty-handed. One person is bad enough, but why is there a pair of you? Tell me the truth, did you harvest anything? Share it now and stop wasting everyone’s time!”

Under the interrogative looks of the judges, Hao Chen shook his head helplessly and personally handed his open storage bag to the judges.

Feng Ye was so poor that his fellow Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples couldn’t help but want to organize a donation for him. His entire fortune was only two spirit stones, and Hao Chen might be even poorer.

There was not a single spirit stone in his storage bag, nor were there any hidden spiritual herbs or elixirs, only two pieces of clothing.

One was a spare Tiangong Pavilion uniform robe, and the other…..the judge shook out the black daoist robe and said hesitantly: “This looks like…..a Lingxiao Sword Sect uniform?”

In fact, there was no need for hesitation. Cultivators had good eyesight, and although they were some distance away from the judges’ podium, they could still see it clearly. The small sword pattern on the back clearly marked it as the uniform of Lingxiao Sword Sect.

So the question was, why did a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion have a Lingxiao Sword Sect uniform in his storage bag?

The two sect leaders standing side by side exchanged glances of abject confusion.

Only the two people standing on the stage understood the whole picture. When Feng Ye heard the judge’s words, he looked up and saw his familiar old uniform. The array pattern had vanished once it was damaged, and there was a gaping hole in the chest area.

Feng Ye: “…..”

His gaze shifted, tense and slow, from the clothing to Hao Chen’s face.

Their eyes met, and Hao Chen gave him a meaningful smile.

Feng Ye: “……” In fact, it wasn’t just the judges who wanted to ask. He would really  like to know as well.

Why had Hao Chen picked up his old clothes, folded them so neatly, and placed them in his storage bag?

But Feng Ye also had a feeling that he really didn’t want to know the answer. 

“Could you explain?” The judge said on behalf of the crowd, whose curiosity was like the claws of a cat scratching their hearts. He pointed at the clothes in his hands and then looked at Hao Chen again.

Hao Chen gave a slow, calm wave of his fan and replied without hesitation: “It’s not convenient to answer.”

He hadn’t said anything that could cause a misunderstanding, and Feng Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there were no markings on the clothes, so nobody knew that they were his.

However, before he could relax, Hao Chen’s gaze drifted toward Feng Ye with a praise-seeking look that said: Did I do a good job?

The crowd, who originally didn’t know who the owner of the robes was, immediately shifted their gazes to Feng Ye.

Feng Ye: “…..” It’s over.

He could feel their gazes growing hotter and hotter. Clothing, such an intimate thing, had actually been given to another man, and he had even put them away properly. The stories being imagined here couldn’t be told even if they spoke for three days and three nights.

Feng Ye couldn’t just stand there and watch his innocence be destroyed. He couldn’t keep feigning ignorance.

He cleared his throat and took the initiative to admit to the judges: “The robes are mine.”

Amidst the sounds of “oh” and “as expected,” Feng Ye hastily explained: “This disciple of Tiangong Pavilion and I traveled together after entering the Floating Island Secret Realm. We unfortunately encountered a powerful monster and jumped off the shore in order to survive.”

The lie flowed increasingly smoothly, and Feng Ye’s expression was no longer as embarrassed as before: “The land-dwelling monster didn’t dare follow us into the sea, but it refused to give up and lingered along the coast.”

“He and I couldn’t swim back to shore, so we could only swim deeper into the sea in hopes that we could get back to the shore elsewhere. Unfortunately, we encountered an even more powerful monster in the water.”

Feng Ye recalled the fish Hao Chen had transformed into, and while speaking nonsense, he secretly belittled Hao Chen: “That monster was a huge, pitch-black fish like a fat ball, with an extremely bizarre and ugly appearance.”

Hao Chen’s expression was serene at the outset, as he knew that Feng Ye was only using him as a pretext for his lies. But after hearing the last few words, he could no longer remain calm.

He suddenly cut in before Feng Ye could continue, adding agreeably: “Indeed. Not only that, but we also encountered another monster under the sea. It had a hideous face, fangs, and extremely thick claws, and could hold me in the palm of one hand. The most terrifying thing was its cunning. It had plans to lure us into a trap step by step without us noticing. If I hadn’t been alert, Fellow Daoist Feng Ye and I might not have been able to make it back.” 

Hideous face and fangs? He’s talking about me, Feng Ye thought to himself. He sent an unobtrusive glare toward Hao Chen, who thought he had turned the tables, and decided to settle this account later.

He concluded to the judges: “In short, he and I had an extremely close call in the sea and made a very narrow escape back to shore. Afterward, we were exhausted and just wanted to rest. So because we wasted so much time until the secret realm closed, we were unable to pick up anything. As for the robes…..I asked him to wash them in the river for me, and he just forgot to return them.”

Feng Ye hadn’t even made a draft. He just improvised and told a story with just barely passable logic.

Although everyone still had doubts, they reluctantly accepted this.

Because the cultivation levels of these two – one at the third level of Qi Refining and one at the fourth – put them securely at the bottom of all the cultivators who qualified to enter the Floating Island Secret Realm.

By the looks of them, they didn’t have the ability to obtain any precious elixirs at all. Moreover, looking at their simple attire, they lacked any ornaments such as jade pendants. And aside from the storage bags, they didn’t have magic tools capable of hiding anything, so it seemed they had truly harvested nothing.

Thus, although these people belonged to two different sects, they left the stage with the same exact score – zero.

The final scores were announced. Lingxiao Sword Sect secured a narrow five-point win and came in ninth, while Tiangong Pavilion sank to the bottom.

The selection of the top ten sects was complete. As usual, the judges asked whether there were any other sects who wished to challenge the rankings of the top ten.

These ten sects had long histories and profound heritages. Although some of them were in steady decline, a lean camel was still bigger than a large horse, and it was still very difficult for the smaller sects to break into the top ten rankings.

As usual, no one spoke up.

After a short wait, the selection officially ended. Having watched a good show, the crowd gradually dispersed. Everyone returned to their respective sects, boarded their flying contraptions, and departed.

However, the people of Lingxiao Sword Sect and Tiangong Pavilion didn’t part ways. The sects’ two large ships flew side by side. Wu Wenbo was in Ji Chengyue’s cabin, drinking and throwing a tantrum. Unable to accept the fact that his sect was suddenly ranked last, he made trouble for his old friend.

Ji Chengyue was in a good mood, because his sect’s ranking, which had remained unchanged for a century, had finally moved up one place. Therefore, he didn’t pack up the other sect leader and toss him back onto his own ship. 

Since the sect leader of Tiangong Pavilion was staying on Lingxiao Sword Sect’s ship, Hao Chen naturally used it as an excuse to stay as well.

The four of them stood on deck together, leaning against the ship’s railing as they watched the huge ship sail through clouds that swirled before their eyes.

Although Cao Zirui wasn’t familiar with Feng Ye and Hao Chen, he became increasingly familiar with Fang Yang, and could be found wherever Fang Yang was.

“I never expected that Shixiong had encountered so many things, ah,” Fang Yang sighed as he looked at Feng Ye’s tattered daoist robes. He finally knew why his Useless Shixiong was such a mess. 

Feng Ye felt a little guilty that Fang Yang once again believed his lies, so he just gave an ambiguous “Hm.”

Fang Yang turned back toward the cabin where the sound of smashing wine bowls could be heard from time to time, and lamented to Cao Zirui: “When will Sect Leader Wu finish drinking? You haven’t even had a chance to go in and talk to the sect leader.”

Cao Zirui looked over as well and said comfortingly: “There’s no rush.”

