Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 2(39)
“…”
The two were deeply shaken, and Shi Qingxuan cried, “What’s this now?!”
Xie Lian raised his hand. “Don’t panic, don’t panic! Let’s take a look first.”
He studied them and realized they weren’t actually naked; they were wearing animal skins and leaves and looked like they were ready to drink blood. They were holding long spears made of branches with sharp stones fastened at the ends as spearheads, and when they smiled at the pair, their teeth were jagged and sharp like saws.
The pair bolted without a word.
Shi Qingxuan shouted as he ran, “My brother used to tell me about this—that deep in the southern mountains, there are many fierce spirits that feast on human flesh! He told me never to come to such a place on my own! Is that what we ran into?!”
Xie Lian was practiced in the art of escape, so his demeanor and manner were far more relaxed than Shi Qingxuan’s. He replied calmly, “Mm, that’s very possible. Either way, we need to find the exit. Let’s see if there are any more stone doors nearby!”
The fearsome spirits ran after them, screaming and howling tirelessly. At first, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan could only run for it, not fight back. Heavenly laws dictated that, should gods descend to the Mortal Realm, they should never presumptuously use their powers to oppress mortals. This law was to prevent heavenly officials from bullying mortals and creating disasters born of the abuse of their power. But these spirits kept hurling sharp rocks and branches at them, and without warning, one such branch scraped Shi Qingxuan’s cheek.
Now this was absolutely unacceptable. Shi Qingxuan felt his face and found the faintest bloody scratch. He saw red. With a roar, he came to a sudden stop. He spun around and shouted, “You ignorant, violent hillbillies! Not only did you not bow before me, the Lord Wind Master, you dared to ruin my face!! Unbelievable!!”
He pulled out his Wind Master fan, flashing it open with a powerful whoosh, and swung with force—their attackers were instantly blown off the ground and sent flying meters away, crashing into nearby trees and howling as they hung off the branches. The two could finally stop running, and they took in deep breaths trying to calm their heartbeats. As they panted, that thought came to Xie Lian again: It’s such a hassle being a heavenly official… Gods, humans, ghosts, no one has it any easier…
Shi Qingxuan heaved out his grievances as he turned to Xie Lian. “Your Highness, you saw it, right? They were asking for it! I wasn’t using my powers to bully them.”
“That’s right, I saw it,” Xie Lian said.
Shi Qingxuan felt his face again and mumbled under his breath, “Even my brother wouldn’t dare…” He turned around again. “Let’s go find that stone door.”
Xie Lian nodded silently and watched Shi Qingxuan fix his clothes and hair until he looked properly dashing once more. Unfortunately, he was still dressed in a bedraggled purple silk dress, so it was a dash of peculiar flavor.
It was a truly unforgettable sight. Xie Lian couldn’t help but marvel.
Thinking back on when they first met at Banyue Pass, the Lord Wind Master had seemed like such a bright and scintillating figure, and Xie Lian had thought him a powerful being with immeasurable depth—if not a peerless demonic cultivator, then a supreme master. Now that they were better acquainted, he realized all of that was but an illusion…
The two walked relentlessly in circles through the forest and finally found a set of stone doors beside a different tree hole. This time, Shi Qingxuan refused to roll the dice and shook his head.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but even though my luck isn’t always the best, it’s not always the worst either. Fortune doesn’t seem to be with me today; I rolled twice, and the first time was that earthworm tunnel, the second time a bloodthirsty spirit playground. Who knows what’s next.”
Xie Lian cleared his throat softly and guiltily replied, “Maybe it’s because I’m with you. I must’ve brought your luck down with me.”
“What are you saying?!” Shi Qingxuan exclaimed. “It’s impossible for anyone to bring down my luck—me, the Lord Wind Master! But why don’t you give it a go? Maybe there’s still some of that luck you borrowed from your San Lang left.”
For some reason, Xie Lian felt a little embarrassed when he heard “your San Lang.” He wanted to explain, but at the same time, what was there to explain? If he tried, it would only be weirder, so he didn’t say anything in the end. He felt the dice in his hands and rolled them lightly.
Two sixes.
Xie Lian held his breath as he watched the images on the stone door transform and mentally prepared himself to face whatever came next. But this time, the picture didn’t change, and the stone door creaked open.
Behind the door was another long stairway that descended into darkness, and brisk air whirled up from the depths.
The two exchanged a look, both thinking, After all that, did we circle back to the beginning?
Even if they were back at the beginning, that was still better than these strange perils; they’d had enough. Thus, the pair resolutely stepped in. But the moment they entered, the door closed behind them, and when they reached out to push, they only felt the smooth surface of a stone wall.
“Looks like our only path is down,” Xie Lian said.
“Ugh, all right,” Shi Qingxuan sighed. “Let me take a breather, and we’ll continue to play that despicable Crimson Rain Sought Flower’s game!”