Chapter 212 Sweet & Sour Pork with Pineapple (d)

Translated by Gumihou

Edited by Gumihou

 

While Shiyu was figuring out the best way to maximise the benefits of beast meat, Wen Xian had finally reached a certain location with his brother.

[1] After stepping through the void, Wen Xian was picked up by his brother under one arm and flew over various mountains and rivers in this new world. They had been going as straight as a bird flies when they came up to a ridiculously tall mountain. Wen Xian swerved to the side to go around this mountain instead of moving over it. The mountain was so wide that even at their high-speed travel, the brothers spent at least a couple of minutes to get past the mountain.

Suddenly, the mountain ended and Wen Xian’s eyes widened at the sight of pink clouds blooming between white mists. A stiff breeze blew and the pink cloud scattered, showing that they were actually Peach Blossom trees. Wen Heng finally slowed down and they plunged through the mists and landed below the Peach Trees.

[1] Wen Xian breathed in the cold sweet air and looked around curiously. The rustling breeze carried the sound of swishing branches and… a young girl’s laughter?

However, when he tried to focus on the sound, it faded away. Leaving nothing but the sshhh, shhh, shhh, of wind rustling its fingers through the Peach Blossom petals.

Wen Heng took his hand and together, they walked through the swirling Peach Blossom mists. As the brothers continued to walk, the image of the Peach Blossom forest rippled like the surface of a lake. Eventually, the ripples disappeared and so did the brothers.

To Wen Xian, it was as though the forest of flowers was there one blink and gone the next. He looked around the new location, [1] his brother’s hand reassuringly warm in his as he stared at the chilling darkness surrounding them. After the beautiful warmth of the flowering trees, this place felt even more creepy.

The only source of light was somewhere far ahead of them, like the smouldering beacon of a campfire at the end of its earthly life. The dancing flames having given way to faint throbbing red light. [1] Even when he squinted, he could not tell whether the source of light was too small or they were too far away for him to properly see the embers.

Wen Heng stepped forward, having let go of his brother’s hand. [2] Wen Xian’s eyes widened. Brother’s clothes have changed! Instead of the previous inky black, he was now in wine dark robes with stiff upright collars and buttons down his chest. The cloth was embroidered with dark patterns and the meticulously fastened buttons were made of something that looked like obsidian.

He had no idea if it was the dark clothing or the darker surrounding, but Wen Heng’s skin appeared much paler than before. [2] When Wen Heng turned around to look at him Wen Xian could see that even the colour of his lips was several shades lighter, making him look very cold. Literally and figuratively.

[2] Even in his relative inexperience, Wen Xian could feel that this place was different from all the other places they had visited.

[1] He hurried forward and grabbed his brother’s hand.

No matter how strange his brother looked, he was the only familiar thing in this chaotic, pulsating darkness. More importantly, he thought he could see vaguely humanoid figures floating and twisting within that chaotic darkness. He squeezed closer to his brother.

They continued to walk towards the ember light. The vague figures in the chaos eventually solidified enough to look mostly human, but their movements were very jerky and unnatural. Still, they looked humanoid enough.

Eventually, one of the humanoid figures broke away from the chaos and lurched over. Wen Heng nearly screamed at the sight.

The… person was clearly a man, or had once been a man. His head appeared to have been sewn back after it was cut off at some point. His arms and legs were oddly twisted, as though someone had broken them at some point and it had continued to grow in that odd way…

“Wh-what is that?!” Wen Xian pressed even closer to his brother, trying to seek comfort in the warmth of his brother’s body.

“A corpse,”

“Ah?”

“When some people died, they make deals with me to bring them back to this world. In return, they serve me,” Wen Heng made it sound very normal.

However, it was basically impossible to truly bring the dead back to life. No matter how powerful you had been, once the body and the soul separated, you can only disappear into the ether. Unless you somehow manage to regenerate your body or trick the soul into a different body. Even so, the chances of success are very low. People who chose this twisted half-life generally have no other choice.

Wen Xian nodded, he did not quite understand what was happening but, it was all quite scary looking, ah! As they continued to walk, the ‘people’ they encountered grew more animated, if not attractive. [1] Some even stretched their lips into ghoulish grins. Except… it made them look even creepier when blood and bits of tongue fell out.