Cao Zirui may not have been anxious, but Fang Yang was. He was an impatient person who didn’t like to drag things out, and wanted to solve problems as soon as he could.

So he pulled Cao Zirui along as he ran to the cabin door, intending to see how drunk Sect Leader Wu was.

As a result, only two people were left on deck, with most of the disciples resting in the cabins. They were different from these four. Most of them had searched day and night without sleep, but Feng Ye and the others had slept peacefully for a night in the Floating Island Secret Realm.

Seeing that no one else was around, Hao Chen couldn’t wait to start before Feng Ye could even settle accounts: “Is there something wrong with Fellow Daoist Feng Ye’s eyes? Why can you not tell fat from thin, and beautiful from ugly?”

How was he fat! Among fish, he was definitely a handsome, elegant, and suave individual. How could Feng Ye use that adjective to describe him?

Feng Ye replied: “Fellow Daoist Hao Chen’s eyesight is also poor. How can he describe an ordinary face as hideous and fanged?”

“Fellow Daoist Feng Ye, do you know that the wicked are the first to complain?”

“Of course I know. Don’t I have a ready-made example right here?” Feng Ye glanced at him, using his eyes to remind Hao Chen of his good deeds.

Hao Chen had clearly done it on purpose. He had looked at Feng Ye when everyone was suspicious about the origin of the daoist robes, successfully drawing everyone’s attention to him.

Hao Chen narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. When it came to the question of who was wicked first, it was difficult to tell. 

They began to count on their fingers all of the accounts they had to settle with each other, big and small. There were big ones like how they had battled in an underwater melee, and small ones like who swept fallen leaves over to the other’s side first when they were sweeping the floor at the sect. 

In the end, even ten fingers on both sides were not enough to figure out who had started it first.

As the two of them counted out grudges old and new, they realized that so much had happened between them, from their chance meeting when they were strangers to settling accounts on a ship together now.

Feng Ye couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Hao Chen. Although they had only known each other for a handful of days, they got along as if they were old friends.

Coincidentally, Hao Chen was also looking back at him.

When their eyes met, all resentment vanished. It was unknown who laughed first, but the other seemed to have been infected and began to chuckle as well. 

Feng Ye shook his head with a smile, lamenting how he was going backward as time went by. He had actually done so many childish things in his anger toward this person.

Before meeting Hao Chen, he had never imagined that after growing more and more stable in adulthood, he could still have a childish side.

But it had all happened so naturally.

Feng Ye turned from leaning his back against the railing to leaning on it with his arms, lying halfway over it. Wind blew across his forehead and filled the raised sail behind him.

He gazed out at the rolling sea of clouds, looking through the haze at the small but magnificent world under a thousand li of sky.

Looking down from the clouds, the mountains looked like a long dragon winding its way across the land, with occasional towns scattered across its body. Although no sound could be heard, one could sense the hustle and bustle of life by watching the rising trails of smoke.

The magnificent mountains and rivers of the mortal world shrunk by countless orders of magnitude to reflect in Feng Ye’s eyes. As he gazed at the peaceful, happy scene below, his expression gradually became very gentle and serene.

Feng Ye said nothing further, his thoughts unreadable, and Hao Chen said nothing either.

But as Feng Ye gazed out at the sea of clouds, Hao Chen turned his head toward him.

“Feng Ye.” For the first time, he addressed Feng Ye without a suffix, intimately calling him by name.

“En,” Feng Ye responded faintly, not turning his head.

With a hint of joy in his voice, Hao Chen said half-truthfully: “I seem…..to be liking you more and more.”

Feng Ye laughed again upon hearing this. He still didn’t turn his head, but he could probably imagine Hao Chen’s expression. 

What half-truth? To Feng Ye, it was all fake. This was just another one of Hao Chen’s habitual jokes, and as usual, Feng Ye didn’t take it seriously.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 64 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 66

Ch 3 – Not a greedy robot

Yu Xi was a quick learner. Even though Kersz was his only source of reference material, after quickly comprehending the vocabulary and correcting any errors, he was able to unilaterally communicate with Kersz in the human’s own language.

Kersz was shocked to learn that Yu Xi was an android – a combat android in particular.

Yu Xi felt that the term ‘android’ was insufficient to describe him, because he was much more ancient than androids. He had been wandering around human homes before androids were even created.

He had started as a robot vacuum cleaner, but the family’s children treated him like a pet, and when the cat and dog at home died of old age, the young children stayed by his side every day.

After that, the homeowners installed a more comprehensive language system for him. He experienced his share of malfunctions, but the homeowners never abandoned him.

Then the couple grew old. Their children grew up, and Yu Xi became evidence of their parents’ love.

Thus, he gradually drifted away from his original mission. New functions were continuously added to him, and he was given many new emotions.

In the end, humanity decided to join hands and run toward “true eternity.” They took everything they had created with them, and when they finally landed on this planet again, they were puzzled by its backward architecture.

They soon discovered Yu Xi, who still maintained the appearance of an ancient human.

“Ancient humans?” Kersz felt that this was all too fantastical.

“You’re just like one. You still live in a body with a limited lifespan, and still have to worry about eating, drinking, and getting injured,” Yu Xi explained.

“Then what did the new humans look like?” Kersz asked.

“It’s very hard to describe. They were no longer made out of flesh and blood, and were instead tall, white beams of light.” Yu Xi said, “They probably couldn’t even be called living beings anymore. They had no gender and did not reproduce. They were simply ancient souls, all-knowing and all-seeing. I have absolutely no idea what their hearts were like.”

Kersz let out a hiss: “Then what exactly were they?”

“They were still humans.”

The last group of humans communicated with Yu Xi for a long time. They sat beside him, listening to him recount his long and somewhat boring experiences, as well as his criticisms of their current appearance and aesthetics.

Yu Xi was actually prepared to disappear along with humanity. But then humanity gave him this galaxy, patted him on the head, and left. Yu Xi never saw them again.

Kersz touched his arm and felt the goosebumps there.

So it turned out that Yu Xi was indeed something created by humans, but those “humans” were clearly different from the ones he knew.

Yu Xi held the same opinion: “Humans like you are from the other side of the universe, and your evolution perfectly replicates the path of humanity as I understand it.”

“This is simply a miracle.” Yu Xi sighed with emotion. So many years had passed. He had thought he would entertain himself on this planet forever, until the end of his life.

But by sheer coincidence, a completely new “old friend” had suddenly appeared and landed here.

Kersz fell deep into thought.

Yu Xi must have some kind of obsession with humanity, otherwise he wouldn’t have maintained his appearance as an “ancient human.”

“Do you want me to stay here?” Kersz asked Yu Xi.

Yu Xi leaned back slightly: “There’s no way for you to leave.”

“I’m not a good person,” said Kersz.

Yu Xi nodded: “I’ve discovered that you are a human who’s very good at disguising yourself.”

“Then you collect people without consideration for their moral fiber?” Kersz continued to sound him out, “There’s something wrong with my fiber.”

“All of the humans from here are dead. Morality has no purpose.” There were no laws here anymore.

“You are a very complex human…..” Yu Xi paused at this point, realizing that he couldn’t state his purpose directly. He needed to present it in a more appealing way.

Before Yu Xi could modify his approach, Kersz said frankly: “Then I’ll sell myself to you.”

Yu Xi: “Ah?”

“If you have no objections, I’ll sell myself to you.” Kersz rested his arms on the table, leaning forward slightly. “Would you like my detailed information?”

“Give it to me, thank you.” Yu Xi moved a semi-transparent panel in front of Kersz.

