LYIPhSAA (lii)
Edited: 08.27.2023
The silk threads were tied to the paper figurine’s limbs and were made of a transparent material. It was light and tough and not easily noticeable. If not for the fact that Ye Zi happened to be behind Guangxu Zi at the moment, he would not have noticed it at all.
Ye Zi had once heard that certain craftsmen who traveled all over the world had their own unique skills that they would never share with others and Guangxu Zi should be the same.
Ye Zi pondered for a while and decided not to say anything. He silently put away the silk-threaded paper figurine and followed in silence.
Later in the evening, Ye Zi invited Guangxu Zi to dine at the best restaurant in Chang’an City.
He didn’t know how long this Taoist Priest had gone without a good meal, but his appetite was astonishingly large. After eating a large table of dishes for one person, it seemed that he still wasn’t full.
With this amount of food, if he didn’t scam and cheat, he probably wouldn’t be able to survive. Ye Zi looked at the old man who was feasting beside him with pity and called the waiter in the restaurant to order some more food.
Knowing that this person had no real strength, Ye Zi could finally follow him with confidence.
Since he dared to take the job that the Duke of Protection put out, he must have already figured out a strategy to deal with it. The only question now was what Wen Yi and Wen Shuhou were still planning behind the scenes.
Did Gu Yan know that the Wen family was behind the demon rumors?
Thinking of Gu Yan, Ye Zi’s eyes darkened.
He had been out for a whole day. He didn’t know if that person would be worried and anxious, and send someone out to look for him.
As if noticing Ye Zi’s depressed mood, Guangxu Zi put down his chopsticks and said with concern: “Mr. Ye, why are you upset again?”
Ye Zi didn’t answer.
Although Guangxu Zi was a charlatan, he had a kind heart. When he was quiet, his demeanor seemed truly like an immortal, which didn’t make him annoying. Instead, it made him seem like a kind elder.
Guangxu Zi poured a cup of wine, tilted his head, and drank: “Young man, sometimes it will be counterproductive to keep things in your heart. You might as well talk about it, maybe it will be solved naturally.”
Ye Zi shook his head, “It can’t be solved.”
Guangxu Zi asked: “Is it a matter of feelings?”
Ye Zi was stunned and looked up: “How did you know?”
Guangxu Zi laughed: “For a rich and handsome young man like you, who doesn’t need to worry about food, drink, and livelihood, apart from the matters of love, what else could make you cry so pitifully?”
Ye Zi turned away his gaze in embarrassment: “I wasn’t crying.”
“Okay, okay. You weren’t crying. You simply got sand in your eyes.” Guangxu Zi poured a glass of wine and pushed it to Ye Zi: “Let’s not get sidetracked, just tell me, am I right or wrong?”
Ye Zi was silent for a moment and gently nodded.
Guangxu Zi said: “What’s the matter, the person you like doesn’t like you?”
Ye Zi whispered: “I think……he does.”
“Then why?” Guangxu Zi asked: “Are your parents and elders unwilling? Or is there a third person cutting into your relationship?”
Ye Zi shook his head: “Neither.”
Guangxu Zi took a sip of wine and concluded: “Then there is a misunderstanding between you guys.”
Ye Zi’s eyes moved slightly: “Misunderstanding?”
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Guangxu Zi comforted: “Young man, since you invited me out for food, I can’t do nothing in return. Although I am a simple Taoist Priest, I also know a little about love. You might as well tell me what’s troubling you and I might be able to analyze the situation for you, how about it?”
Ye Zi hesitated for a moment and finally told Guangxu Zi of the matter. He concealed most of the information so as to not let Guangxu Zi realize his identity or Gu Yan’s.
After listening, Guangxu Zi sighed: “There are many couples in the world who are troubled by love, it truly is pitiful…….”
Ye Zi was silent and didn’t respond. Guangxu Zi added: “Young man, from your words, the person you like most likely has genuine feelings for you. If that is the case, why don’t you ask him how he truly feels?”