He tried not to look at these figures as they made their way through the darkness. The red ember light grew brighter and brighter until finally, Wen Xian could see the source of the light. The light did not come from any little campfire but from the heart of a lava pit.

As Wen Xian stared, the burning liquid within the pit roiled and bubbled lazily. Now and then, a bubble would pop, sending little showers of sparks all over the place.

It was very hot next to the pit. It was so hot that Wen Xian felt as though he was being roasted alive. Even his clothes felt dried out and crisp, as though they would crumble with a pinch if he stepped any closer.

Above this lava pit was an inverted mountain with houses built on it. Huge stone stairs curved around the pit all the way up this inverted mountain.

Wen Xian trailed after his brother as Wen Heng made his way up. The higher he went, the larger his eyes became.

Finally, they stepped onto a space that felt very wide. He could not tell for sure because of the shadows encroaching the area. [3] He was not even sure whether they were on the mountain or within the mountain. All he knew was that shadows permeated the space. Figures moved among these shadows as though unwilling, or unable to bear the light.

[2] The people here looked more whole than the ones below, but Wen Xian could feel the absolute wrongness in them that separated them from true living people.

Still, he has an impression of warmth from the space. He had no idea if that heat was from the lava pit below or the red glow of the firelight. The marbled path he was walking on was bordered by some kind of unknown flowering trees. The very air was fragrant with their perfume.

“This is how I remembered our home,” said Wen Heng. “Father’s birthday banquet left the strongest impression in my memory. Therefore, when I rebuilt the place, it took on that scene.”

It was only then that Wen Xian realised that not all the red came from the glowing lava pit. Red silk banners and lanterns hung everywhere. Red ribbons swayed from the fragrant trees. When they crossed the threshold of the house, their feet stepped onto a scarlet carpet. A large character for 壽, birthday, was pasted on the wall at the welcoming hall.

Wen Heng stepped into the house confidently. He pointed to the red sandalwood chair on the left, one of the two chairs set upon a dais behind an incense table. “Father was sitting here.” He pointed at the chair on the right, “Mother was here. I was standing beside mother with you in my arms.”

Aside from family, there were other guests at the birthday banquet. The ones in this room were friends and relatives closest to his father. Some were reserve, others more outgoing. But, they had all lived and died together.

That night, the guests drank so much that they eventually rolled under the tables and spent the night there.

He was still young then. He remembered hearing his uncles teasing him about his sullen face. How they had cheerfully berated father for being too strict with his sons.

What really happened was, while he had been holding his beloved little brother, that cute little child had peed on him! Child Wen Heng had stiffened up, resisting the urge to throw this little brother away and rush off to change his clothes. The uncles had misinterpreted his stiff expression, thinking that he was just rigid by nature.

Later, when mother found out, instead of sending the brothers to change, she had laughed. The chime of her laughter rang in his ears as his eyes saw her clapping hand. She had been so mirthful and amused, unfazed by her sons’ sullen glares.

Just what was so funny…

Then, father came in and took mother with him without even a second glance at the grim-faced brothers. As the couple strolled out, father said, “You’re still here, ah. You know, that brat Ye Dan just made a new dish. Everyone is saying how delicious it is. To my mind, your cooking is still the best. Come, let’s go and break his stall.”

They left without even a backward glance at the brothers. How cold were these parents, ah?

Just then, servants beside the boys tittered to each other, “What a loving pair,”

Yes, what a loving pair. If not for them being a loving pair, they would not have died together in the end.

 

[Gumihou: Hmm, hopefully the sudden switch in POV is not too jarring?]

 

Gumihou is keeping track so that you don’t have to ~

 

凝氣	Condensation Stage	Stage 1
化丹	Core Transformation	Stage 2
凝丹(46)	Core Condensation	Stage 3
化神(52)	Divine Transformation	Stage 4
成嬰	Nascent Formation	Stage 5
合體	Unification	Stage 6
返墟	Revert Decay	Stage 7
歸真	Original Purity	Stage 8
成仙	Become immortal	Stage 9

 

[1] Added Details for Dramatic Purpose: Describe Wen Xian’s journey in a more interesting way.

[2] Wen Xian’s Thought – Because things will seem more fantastical that way.

[3] Added Details for Logistic Reason: Are they on the mountain or in the mountain? Are they walking on suspended bridges or walking upside down? Who knows? Gumi certainly has no idea.

 

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