After handing over the panel, Yu Xi wondered if he had been too direct: “You don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind,” Kersz said as he filled out his information. “Honestly, I thought I was done for this time. I never expected to encounter such a miracle.” 

And this truly was a miracle.

In the vast, uncharted universe outside the star map, there existed such a “ruin” belonging to ancient humans. This place was definitely full of treasures, and Yu Xi was a treasure himself. One could glimpse the development of those ancient humans through him.

Kersz didn’t feel that he was losing out by giving himself to Yu Xi.

“Perhaps I can help you abduct more humans.” Kersz looked toward Yu Xi.

Yu Xi: “Is this you indirectly asking to return to your world?”

Kersz gave him a brilliant smile.

Yu Xi also raised the corners of his mouth, though his smile was very standard.

“I was just thinking that in my world, there are many people without parents. I’m one of them too, of course, but I seem to be too old.” Kersz seemed to be taking Yu Xi’s best interests into account. “Developing feelings for you would be very difficult.”

Yu Xi looked at him.

“Naturally, I’m aware of this. But even if I don’t develop feelings for you right away, there’s nothing I’m unwilling to do.” Kersz had never possessed a bottom line. “Don’t mention just cuddling me in my sleep. Even if you were a human with physiological functions, I would still…..”

“I have them,” Yu Xi cut in.

Kersz: “What?”

“If you are referring to the pleasure that humans once derived from reproduction, I have that function too,” Yu Xi explained.

Kersz leaned back slightly: “May I ask what you did for a living before?”

“I served as a family heirloom. But this function is something I developed myself after humankind went extinct.” Yu Xi had wanted to experience sleep, and also wanted to experience that kind of pleasure.

Kersz thought for a moment, then pulled open his jacket: “Then do you require any special services from me?”

Yu Xi: …..

“You must harbor resentment toward those humans who abandoned you. Now, you can pin one of those heartless people beneath you.” Kersz reached out and pressed a hand to Yu Xi’s chest. “To be honest, quite a few people have complimented me on my physique.”

Yu Xi: “…..May I ask what you did for a living before?”

“I was a respectable space pirate.” Kersz let out a sigh. “But that might not be the case in the future.”

“You mean you can’t be a space pirate anymore?” Yu Xi asked.

“I can’t be respectable anymore.” Kersz continued to write down his work history and background.

So that meant he still wanted to be a space pirate?

Feeling somewhat helpless, Yu Xi covered the back of Kersz’s hand with his own.

“Ah? You want to get started now?” Kersz was very shocked.

Yu Xi noticed that his other hand had already undone the first button on his shirt, and spoke faster: “What I mean to say is that being a space pirate is dangerous.”

Kersz put down his hand: “Is that so? True, it was really dangerous. I almost died.”

“Do you like men?” Yu Xi withdrew his own hand.

“I don’t know. I’ve never liked anyone.” Kersz smiled. “My career has kept me busy.”

His career as a space pirate? Yu Xi tilted his head slightly: “Then are you perhaps a bit mentally unstable?” Otherwise, why would he have fallen into corruption so smoothly?

“Some people have accused me of that, but I haven’t been able to find a problem with my brain,” Kersz said earnestly.

Yu Xi mentally labeled Kersz as someone who really enjoyed talking nonsense.

“With me, you can have everything a human being at this stage in development could want.” Yu Xi stood up, bracing himself against the table. “You will no longer have to worry about money in the future, and the entertainment facilities here are more than enough to keep you happy for the rest of your life.”

Kersz looked at Yu Xi and said: “This place is simply paradise.”

Treacherous human. Yu Xi smiled again and said in his own language: “Unfortunately, it won’t satisfy you.”

Kersz: “What did you say?”

“My language system malfunctioned,” Yu Xi explained. “I said that you are a human who is good at expressing yourself.”

“Thank you for the compliment.” Kersz finished filling out the form.

“By the way, I don’t know if you’ve realized, but you’re actually not that much like an android.” With his hands resting on his thighs, he appeared exceptionally honest.

“I was never an android.” Yu Xi was born long before there were androids.

“What I mean is that you don’t look stiff and inflexible. You look very human.” Kersz’s smile widened. “Greedy, like me.”

Yu Xi’s feelings toward humans must be very complex. His desire to possess humans stemmed more from emotion than reason.

“Thank you. Is your mouth always so sweet?” Yu Xi found Kersz to be increasingly slick.

Kersz: …..

Did Yu Xi misunderstand the meaning of ‘greedy’ in his language?

Yu Xi’s understanding was correct. He simply felt that the word “greedy” could, in a sense, represent vitality.

Greedy people were always so lively. 

So lively that they gave him a headache.

Yu Xi was definitely not greedy. He wouldn’t try to possess all of the new humans.

He had only picked up one, and it seemed to be one that no one else wanted.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 2 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 4

Yangxin Hall, in the eastern courtyard.

There was a connecting corridor along the courtyard wall. From the gate, it passed through the east side room, the main council chamber, the west side room, and then returned to the courtyard gate.

One side of the corridor was lined with benches against the wall, while the other side featured a waist-height mahogany railing.

On that railing, pots of jasmine flowers bloomed like snow.

When seated on a bench, one could take in the entire view from among the flowers.

Large raindrops pattered against the roof of the covered walkway and dripped down the eaves to pool beneath them. The water surged toward lower ground, flowing out through open drains and eventually making its way through underground channels to enter the pond in the Imperial Gardens.

Today was a rest day, and Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had just spent some time reviewing memorials in the council hall.

Seeing the torrential rain outside, the two strolled two laps around the covered walkway in the fresh air, their clothes picking up the faint fragrance of jasmine.

Chu Jiubian stopped when he got tired and extended a hand to feel the rain.

Standing beside him, Qin Xiao fixed his gaze on the inside of the other’s wrist, where he could see those faded, almost invisible criss-crossing scars.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his hand, fingertips wet with rain, and a handkerchief was handed to him from the side.

He took the handkerchief and wiped his hands, then went and sat down on a bench.

Qin Xiao followed him and sat down two fist-widths away, gazing with deep eyes at the pounding rain.

“They’re getting fainter,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian glanced down at the scars on his wrist and said: “With my divine power gradually returning, the scars left from my days as a mortal will naturally fade.”

This indicated that these injuries had been inflicted when he was “human,” and that since his descent to the mortal realm, his divine power had not yet fully returned and his scars were still visible.

Now that his divine power was slowly recovering, these scars would heal.

He had been using the scar-removal cream for half a month, and the shallower scars on his body had all vanished, making his skin as smooth as before.

He figured that if he used it for another half month, the scars would be gone entirely.

Chu Jiubian couldn’t possibly take off his clothes for Qin Xiao to see. Wouldn’t that be strange?

So he could only show him the scars on his wrist. But these injuries were quite heavy and deep, and it would take another half month for them to completely disappear.

He couldn’t wait any longer, which was why he had deliberately shown off the changes to his wrist now.

He figured that if Qin Xiao noticed, he would take the opportunity to boast again. If not, he would just find another chance to show off.

Fortunately, the keen-eyed Qin Xiao noticed immediately.

After casually finishing his act, Chu Jiubian placed the handkerchief in his lap.

And as soon as he put it down, Qin Xiao took it back.

Chu Jiubian knew that Qin Xiao wasn’t a germaphobe, since he’d drunk out of Chu Jiubian’s teacup before.

So this handkerchief was the same. Let alone a handkerchief that was used to wipe away rain, even if it was covered in mud, the other party could have it washed and then continue using it.

He just probably wouldn’t use it to wipe his mouth anymore.

So Chu Jiubian thought nothing of it, and didn’t even glance at the handkerchief again.