Ye Zi lowered his eyes: “I……I’m too scared to.”
“The so-called sorrow comes from love and fear also comes from love. If you can’t get it, you will want it, and if you get it, you’re afraid of losing it. If that is the case, how is it possible not to be troubled by pain?” Guangxu Zi shook his head and sighed as he stroked his beard, “However, young man, I think that instead of being sad and forcing yourself to stay by that person’s side, it’s better to explain the matter clearly, maybe things will take a turn for the better.”
“Take a turn for the better?” Ye Zi froze, “You mean, I really misunderstood him?”
Guangxu Zi said: “I don’t dare jump to conclusions. But you also said that that person was considerate to you and was even willing to fight for you. I think that if he really was just treating you as a substitute for another person, he wouldn’t be this meticulous.”
“…… And, didn’t you also say that during those ten years with him, you never saw anyone else appear beside him?”
Ye Zi was stunned: “Then what the Taoist Priest means is……”
Guangxu Zi smiled lightly and didn’t answer.
Ye Zi seemed to have understood the meaning in his words and murmured: “How is that possible?……That’s not logical, this……”
“Logical?” Guangxu Zi leisurely interrupted: “Young man, there are many things in this world that aren’t logical, can you guarantee that you have never encountered anything that goes against logic?”
Ye Zi was stunned.
How could he not have encountered anything that went against logic? It was the most illogical thing for him to come to this place from the present world and then change from a human to a demon.
Then did something illogical also happen to Gu Yan?
When Gu Yan was ten years old, he had fallen seriously ill. During his illness, he suddenly disappeared from the manor and when he reappeared, he was holding a little plant in his hand. From then on, Gu Yan’s temperament changed drastically, he restrained all his brilliance and devoted himself to taking care of Ye Zi. And after Ye Zi took shape, he plotted to keep Ye Zi in the manor, taking care of him in every possible way, until now.
In fact, there were plenty more illogical happenings from Gu Yan that were even worse than Ye Zi’s, but he always ignored them.
Ye Zi’s thoughts were chaotic. Guangxu Zi didn’t say anything more as he yelled at the server to bring him a few more pots of wine. After downing most of the wine, Guangxu Zi’s face was flushed from drinking and his consciousness was muddled.
Ye Zi had no choice but to half-assist and half-support him, helping him back to the inn.
Ye Zi helped Guangxu Zi onto the bed. The latter’s consciousness was muddled and he didn’t let Ye Zi leave as he reached out to rummage through his baggage.
Guangxu Zi took out a book from his baggage and handed it to Ye Zi.
Ye Zi was puzzled: “What is this?”
Guangxu Zi pulled Ye Zi as he drunkenly and mysteriously smiled at him: “The magic weapon to make your love life unimpeded.”
As he said this in an ambiguous way, Ye Zi thought of something else and his face reddened.
Ye Zi tried to push back, but Guangxu Zi was drunk and unreasonable. He forcibly stuffed that thing into his arms so Ye Zi had no choice but to take it.
Guangxu Zi fell back on the bed and was still muttering under his breath: “Since you helped me, I will also help lend you a hand. Take this back and analyze it carefully, it will definitely make your lover never leave you.”
Ye Zi didn’t want to stay with this old immodest fake Taoist Priest anymore and hurriedly went back to his room.
Only after returning to his bedroom did Ye Zi look down to see the name of the book in his hand.
——“A Collection of Bizarre Supernaturals”
Ye Zi: “……”
That old Taoist Priest tricked him again!
Ye Zi was too lazy to argue with a drunkard so he sat down and flipped through the collection in boredom. This book documented various folk tales and rumored types of demons and immortals. As Ye Zi flipped through it casually, his eyes suddenly stopped on one of the pages.
He frowned slightly as he read the contents of that page.
***
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As the night darkened, the Prince Rui Manor was brightly lit.
