It had actually been a very long time since Rovi had cursed anyone to their face. After all, though he was willful, he was not truly so unrestrained that he had no bottom line.
Only when it was necessary, only when he was facing someone who "deserved to be cursed," would Rovi display his talent as the oldest trash-talker.
But he had truly never intended to curse out that nine-tailed fox.
They were enemies, yes, but Tamamo-no-Mae had not yet fallen so low that Rovi despised her outright.
And he certainly had not expected that after the "chaos" in his heart sprouted, its whispers would manifest in this form.
All he could say was... it was actually rather useful?
If he wanted to provoke someone in the future, he would not even need to open his mouth!
Rovi even wanted to extract the chaos within him and forge it into a Noble Phantasm, then simply name it the Chaos Bell...
The colossal Machine God slowly shrank and vanished within Tanggu. His wide robes settled back into place, black hair flying, and Rovi glanced into the distance as the divine sword descended through the air and landed on his back.
The darkness in the sky had long since receded completely, replaced by a cloudless blue expanse. A solar corona hung high above, shining down with gentle sunlight.
"It's finally over... You were too slow!"
At the end of the valley, ripples spread layer by layer across the accumulated water as a figure strode over, her black dress stirring in the wind.
"It wasn't slow. At the very least, that was the reverse side left behind by a former supreme god." Rovi looked toward the newcomer.
Black hair flew, her long dress stirred lightly, and her cloud-like sleeves fell to conceal her arms, revealing only five pale, jade-like fingers. Silk bound her waist tightly, cinching the graceful, delicate curves beneath.
Though the battle had clearly ended, Yu Mei-ren had waited outside Tanggu for a long time without seeing Rovi return, and so she had personally come here. Her fine brows lifted, a fang showing between her crimson lips as she gave a disdainful snort. "Excuses. From where I stood, you seemed to be having quite a pleasant chat with that fox."
"I could smell that disgusting fox stink all over you—!"
Yu Mei-ren knew Tamamo-no-Mae.
After all, both of them had lived for a very long time. Even if they could not be called familiar with each other, they had definitely met before and knew of each other's existence.
"It was quite pleasant, yes. Pleasant enough that she nearly cried." The moment this was brought up, Rovi could not help feeling amused.
Though it had been an accident, it truly had been rather enjoyable.
Rovi did not curse people casually.
But since she was an enemy, he had no regrets about cursing her.
And the moment Yu Mei-ren saw his expression, she suddenly felt somewhat relieved. After all, that expression carried not the slightest hint of improper thought... Wait, why am I feeling relieved? What does whatever happened between this guy and that fox have to do with me?
She only regarded Rovi as a convenient source of comfort.
That was right. That was all.
"So, what do you plan to do next?" Yu Mei-ren stepped up in front of Rovi.
Rovi paused, then pondered for an instant. "Naturally, I'll travel around the Divine Land as it is now."
He wanted to see the scenery of this ancient homeland. He also wanted to gather the malice of this war-torn era along the way.
And although the immortals and gods had departed, since Taiyi had left behind this side of chaos, then presumably, the other immortals and gods might also have left behind similar things, more or less.
So searching for these "Old Ghosts of the Six Heavens" and sweeping a measure of clarity into this world was also a decent choice.
Even if those Old Ghosts of the Six Heavens might be incomparably powerful, with death at his back, Rovi had never feared anything.
Moreover, he could feel that after absorbing the Old Ghost of the Six Heavens, the "chaos" within his body had grown quite a bit.
Though it had not yet reached the point where it could affect Rovi's own consciousness, the speed of this expansion was far faster than simply absorbing living beings.
This was something done for all people.
And even more, it was part of his own plan.
"Traveling the Divine Land... What is there to travel?" A trace of disappointment passed through Yu Mei-ren's crimson eyes. She had originally wanted to invite Rovi back beneath the Fusang Tree, but she had not expected Rovi to have no such thought at all. Yet seeing the serious look on his face, Yu Mei-ren instead began to think deeply.