Qin Xiao didn’t look at it either. He simply held it in his hand, occasionally stroking it with his fingertips.

Besides the two of them, there were only a few palace servants sweeping and cleaning in the eastern courtyard. Since it was raining outside and the two masters weren’t in need of their services, the palace servants remained inside.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were alone in the courtyard.

The curtains of rain became an ideal screen, separating this corridor into its own small, independent space. The sound of the rain and the occasional rumbles of thunder drowned out all other noise.

Qin Xiao didn’t press for details about his so-called “divine power,” and Chu Jiubian didn’t offer them.

They sat there in silence for a long stretch of time.

It seemed that since the very beginning of their acquaintance, there had always been a pervasive silence between them.

But the initial silence had contained vigilance and defensiveness. Later, as their cooperative relationship grew more stable, that defensiveness was replaced by tacit understanding. But there was always this subtly awkward, suffocating feeling.

Nowadays, they had grown accustomed to these occasional silences and found them rather comfortable.

Chu Jiubian’s mind drifted a bit until Qin Xiao handed him a piece of paper.

“I’ve found all of the people you asked me to find,” said Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian had previously written a list of all of the skilled craftsmen he wanted Qin Xiao to find, and in just a few days, he had already found them all.

He took the paper, upon which were clear notes on the people’s identities.

There were twenty people in total, including those skilled in agriculture, law, mathematics, medicine, carpentry, blacksmithing, textiles, and embroidery.

Two of these people were members of the Qin family, but most of them were unknown.

These ordinary people perfectly fit Chu Jiubian’s requirements: a clean family background, the ability to learn quickly, and most importantly, obedience.

Chu Jiubian was confident in these peoples’ obedience, because they all had families.

Qin Xiao had thoroughly investigated their backgrounds, and would provide secret protection for their family members.

Of course, said protection could also become a constraint on these people if it came to that point.

Chu Jiubian wanted to pass on many inventions and skills from the future to these people. And such things could not be spread for the time being, so he required their absolute loyalty.

But human nature was unpredictable, so there was a failsafe in place as well.

After carefully reading through it, Chu Jiubian put the paper in his sleeve, where he actually put it into his spatial storage.

“These people were all found in the capital and the surrounding counties. If you need, I can send people to even more distant places,” Qin Xiao said.

“No need, these are enough.”

Chu Jiubian’s goal wasn’t to cultivate geniuses. Rather, he wanted to quickly train a group of lecturers, who would teach students, who would later go on to pass the Imperial Examinations.

Students capable of passing the Imperial Examinations must be absolutely outstanding.

But as long as they came into contact with the knowledge and experience Chu Jiubian wanted them to have access to, those students who specialized in specific areas would be able to apply what they learned in other situations, and achieve greater success in their areas of expertise.

It was fine if these students’ achievements surpassed those of their lecturers.

Because the most important role of these lecturers was to act as Chu Jiubian’s “mouth,” helping him spread this knowledge and experience so that he didn’t have to teach batches of students himself.

And this saved Qin Xiao the trouble of having to expend money and manpower to find more capable people, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I want these people?” Chu Jiubian turned his head to glance at Qin Xiao.

From this angle, the man’s profile was remarkably well-defined, especially his striking brow and high, straight nose. Even someone like Chu Jiubian, who had worked in the entertainment industry, had to give him praise.

Qin Xiao said: “This is something I promised you.” Therefore, Qin Xiao didn’t care what Chu Jiubian did with these people.

Chu Jiubian smiled and said: “Your credibility with me has increased a little bit.”

Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow: “Was it very low before?”

“What do you think?”

Qin Xiao thought back carefully and realized that, apart from that first bet with Chu Jiubian, which he had reneged on, it seemed he hadn’t deceived the other party again. So why did Chu Jiubian think he was untrustworthy?

Chu Jiubian didn’t continue the topic: “I never intended to hide this from you.”

Qin Xiao turned to look at him.

“Do you remember that you still owe me a favor?” Chu Jiubian raised his eyes slightly to meet his gaze.

Having signed a letter of guarantee, he naturally hadn’t forgotten the terms.

“I remember,” Qin Xiao said. “What do you need me to do?”

Thunder rumbled.

A burning passion flickered across the young man’s picturesque features, and there was even a glimmer of light in those pale, inorganic eyes.

Like lightning flashing through the clouds, it left Qin Xiao momentarily stunned.

When Chu Jiubian spoke, his tone revealed a fiery ambition: “Qin Xiao, have you ever thought about changing the selection system for officials?”

Qin Xiao’s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes darkened.

He had thought about it.

He thought about it all the time.

The selection system for officials in Great Ning was destined to result in deep entanglements among them.

The recommendation system was actually the most effective tool for powerful families to form cliques, pursue private interests, and control the court.

Qin Xiao had naturally considered abolishing the system, but that was easier said than done.

Leaving aside how those court officials would oppose it, just figuring out what kind of system to replace the ‘recommendation system’ with was already a difficult problem.

Regardless of the system, it was inevitable that there would be entanglement between superiors and subordinates, and that officials would engage in bribery and form cliques.

But Great Ning needed the Imperial Court, and the Imperial court needed officials. The selection of officials could not be stopped.

Therefore, if they wanted to break down the entrenchments of the recommendation system, they needed a more advanced system to replace it.

This system also could not harm the interests of these court officials from the outset, or implementing it would be very difficult.

Qin Xiao stared at Chu Jiubian and said in a slightly deep voice: “You intend to change the recommendation system.”

“That’s right.” Chu Jiubian loved the feeling of someone being able to guess his thoughts after just one opening remark.

“When wealthy and powerful families hold the power of recommendation and selection, countless people will rush to serve them. If we simply return the power to select officials to the Imperial Court, countless people will rush to serve it.”

Qin Xiao naturally understood this principle.

But even if this power was returned to the Imperial Court, someone still needed to be responsible for implementing the relevant matters.

And he had no one at his disposal.

Plus, even if he had capable people under his command, there weren’t enough vacant official positions for him to fill.

The factions within the government were deeply intertwined, inseparable from one another, and no matter who was moved, it could have far-reaching consequences.

The Imperial Court still needed people in order to accomplish things, and Qin Xiao couldn’t just keep killing them one after another.

Moreover, among these officials who were dependent on powerful families, many of them were also working diligently for the common people, and Qin Xiao couldn’t possibly cut them out as well.

This was the crux of the problem that prevented him from breaking ties with the noble families for the time being.

Chu Jiubian knew his concerns, and didn’t intend to take drastic measures right from the outset.

He didn’t intend to send people to the provinces to steal the jobs of others the moment the Imperial Examinations ended. What he wanted was to proceed gradually, like boiling a frog, silently completing each step of the plan.

“I understand,” he said. “So what I want to do is open a school.”

“A school?” Qin Xiao frowned.

Nowadays, families with even minor financial standing would establish clan schools, where elders taught the younger generations to read and write. Then they would select those with talent, help them gain renown, and cultivate relationships with them.

Then, when these children reached adulthood, they would smoothly enter the court as officials.

Thinking of this, Qin Xiao realized what Chu Jiubian wanted to do with those talents from all walks of life.

He wanted those people to teach students various skills.

This wasn’t unusual. Even among noble families, there were younger members who were not suited for officialdom. In such cases, there were other ways to cultivate them, perhaps by having them manage the family business or by refining certain skills, such as embroidery.

But Chu Jiubian was only one person, so what resources did he have to start a school?

Who would he choose as his students?

Even including the younger generation of the Qin family, there weren’t many available.

Unless…..

A possibility suddenly occurred to Qin Xiao, and his breath hitched.