“Still haven’t found him yet?” Gu Yan’s voice came through the gauze curtain, obscure and hoarse.
Siwei fell to his knees in the center of the room and lowered his head in silence.
Gu Yan commanded: “Search again, he couldn’t have gone far.”
“Yes.”
Gu Yan lay back on the bed and didn’t say anything else, however, Siwei didn’t leave.
“What else?”
Siwei responded: “I’ve found out about the matter that you have sent this subordinate to investigate. This subordinate has found several commoners who were tasked to spread the rumors and they have admitted that a mysterious person gave them money for their cooperation.”
Gu Yan responded: “I understand.”
Siwei paused for a moment and added: “There’s news from the Duke of Protection’s residence that the Wen family found a master who knows how to catch demons today.”
Gu Yan opened his eyes: “What are they planning?”
“It’s said that tomorrow, the Duke of Protection is going to introduce that master to His Holiness so that His Holiness can pass a decree to have the demons that are ravaging Chang’an City be caught.” Siwei trailed on: “And……”
“And what?”
“……They said that the demons are residing in the Prince Rui Manor.”
“A Zi……” Just as Gu Yan wanted to sit up, he accidentally pulled on his injury and coughed.
Siwei rushed forward to help him: “Master, this subordinate will definitely find the princess consort. You have a fever right now, you must not get up.”
“……Listen to me.” Gu Yan’s eyes were bloodshot as he said mutely: “Send everyone out to find him. But when you find him, don’t bring him back. Take him away from here, the farther away the better.”
Siwei said: “Yes, this subordinate will go immediately, but your medicine……”
“Put it down for now.”
As Siwei left, it looked like Gu Yan had exhausted all his strength. He collapsed back onto the bed and was momentarily motionless.
A moment later, a slender stem climbed up the window.
Ye Zi noiselessly pushed open the window and gently climbed into the room. Gu Yan was lying motionlessly beyond the gauze curtain and a bowl of medicine was placed at the bedside, as if it hadn’t been touched.
Gu Yan wasn’t fond of people approaching him, especially when he was sick. Besides Ye Zi, in the past, no one was allowed to stay in the room.
Ye Zi looked at the person on the bed through the curtain and didn’t dare to approach him, he also didn’t dare to make a sound.
He wasn’t supposed to come back, but he was really worried and ended up transforming back to his original form to wander around Prince Rui Manor, wanting to find out about the situation. But when he did, he learned from the servants that Gu Yan had been bedridden with a high fever since the afternoon.
How did this person always manage to get himself into this sorry state?
Ye Zi squatted beside the bed and quietly watched him. The medicine by the bedside had gradually cooled down, but Gu Yan had no intention of waking up. Ye Zi hesitated for a long time before a white light flashed in the room and he transformed into a human by the bedside.
Ye Zi held his breath and carefully observed Gu Yan’s appearance. The latter was still unconscious and didn’t react.
Ye Zi quietly picked up an outer robe from a coat rack on the side and put it on. He picked up the medicine from the table and lifted the gauze curtain.
Gu Yan’s complexion was even uglier than when he left in the morning with tightly furrowed brows. Ye Zi stretched out his hand to check, the latter’s forehead was hot and scorching.
Ye Zi’s heart ached. He knelt by the bed and called out softly: “Your Majesty……Zicheng, wake up, you have to drink your medicine.”
Gu Yan frowned and opened his eyes.
Gu Yan turned his head to look at him, his expression carrying a few signs of bewilderment: “A Zi, you’re back?”
Without waiting for Ye Zi to respond, Gu Yan let out a light laugh and said softly in a hoarse voice: “I think the fever is really getting to me, I can’t believe I get to see you come back.”
Ye Zi’s eyes instantly reddened.
☽ ⋆ℍalf 𝕄oon 𝕋ranslations⋆ ☾ 
Thank You for the new chapter ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁)
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