Within vast Tanggu, as a place of sunrise from ancient times, even after the "great battle" that had just occurred, the grasses and trees here still looked lush and full of life. The wind lifted the girl's black dress and stirred her smooth, jet-black hair.
Yu Mei-ren thought deeply. Though she felt a sense of kinship toward the person before her, and also affection, it had not actually reached the point where she could not bear to part from him.
It was only that the words she had remembered earlier surfaced before her again, and that phrase "important person" suddenly made it a little hard for Yu Mei-ren to let go.
"Fine. I'll reluctantly accompany you on this trip." She breathed out and slowly said, "Aside from that fox, there is no living being on this land who understands it better than I do!"
That was the truth.
"Then let's go." Rovi nodded and held out his hand. "Immortal Yu?"
"At least you know what's good for you." Yu Mei-ren grinned, her lovely face curving slightly upward.
She was actually quite happy.
Happy that Rovi did not reject her. Happy that Rovi was willing to accept her traveling with him.
It had not been clear before.
But this time, in the fight against the Old Ghost of the Six Heavens, Rovi had displayed primordial might that affected the weather for a thousand li and altered the planet's environment. In truth, that had left Yu Mei-ren feeling more or less uneasy.
She could not die, but she had never been powerful.
A celestial immortal took purity as its essence.
An Elemental born from the planet was even purity among purity.
She was not known for strength. Even if, in a certain sense, Yu Mei-ren's immortality was enough to compare with a planetary primordial, the difference in essence still remained.
But looking at things now, she had worried too much.
Thinking about it, that made sense. Though Rovi was powerful, he had never relied on strength to bully the weak. Just like the ancestral gods of Huaxia back then, he always placed himself as one member among the teeming masses...
Yu Mei-ren placed her hand in Rovi's palm.
"I'll be in your care," Rovi said with a yawn.
Yu Mei-ren snorted. "Though it's annoying, I'll still properly guide you. No need to worry."
...
The wind was clear, the air bright, and the sunlight at its height. Above the firmament, a single star shone.
The lands of Chu.
The storm had passed, and everything seemed to have returned to calm. Those who died in the disaster were buried, grief spread invisibly, and then gradually mended with the passage of time.
The lives of ordinary people always slipped by amid wind, sun, and rain. The only difference was that because of what had happened before, the entire Divine Land now had a few more things to talk about.
"So they say that on that day, heaven and earth lost their light, and the thousand-li lands of Chu were plunged into darkness in an instant. Drumbeats fell upon the ears of all, and every heart was stricken with fear—only for a black, uncanny sun to appear in the sky..."
"At that very moment, the waters of the East Sea rose, poured backward into the Great River, and entered the Divine Land. Water vapor spread like an ocean, and a single morning sun rose..."
"And then one man came bearing a sword, sweeping away the storm and cutting through the boundless long night—"
"He was called Donghua Dijun, lord of the vast East Sea, Fusang Great Emperor who governs the circulation of water qi through heaven, earth, and man."
In inns and taverns, merchants from north and south stopped to rest. Such places could be called the busiest channels through which news from all regions flowed, and at this moment, someone had taken the stage to speak, weaving the events from earlier into a tale.
He was one of the "Novelists" among the Hundred Schools, those who made it their profession to record street gossip and common talk, compiling it into various stories to spread throughout the world.
They were a school opposite to the historians. Historians recorded only orthodox history, while Novelists mostly spoke of rumors from the streets and markets.
In this bustling place of lanterns, color, mist, and prosperity, their figures were easiest to see.
The Novelist stood on the stage, and his words immediately stirred up a thousand waves.
Someone rose and said, "I've heard of this too. A friend of mine was even one of those caught up in it. Scared him half to death, but luckily, he survived..."
"That friend of yours is just you, isn't it?" someone laughed loudly, without the slightest courtesy.