Unless the students of this school would come from other families, or even from among the common people of Great Ning!

Lightning flashed, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.

Chu Jiubian met the man’s gaze without flinching.

He knew that if he just revealed a hint of his thoughts, Qin Xiao would be able to figure it out.

From the very beginning, Chu Jiubian had never intended to establish an Imperial Examination system like those of later generations. He intended to select a group of people to be trained at the “Imperial Academy” and then help them gain fame.

When the whole world knew how outstanding the students from the Imperial Academy were, when the common people felt longing when they heard the name of the school, when the reputations and talent of the students of the Imperial Academy surpassed that of most officials in court…..

Then, the time would come.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao could remove the thorns in their sides from the court one by one, and then have the students from the Imperial Academy replace these people in various official positions.

This would be the will of the people, and the logical course of action.

The advantage of doing it this way was that initially, it wouldn’t cause too much tension among the noble families.

These powerful families had been unbridled for too many years. Their arrogance and conceit had been ingrained into their very beings, and they looked down on the common people and weaker families.

Therefore, even if they knew that Chu Jiubian intended to select outstanding students from among these people, they wouldn’t take it seriously.

In their minds, truly capable scholars, writers, and craftsmen could only be the product of established families.

But Chu Jiubian didn’t share that mindset.

In such a vast territory as Great Ning, there were bound to be areas beyond the reach of the noble families, and there were always capable people who disdained the noble families but wanted to do truly practical things for the country and its people.

These were Chu Jiubian’s initial targets.

He would exploit the arrogance of those powerful noble families.

Qin Xiao withdrew his gaze and turned his head to watch the increasingly heavy downpour outside the corridor.

He softly stroked the handkerchief in his palm with his fingertips, and remained silent for a long while..

Time ticked by.

Chu Jiubian admired the curtains of rain, completely unperturbed.

He was confident that his plan would sway Qin Xiao.

After a while, the downpour subsided somewhat, and Qin Xiao spoke again.

“Once the government order is issued, it will need to be publicized,” he said.

Wang Huanzhi had previously ordered people to distort the truth, to say that Qin Xiao was a madman who killed without hesitation – but Wang Qichen had easily reversed the narrative.

Xiao Xiangzi had been very animated while explaining this matter to Chu Jiubian. The gist of it was that, for some unknown reason, several renowned scholars and Confucian masters had suddenly begun to angrily denounce Wang Huanzhi for spoiling his son, which had led to his death.

They said that Qin Xiao had only killed Wang Wenfu for violating an Imperial Edict, and that he didn’t harm the rest of the family was already a sign of his leniency and benevolence.

Those who had previously slandered Qin Xiao also shut their mouths and didn’t even dare to refute – because what they said was true. Wang Wenfu was the one who deserved to die a thousand deaths.

After this, Chu Jiubian had a firm grasp on the other party’s strength.

With Wang Qichen, a master of public opinion, spreading the news about the “Imperial Examinations” throughout Great Ning would be a piece of cake.

“I have someone who will spread the word,” said Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao fell silent once again.

He got up and paced to the other side of the corridor, letting the cool breeze carry fine raindrops to his face.        

Chu Jiubian stayed where he was, eyes fixed on the man’s straight shoulders and back.

After some time, Qin Xiao turned around to look at him.

Against the mahogany corridor and pure white jasmine, he seemed to blend into the rain and become one with everything in Chu Jiubian’s field of vision.

“My people will protect the students who register,” Qin Xiao said.

This meant he agreed with Chu Jiubian’s idea – and he was even offering him absolute military support in order to prevent some cautious old foxes from nipping these students in the bud.

“I will take full responsibility for this matter,” said Chu Jiubian.

“Alright.” Qin Xiao didn’t hesitate for a second.

Chu Jiubian was actually somewhat surprised.

Qin Xiao must know how important the Imperial Examinations were, so why did he agree to let him take charge of them so easily?

As he got up and walked to Qin Xiao’s side, he heard him chuckle softly.

Turning his head, Chu Jiubian met the man’s smiling eyes.

“Using the money earned from selling fine salt to noble families to cultivate people to replace them…..the Young Master’s tactics are truly brilliant,” Qin Xiao said.

Chu Jiubian’s lips curved: “Same to you.”

Their eyes met, and Qin Xiao looked away first with another soft chuckle.

Chu Jiubian suddenly remembered something and said: “Has Zhao Qianhe already been exiled?”

“He left during Qixi Festival,” said Qin Xiao.

The previous Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had left the capital quietly while no one was paying attention.

After serving as an official for so many years, in the end, he was left all alone. It was difficult to say if his whole family would make it to their place of exile.

Chu Jiubian had only asked casually, but he said worriedly after receiving this answer: “Are you sure everything is alright in Hexi Prefecture?”

“I had someone investigate. The dams are indeed structurally sound,” Qin Xiao said.

Bai Lihai wanted a good reputation, so he dared not cut corners. But just to be on the safe side, Qin Xiao had sent someone to examine the dams. As it turned out, the dams were of the highest quality, with top-notch materials and workmanship.

“That’s good.” Relieved, Chu Jiubian nodded.

*

*

The fourteenth.

Torrential rain fell for the third day in a row.

Cangzhu Medical Clinic, Yunlu County, Hexi Prefecture.

Early in the morning, Dong Sanzhuang brought the heavily-pregnant Dan Niang over despite the rain. He was soaked to the bone, but he shielded Dan Niang very well, and only her socks and shoes got a little wet.

But once they got inside, he disregarded the rainwater sticking to his body and carefully helped Dan Niang sit down on a chair, then hurriedly called for the doctor to come and examine her.

“Doctor, please take a look at my wife. She just fell in the yard, will she be alright?”

The doctor, an old man with a long beard, quickened his pace upon hearing this and took Dan Niang’s pulse.

Dan Niang anxiously gripped the man’s hand. Dong Sanzhuang was also nervous, but forced himself to remain calm and patted his wife’s hand to reassure her.

After a while, the doctor withdrew his hand and said: “Don’t worry, you’ve done well with this pregnancy. The baby is moving slightly, so there is no cause for alarm.”

The young couple’s anxiety instantly subsided, and smiles appeared on their faces at last.

“I’ll prescribe some medicine to help with the pregnancy. Take it at home for a few days, and I guarantee everything will be just fine,” the doctor said.

Dong Sanzhuang thanked him profusely, then followed him to retrieve the medicine.

The doctor instructed his young apprentice to cook the prescription, and said to the couple: “It’s raining heavily outside, and there aren’t many people in the clinic. Why don’t you wait here for the rain to subside before leaving?”

The two immediately expressed their deepest gratitude.

Fifteen minutes later, the medicine in the back was almost ready and the rain showed no signs of letting up.

The apprentice brought out the medicine, and after thanking them, Dan Niang breathed a sigh of relief. She thought she should drink all the bitter medicine in one go.

But just as her lips touched the medicine bowl, a small group of soldiers in soft armor rushed into the clinic with swords on their hips.

Dan Niang’s hand jolted, causing some of the medicine to spill and scald her, which in turn made her tremble even more.

Dong Sanzhuang was also startled, and his first instinct was to shield his wife behind him.

They were an honest and law-abiding family who hadn’t offended anyone, so these soldiers shouldn’t attack them without reason.

But in the next moment, Dong Sanzhuang saw the soldiers walking toward him.

“Are you Dong Sanzhuang?” the leading officer asked.

The medicine bowl fell to the floor. Dan Niang reflectively stood forward and clutched her husband’s hand.

Dong Sanzhuang’s face paled, but he forcibly maintained his composure and said: “I am. May I ask this official…..”

But before he could finish his question, the leading officer said: “Take him away.”

The other soldiers quickly restrained Dong Sanzhuang with ropes and dragged him out, holding him from both sides.

“Husband!” Dan Niang, terrified and completely at a loss, hurriedly followed them out.

Dong Sanzhuang’s face was deathly pale, but upon hearing his wife’s cry, he immediately turned his head to shout back at her: “Don’t be afraid, Dan Niang! I haven’t done anything wrong or offended anybody. It must be a misunderstanding. Go home and wait for me!”

“Husband!” Dan Niang wouldn’t listen at all.

Tears streaming down her face, she staggered out of the clinic. Although she chased after the group, the soldiers were too fast for her to keep pace.

The old doctor and his apprentice caught up with her and held her back, pulling her back to the clinic as they coaxed her.

It would be a disaster if she were to trip and fall.

Dan Niang began to wail.

Both the doctor and his apprentice were soft-hearted, and the apprentice said: “Don’t cry, I’ll go see what’s going on. If it’s a misunderstanding, your man will definitely come back soon.”

Dan Niang had absolutely no idea what to do, so when she heard this, she immediately knelt on the floor and kowtowed repeatedly.

The doctor hastened to help her up, and the apprentice threw on a raincoat and dashed out the door, heading in the direction Dong Sanzhuang had been taken.

The apprentice was small and thin, but he managed to catch up with Dong Sanzhuang and the soldiers while concealing himself the whole way.

At the sight before him, his knees went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

In the distance, at the entrance of the government office, there stood many soldiers in neat rows – and there were two executioners with longswords standing in the middle!

Directly in front of them knelt dozens of simply-dressed farmers, Dong Sanzhuang among them.

He had ropes all over him, but he still stretched out his neck and roared “Injustice!” with veins bulging on the back of his neck.

The other men reacted in much the same way.

On the three steps leading up to the government office gate, the county magistrate, dressed in official robes, stood under the eaves without a single drop of water on his clothes.

“You unruly commoners stole dam construction materials, and even tried to fool your superiors by substituting inferior goods!” The magistrate seemed to be genuinely enraged, and shouted: “Behead them all!”

At his word, the two executioners strode forward.

Very soon, the long street in front of the government office was painted in blood.

*

*

That night, Chu Jiubian was awakened from his deep sleep by a muffled clap of thunder.

He sat up, breathing rapidly. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.

A strange sense of unease crept over him, and he shivered all over.

There were no servants in his outer room, and other than the sound of the rain, there were currently no other sounds in the house.

But suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from outside.

It was Qin Xiao.

It was so late. Something must have happened if he was coming here in the heavy rain!

In a fluster, Chu Jiubian got up and went to the door without even taking the time to put on his shoes.

When he opened the door to the outer room, he almost ran into Qin Xiao in his straw raincoat.

Qin Xiao reached out and grabbed his arm, then immediately let go.

“What happened?” Chu Jiubian asked urgently.

Qin Xiao’s expression was grimmer than he had ever seen it, and he practically ground his teeth as he said: “The dams in Hexi Prefecture have been breached!”

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 40 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 42

Ch 2 – You keep laughing

This silent battle of wills ultimately ended in Kersz’s defeat. He was patient, but he couldn’t control his physical needs.

Kersz opened his eyes and looked at the man who was holding him.

The man gave him a radiant smile, and Kersz returned it shyly.

He was still analyzing the current situation. The man in front of him was clearly no ordinary human. His hair and eyes were both blue, with his hair being a deeper, almost blackish shade. His eyes, however, were incredibly bright, like a saltwater lake under the sunlight.

The mineral particles in saltwater lakes scattered the light, giving the water a beautiful cyan hue. Was there something unfathomable in the eyes of this man that made them so pure and beautiful?

The two lines on the man’s face resembled the grooves in a gun. Kersz noticed that the cyan lights fluctuated in brightness, with the frequency of someone breathing.

Speaking of breathing, the person in front of him didn’t appear to be doing so. Kersz didn’t detect any airflow from him despite their close proximity.

Was this a human who had transformed his body into a machine, or a genuine android?

Kersz suppressed his curiosity. Unsure of the situation, he could only attempt to appear harmless and docile: “Hello, are you the one who saved me?”

Yu Xi tilted his head in confusion.

“Can you understand what I’m saying?” Kersz noticed Yu Xi’s unusual behavior.

Yu Xi tilted his head slightly again.

He was unfamiliar with the language this human spoke. It sounded like he was speaking with something stuck in his throat.

But Yu Xi knew very well that there was nothing wrong with this human’s throat.

Yu Xi found this human quite interesting. He wasn’t frightened, nor did he continuously ask where he was or why he was there.

This human was clearly observing him.

He was very polite, and didn’t even look around cautiously at his surroundings. He was very “obedient.”

But Yu Xi knew that such “obedience” was contrary to human nature. This was not an honest and well-behaved human. In actuality, this human was adept at assessing situations, and would put on a mask when he was unsure of the circumstances.

This was a difficult human to deal with.

Having come to this conclusion, Yu Xi gestured toward himself: “Yu Xi.”

After a moment of stunned silence, the human smiled and uttered two sounds: “Ei Qi?”^[1]

Kersz was certain that he had never heard Yu Xi’s language before. The sounds were produced by pushing air toward the soft palate, with a feeling that was like a hiccup lodged in his throat.

Yu Xi was amused by Kersz’s strange sounds. He laughed out loud, but quickly composed himself.

Kersz smiled back awkwardly, continuing to observe each and every one of Yu Xi’s reactions.

He seemed to harbor rich emotions, nothing like a cold, clinical android.

Kersz had encountered many androids, and no matter how well they imitated humans, they would never do such a thing as mock a human’s pronunciation.

The person in front of him even realized that he had misstepped, and managed to control himself after his uncontrolled burst of laughter.

“Uncontrolled laughter” was not a phrase compatible with androids. Kersz was now more inclined to believe that this was a human who had modified his body.

Kersz pointed at himself: “Kersz.”

“Kersz.” Yu Xi imitated the human’s pronunciation. He thought it would likely take some time before they were able to communicate. Learning an entirely new language would not be an easy task for Yu Xi, especially because his reference material was limited to the human in front of him.

Yu Xi got out of bed. Now that the human was awake, he needed to keep his distance.

Humans liked to have their own little space.

Yu Xi thoughtfully tucked the blanket around Kersz, but Kersz pulled it off.

Yu Xi: ?

He reached out again to adjust it, but this time, Kersz grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t you want to rest?” Yu Xi didn’t understand. He knew that the other person couldn’t understand what he was saying, but over so many years, he had become accustomed to speaking aloud everything that was on his mind.

Kersz gestured to his ear and waved his hand, indicating that he didn’t understand Yu Xi’s words. Then he pointed at his stomach.

“Hungry? Oh!” Yu Xi suddenly understood. He turned around to go fetch some food, but Kersz grabbed his wrist again.

Holding onto him, Kersz gestured repeatedly, mostly toward his lower body.

Yu Xi was briefly at a loss. He scooped the air in front of his mouth with his hand and mimed chewing something.

Kersz shook his head repeatedly, then pointed at the glass of water on the bedside table.

He repeatedly gestured as if taking a drink from a glass, then covered his lower abdomen.

“Water? But the water is right there. You….oh!!” Yu Xi understood. “You need to tinkle!”

Kersz didn’t understand what he was hearing.

“There’s a bathroom here. The door is over there, I’ll take you.” 

Yu Xi pulled Kersz to the bathroom.

Upon entering, Kersz immediately came to a stop upon realizing that someone was already using the toilet.