"Nonsense, nonsense. How could it be me...?" That person flushed red.
"Donghua Dijun is a god of orthodox legitimacy. Even Master Xun of Jixia Academy has spoken of this."
"A god of orthodox legitimacy, and an orthodox immortal too!"
"..."
Opinions flew in every direction, and discussion never ceased.
But they did not know that the person they spoke of was sitting off to one side.
"Listening to it, you sound rather impressive." In a side room, someone revealed a sly smile. "I wonder what would happen if I compiled your story into a book."
The beautiful girl blinked her crimson eyes, looking as though she harbored ill intentions. "I'll record that the great Donghua Dijun actually relied on trickery and force to steal the Fusang Tree from the local immortal..."
"You can write one, but so can I," Rovi reminded her. "Besides, the Fusang Tree originally belonged to the sun goddess Xihe. After the immortals and gods departed, it became ownerless."
"You were only sleeping there for a few hundred years..."
"So what?" Yu Mei-ren looked over.
"I only wanted to say that after sleeping there for several hundred years, you still failed to become the owner of the Fusang Tree. You should stop mentioning that in the future." Rovi's expression was earnest and sincere. "I'm saying this for your own good. After all... it's rather embarrassing, isn't it?"
"..."
Yu Mei-ren instantly wanted to go berserk, but considering that there were people all around them, the girl drew in a deep breath and suppressed the displeasure in her heart.
"But that's true. Several hundred years. Time and the affairs of the world flow on, and an entire dynasty can rise and fall in that span." Rovi gazed at the cups of wine set on the table before him.
Seven cups filled to the brim. They were wines from the different states of Qin, Chu, Qi, Yan, Zhao, Wei, and Han.
There had once been Western Zhou. After Western Zhou fell, Eastern Zhou continued the nation's fortune, only to be bullied by the various states because the Son of Heaven of Zhou had grown weak. The Spring and Autumn period, then the Warring States period—two turns of the wheel of time. Now the Zhou dynasty had already fallen, and on this table, only these seven cups of wine remained.
Rovi smiled.
Yu Mei-ren bristled, thinking he was laughing at her for knowing only how to sleep.
But unexpectedly, Rovi stood up directly, giving Yu Mei-ren no chance to explode. "All right. Time to go."
Yu Mei-ren froze, then snorted and stood as well.
"Where do you want to go next?"
"We've traveled through all six states. Let's go somewhere we haven't been."
"We have to go that far again? How annoying—"
Yu Mei-ren puffed out her cheeks, as if deeply dissatisfied.
But she followed closely behind him.
In truth, some time had already passed since the battle in Chu. During this period, she and Rovi had traveled through the lands of the six states east of Hangu Pass and seen many sights.
Although Qin now stood dominant and the Qin sword marching east had long since become a terror to all states under heaven, these many states still possessed no small number of capable and extraordinary people.
Successors of the Hundred Schools, wandering knights of Yan and Zhao... Unfortunately, they had not found any other Old Ghosts of the Six Heavens.
It seemed the time had yet to come.
And now, after drinking the fine wines of the six states,
only the last state remained.
Rovi and Yu Mei-ren left the bustling inn and tavern, while those inside continued discussing what had happened.
Outside the window, a hazy drizzle abruptly began to fall.
Someone suddenly looked up in a daze, only to discover two figures walking side by side through the fine rain, gradually receding into the distance.
The rain was soft as cream.
The wind and rain of this city did not cease.
In a trance, it seemed as though ethereal immortal shadows were drifting away.
When that person turned back again, the hall was full of guests, yet not a single one had noticed.
...
"You've been hiding for so long. It's time to come out."
Within the city, in a deep alley beneath the wind and rain, two people walked one before the other, each holding an umbrella. Rovi, however, suddenly stopped and glanced back.
Yu Mei-ren froze as well.
She followed Rovi's gaze and looked in that direction...