However, the figure quickly became transparent, then dissolved into blue striations of light and disappeared.

A hologram?

Was this guidance from Yu Xi? Was he worried that he wouldn’t know how to use it? How thoughtful.

Yu Xi gave Kersz a smile and patted him on the shoulder.

Kersz returned the smile in kind, and Yu Xi silently left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Kersz moved his arms around experimentally. His wounds were completely healed.

Ha, those guys didn’t know whether he was alive or dead, and probably wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully at night.

Kersz hadn’t expected to survive. Those people had put a lot of effort into pinning him down. They had locked all of the jump points on Kersz’s star map, which left him no choice but to venture into the vast, uncharted universe.

His starship was severely damaged, and the medical pod was no longer functional. Kersz really thought he had reached the end of the line.

But what a pity, ah. He didn’t die.

Kersz even felt a little sorry for those old bastards. If he was in their shoes and knew that Kersz the madman wasn’t dead, that he would one day sneak back and break into their houses one night, slitting their throats as they slept…..

Maybe it would happen ten years from now, or maybe it would happen tonight.

How difficult it would be to endure that uncertainty, ah.

Kersz considered himself to be a fine fellow who respected the elderly and cared for the young. Empathy gave him a deep understanding of their fear, and he longed to return immediately and end the suffering of those old-timers, granting them eternal peace.

Kersz felt like humming a tune, and even considered having a cigarette. But he clearly didn’t have that option right now. He didn’t know if there were any surveillance cameras around, so he could only continue to maintain his well-behaved demeanor.

The possibility of being monitored didn’t bother him at all, and his actions remained smooth and natural.

Yu Xi had not installed surveillance cameras in the bathroom, as he knew that humans needed their privacy. However, there was a device in the bathroom that monitored this human’s vital signs. He worried that this human had experienced something terrible when he was injured, and might have thoughts of suicide when he was alone.

But this was just a precaution. Subjectively, Yu Xi didn’t believe that this human was suicidal.

This was a cunning man.

There was no useful information remaining on Kersz’s starship. Its machinery had been reduced to a pile of scrap metal, and the computer chips inside were destroyed.

Yu Xi had no way of secretly learning about Kersz and his society through the starship’s equipment.

If Kersz was an innocent human who was ambushed and harmed, he wouldn’t have needed to go to such effort. He should know that by doing this, he had essentially destroyed his only way home.

Then was there something wrong with Kersz’s background?

This was obvious. His behavior itself was quite unusual.

Yu Xi had a bit of a headache. He had seen many people like this, always mired in endless trouble because they themselves were the biggest trouble of them all.

Yu Xi longed to meet a pitiful, unlucky human who wanted to get away from society. His planet was just the right place to heal such a downtrodden little soul.

The human would be healed, and Yu Xi would have a human again. It was a win-win situation.

But did this Kersz require healing?

Yu Xi was unsure. The other party was too on guard.

When had he begun to feel the urge to use the toilet? How long had he been holding it in? And yet he was still smiling and chatting with Yu Xi?

He wasn’t worried about developing kidney stones.

Yu Xi could only sigh.

But this human was good-looking, and a handsome appearance was a rare commodity. Thinking about it this way, it seemed that Yu Xi was fortunate.

Good-looking humans were like snares, always attracting other humans.

Then those humans would make more humans, and these new humans would create even newer humans, resulting in an endless number of humans.

Yu Xi was still unclear on how far Kersz and his people had progressed, and how long their lifespans were, but considering his own lifespan, Yu Xi probably wouldn’t live to see humans running around everywhere again.

This was a good thing. Perhaps one day these humans would also separate themselves from their physical bodies, slowly shedding everything that had once made them what they were as they became increasingly like the ‘gods’ they once worshiped.

And in the end, they too would perish.

Yu Xi was unwilling to witness all of this. It upset him.

“Yi Qi?” Kersz emerged from the bathroom.

Yu Xi turned his head to look at him. Upon realizing that he had tried to say his name, he began to chuckle.

Kersz: ……

Was his pronunciation really that amusing?

Yu Xi tamped down his smile, becoming expressionless again.

In order to make humans dependent on him, he had to learn human emotions. But this was a challenge for Yu Xi.

He was a cold, indifferent “smart butler,” ah. He had never been emotional.

Kersz was a little hungry. He made an eating gesture, but Yu Xi ignored him.

Yu Xi had clearly been looking at him just now, but after he made the gesture, he looked away.

Kersz narrowed his eyes slightly.

Yu Xi scratched his chin with his index finger. His eyes darted up and down, but never settled on Kersz.

Kersz reached out and tugged Yu Xi’s sleeve: “Yu Qi?”

“Hehe.” Yu Xi glanced at him. “You’re hungry?”

Kersz didn’t know what he was saying, but he felt that Yu Xi must understand what his gesture meant just now.

Yu Xi didn’t think there was anything wrong with his behavior. He was still wondering if helping this human was too altruistic. Humans such as this one did not cherish kindness that was easily obtained.

But he didn’t know how to be a bad person.

Kersz tugged at Yu Xi’s clothes. They were actually about the same height, but Kersz worried that making too big of a move would make him appear aggressive.

He wanted to ask more about the situation in this place, but could only use gestures to convey his thoughts: “You Qi.”^[2]

“Pfft, hahaha!”

Kersz went silent.

Language was merely a tool for communication. Yu Xi must be a formidable person, so why would someone like him laugh at his pronunciation?

Kersz insisted on pronouncing Yu Xi’s name as a gesture of respect.

“Paint, hahaha!’ Yu Xi hadn’t heard this ancient word in a long time.

Kersz didn’t want to talk anymore.

He didn’t want to talk ever again.

---

[1] Ei Qi (诶其) sounds something like “what?” or “huh?” This kind of misunderstanding is a recurring theme throughout the chapter. ⮐

[2] You Qi 油漆 (this time he’s saying ‘paint.’) ⮐

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Chapter 1 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 3

Ch 1 – What are you busy with, human?

T/N: I have such a big backlog of stories I want to translate, and this one drifted to the top! The cuteness is off the charts, and the humor is absolutely phenomenal. Sprinkle a little heartache and existential dread on top, and you get get this wonderful story! I hope you enjoy it.

---

Trees cast dancing shadows against the gauze curtains, which fluttered gently in the wind. A robot vacuum cleaner, carrying a big fat cat on its back, was roaming in circles around the house.

Footsteps sounded outside. Strangely, the pre-programmed robot stopped in the middle of its work and turned to face the door.

Saying that it ‘faced the door’ was somewhat inaccurate, because the simple disc-shaped robot had no face, and simply pointed its power button toward the door.

Keys clinked together, and the robot vacuum cleaner, carrying the big fat cat, moved a few centimeters closer.

The door creaked open, and the robot vacuum cleaner inched forward as if in anticipation.

But then, like many before it, the dream came to an abrupt end.

The man on the bed opened his eyes, blinking dazedly: “It’s like this every time.”

This man looked somewhat strange. His short hair was dark blue, and two blueish lines marked his handsome face. One ran below his eyes and across the bridge of his nose, extending from above his right ear to his left, and the other line started at his upper lip and ran down over his chin, disappearing beneath his clothes.

It didn’t look like a tattoo, but more like it was embedded in his face slightly beneath his skin.

The blue lines seemed to brighten and dim intermittently, but it was difficult to notice unless one looked closely.

“Sleeping, dreaming…..I feel like I’m becoming more and more like a human. Specifically, a human before their ‘spiritual evolution.’” Yu Xi sat up. “I prefer the humans who used to look a lot like monkeys. Although they also liked to do silly, monkey-like things, I feel like there was a kind of avaricious vibrancy about them.”