"Ahaha, I've been discovered? As expected of one among the immortals!" Beside them, from a street corner where the fine rain fell, a clear voice rang out, faintly tinged with wine.
Yu Mei-ren abruptly started. Someone was there?
But there seemed to be no hostility.
While she felt slightly relieved, she also suddenly grew somewhat wary.
The other party had approached, but why had she not noticed any sign of it at all?
Had she really grown so lax to this extent?
Yu Mei-ren fell into deep thought.
Rovi, on the other hand, did not seem surprised at all. After all, the other party's existence could not be hidden from him. "There is nothing in this rain that can hide from me."
"Hahaha, that's true enough." The person laughed a few times and shook the wine gourd in her hand.
Light seeped hazily through the dark clouds, illuminating long white sleeves. This was a person dressed as a swordswoman, with a sharp longsword on her back. Her black hair was tied up and decorated with white flowers, and loose strands fell across her forehead, setting off a delicate yet heroic face. Her slightly open collar rose and fell faintly at her chest, and beneath the sash around her waist, her hem swayed, revealing a pair of straight, healthy, pale thighs.
A swordswoman, and moreover, a young female knight-errant.
Though she held no umbrella, her entire body was enveloped in an invisible "spiritual power"... an art woven from spiritual power that kept all wind and rain outside.
"I am Jing Ke... Greetings... Donghua Dijun... I have long admired your great name. Hic..."
Rovi had not hidden his own existence. Anyone with even a little cultivation could discover his identity.
He concealed himself among the teeming masses, yet he also kept himself visible enough to draw hostile attention.
However, the young swordswoman named Jing Ke did not seem the least bit restrained because of Rovi's seemingly unattainable realm.
A thought stirred in Rovi's mind, and he said, "I have heard that the lands of Yan and Zhao are home to many people of bold and tragic spirit... I too have long heard of Jing Ke's name."
"Long heard? Ahaha, even the Emperor-Lord has heard of my name?" Jing Ke grinned and shook her head.
Of course Rovi knew her, but not from this world. He knew her from the textbooks he had once read.
Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin was a story famous enough that everyone knew it.
But before Rovi could reply, Jing Ke answered herself. "Of course. An Immortal Lord can know heaven and earth with a single thought. It's only natural you would know."
"Speaking of which, meeting the Emperor-Lord must also be fate." Jing Ke said, "How about attending a gathering with me?"
A gathering?
"To attend a... hic, grand gathering of the Divine Land—"
RUMBLE!
Amid the swirling dark clouds, thunder roared without end.
In the state of Qi, within Xu Fu's residence.
"Eh!? S-so it really is the Emperor-Lord? The Emperor-Lord, the Emperor-Lord has come to the Divine Land too?" Wearing a square hat that swayed left and right atop her head, half her face covered by black hair, Xu Fu looked at the figure before her with excitement written all over her face. She sat on the ground, unable to stop her black silk-wrapped legs from rubbing together, her face flushed bright red with excitement.
Across from her, a maid who had come forward to report could not help coughing. "Miss, that is not the important point. The important point is the letter. A personal letter from Zhao Gao, Prefect of the Palace Carriage Office of Qin..."
"That isn't important. The important thing is the Emperor-Lord, the Emperor-Lord!" Xu Fu's face was full of excitement as she spread her arms wide.
"..."
"Ahem. What did the letter say?" Perhaps realizing her own "loss of composure," Xu Fu coughed lightly, though her pretty face remained flushed.
Fortunately, the maid had long since known that her young lady was strange.
So she merely took out the letter and opened its cover. But in that instant, she could not help freezing.
"W-what is it?" Xu Fu asked, puzzled.
The maid whispered, "Miss, this is... a letter from King Zheng of Qin to Donghua Dijun."
"The King of Qin... to the Emperor-Lord!?"
---
T/N: jing ke oooh
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter is 5 bonus chapters...? (for all tls ongoing)
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_