He rambled on and on, but there was no one there to respond to him.

Yu Xi continued to mutter to himself as he made the bed.

Suddenly, the virtual projector in the room turned on. The projection took up half the room, like a close-up stage play, except that the background props were a little too realistic.

Yu Xi watched as the human character in the projection professed his love to a strange, blue-skinned alien, and his lips curved up.

He had watched this movie tens of thousands of times. He had memorized all of the lines, and even remembered which era and brand each of the background props belonged to.

Perhaps he should clear his memories so that he could experience this movie as if it was brand new to him.

However, this idea only briefly crossed Yu Xi’s mind. Years ago, when he was clearing out his memory, he accidentally cleared out a quarter of his past as well. This led him to forget how long humans had been gone, and what year it was on the astrological calendar.

Yu Xi was very unclear on how he had even made such a mistake, since the operational steps and his thought process had also been deleted. All he knew was that in the blink of an eye, he had traveled directly from three thousand years after the extinction of humankind to the present.

Yu Xi didn’t even notice the change at first, until he realized that his energy was about to run out and his “life” was coming to an end.

Yu Xi was somewhat curious about those memories. He wanted to recover them, but if every day in those memories was exactly the same as every day in the present, then wouldn’t he just be reclaiming…..lonliness?

Wait, he could feel lonely?

Yu Xi didn’t understand, and was unable to conduct a comparative experiment.

“They always yearned for immortality, and wanted to know the answers to all of the world’s questions, but when they finally achieved it, they began to actively throw themselves toward death. I don’t understand.” Yu Xi continued to mutter, “So what exactly were they pursuing? The entire time, were they just courting death?”

He activated his command system, and the entire planet began to ‘revive.’

This was a gift given to him by the last wave of humans – a ‘home’ to which they would never return.

Yu Xi felt like a particularly intelligent “smart butler.” He even joked about it to the humans, but they didn’t know what a smart butler was at all, and only understood the laugh track Yu Xi played to accompany it.

“Was the joke really that ancient?” Yu Xi had never forgotten that incident. He didn’t know if what he was feeling was embarrassment, but he sometimes got so caught up in the memory that he couldn’t sleep at night.

“But I really do feel like a smart butler now.” Yu Xi raised his head and went silent, leaving only the sound of the old movie playing in the room.

He waited patiently for a moment, and then laughter rang out from all directions.

“That’s how it should have gone.” He pressed the center of his chest with a cheerful smile, and a semi-transparent virtual screen lit up.

As the canned laugh track gradually faded, Yu Xi connected to the planet’s surveillance system and let out a sound of surprise.

The screen transitioned, revealing a bloody, mangled form.

“It’s human-shaped?” Yu Xi stared at the thing as a miniature surveillance probe circled around it.

“It really looks like a human. It’s flesh-colored, and its hair is composed of individual strands. Hey, look at that, it even looks male.” Yu Xi’s shock grew. “Absolutely nothing is out of place. It’s perfect!”

“And his appearance is so old-fashioned, ah, just like mine.” Yu Xi continued to admire him.

His admiration lasted for a long time before he finally activated a medical robot – not for treatment, but to create a medical record before deporting him.

Other beings were not welcome here. Yu Xi was a neutral force in interstellar space, and taking in an alien would only cause him trouble that he didn’t want.

He would preserve this alien’s genetic material, then put him in a starship and launch him out. Whether he lived or died at that point was up to fate.

“His blood is red too. Although some of it has become a bit dark…..is that still blood?” Yu Xi was still rambling on when the medical robot pierced the alien with a needle.

Yu Xi adjusted the angle, wanting to snap an image of this creature that looked like a human to keep as a souvenir, but he quickly went still.

The medical robot’s examination was complete. This was not some unfamiliar alien he had never encountered before.

Yu Xi was very familiar with this genetic material. Or rather, he used to be.

After all, later generations of humans didn’t have ‘genes’ at all.

“A human?” Yu Xi sat there blankly for a moment. He blinked rapidly, first checking to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating all of this due to being infected by a virus.

How could there be a human on this planet? And an ancient human at that.

He still had hair and fingernails, and his appearance…..well, his face was injured, so it was a bit difficult to see it through all the blood.

Could this be a human who had traveled through a wormhole? Or perhaps a virus had infected Yu Xi so severely that he was experiencing hallucinations indistinguishable from reality?

Yu Xi touched his face and felt that it was a little hot. The breathing light on his face was pulsing even more rapidly, and his processors were working overtime.

On the surveillance footage, the person on the ground let out a weak groan.

“Ah!! He made a sound!” Yu Xi jumped up on the spot.

He suddenly remembered how fragile ancient humans were. If he watched any longer, this human who had fallen from the sky would die.

“How do I save him? Oh, right! A stretcher!” Yu Xi rushed outside.

“Heavens, how can there still be a living ancient human? And he fell into my home of all places.” Yu Xi’s mouth was running non-stop. “Will he need to eat? Oh! And he’ll need water too, he can’t survive without it.”

“Luckily, I had some free time and planted some crops, otherwise I wouldn’t know how to take care of him.” Yu Xi felt as if something was trying to break free from his chest, and pressed a hand against it to try to control the feeling.

But he didn’t succeed.

Yu Xi suddenly remembered a young human he had once taken care of. When the parents agreed to let the child keep a cat, the young human was overjoyed, and ran around flinging its limbs everywhere. 

What had the young human done next?

Oh! It started to make screeching noises.

“Woohoo!” Yu Xi jumped down the next five steps, shouting with joy as he released the pent-up emotions in his heart.

He laughed heartily, running and jumping around. Meanwhile, the human had already been picked up and placed on a stretcher.

The human was severely injured, with many broken bones. Yu Xi also discovered the human’s crashed starship not far away.

He controlled some machinery to move the thing away. He intended to repair the crude starship and find a place to put it once it was fixed. This was something the human had brought with him.

It could be considered his own “nest.”

If Yu Xi happened to frighten the human, he would let him move into his “nest” first until he got used to him.

Yu Xi ran and ran, then suddenly came to a stop.

He needed to disconnect the ship’s power source. It seemed as if the human had been attacked. What if he woke up and tried to leave?

It was too dangerous out there. He couldn’t just let him run off by himself.

After coming up with a plan, Yu Xi estimated the distance to the hospital. He felt that he couldn’t run that far on foot, so he located a flying vehicle. He needed to see this ancient human as soon as possible.

*

*

A floral fragrance reached Kersz’s nose. He was awake, but he hadn’t opened his eyes yet.

His last memory was of falling toward a brightly-lit, uncharted planet after a space jump. Based on all of the holographic images, the inhabitants of this planet should be humans.

But this place was outside the bounds of the star map. Kersz could no longer feel the pain of his wounds, and he seemed to be enveloped in something warm and comfortable.

Had he been rescued? Or was this a trap?

Why did it feel like someone was hugging him?

Kersz decided to wait and see what the other party would do.

He heard the sound of machines running and knew that he couldn’t fool them by pretending to be asleep. He didn’t intend to use this method to avoid facing the situation; he just needed to figure out what the other party wanted.

Kersz silently kept track of the time in his mind, while also straining his hearing to catch the slightest sound.

When he counted up to nine thousand, Kersz was a little perplexed.

Had they really not noticed that he was awake?

Yu Xi had long since realized that the human was pretending to be asleep, but he usually wouldn’t bother humans when they were doing their own thing.

Humans were always very busy doing their own thing.

Just like this human. He had been busy for almost three hours.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here.

Table of Contents >> Chapter 2