Unseen Immortal of Three Hundred Years - Chap 54
In the city of Xian, they say the Spirit King loves to smile.
His smiles are sometimes faint, lazily hanging at the corners of his eyes, making them shine like stars. Other times, they are bright and carefree, truly befitting his residence’s name.
Despite his special status in Xian, he carries no airs of superiority. He converses effortlessly with anyone, often teasing and joking, sometimes playful, sometimes mischievous.
He should have been an easy person to approach, but strangely, even those who admire him from afar hesitate to get close.
Perhaps it’s because the nature of his responsibilities remains shrouded in mystery, adding an aura of distance.
In the Jade Pavilion where the immortals of Xian reside, there are attendants and servants to tend to daily affairs. Yet, the Spirit King remains an exception.
Despite his love for company, the grand residence initially lacked attendants.
Xian has a place dedicated to managing the mundane affairs of the immortals, known as the Ceremony Pavilion.
At that time, two officials managed the Pavilion. One was a female immortal named Dream Sister, renowned in Xian for her fiery temper; she would dismiss people with a flick of her dust if they dared to offend her.
The other was named Sang Feng, tall and handsome, with eyes sharp as an eagle’s. Despite habitually taking care of others before ascending, his nature remained unchanged in Xian. He was fond of playing the elder brother, steward, and even the father figure to others.
That time, Sang Feng couldn’t bear it any longer. He waited in ambush at the Zuo Chun Feng for seven days and nights, finally catching the Spirit King upon his return from the mortal realm.
He greeted the Spirit King with a grand gesture, startling him.
“Oh, I can’t accept such a grand gesture,” the Spirit King said, stepping aside and casually using Sang Feng’s own attendant to shield himself as he accepted the gesture.
The attendant and Sang Feng were both at a loss for words.
“Speak freely, no need to bow,” the Spirit King said, placing a hand on the attendant’s head, wearing his usual mask. His voice muffled behind the mask, making it somewhat indistinct.
Sang Feng hesitated as he looked at the silver-threaded mask, because whenever the Spirit King wore it, he seemed even more mysterious, even when he was joking.
Sensing Sang Feng’s hesitation, the Spirit King lifted the mask halfway.
Sang Feng instantly relaxed. He pulled the attendant back and earnestly said to the Spirit King, “It’s not a big deal, just that, my lord, you should have a few attendants and servants.”
The Spirit King smiled, lips curving and then retracting, saying, “No need.”
Sang Feng was puzzled.
“These are just mundane matters, handled by us. The Ceremony Pavilion has prepared a few for you long ago, they’ve been waiting there for a while, you should just accept them,” Sang Feng explained.
Although the Spirit King was easy-going, he wasn’t easily persuaded. “I’ve already declined before. I’m not always at Zuo Chun Feng anyway, why do I need so many attendants and servants?”
Sang Feng persisted, “All the immortals have them, but your palace is empty. It worries me.”
The Spirit King, not one to fuss over such matters, couldn’t understand why others were concerned about his empty palace. He chuckled and replied, “If truly all the immortals have them, then there wouldn’t be a single one left unwanted, I refuse to believe that.”
Sang Feng fell silent.
After a moment, reluctantly, Sang Feng admitted, “Fine, Tian Suo also refused to accept.”
The Spirit King raised an eyebrow.
Sang Feng hurriedly added, “But Tian Su is that kind of person after all.”
Wu Xingxue asked, “What kind?”
After pondering for a moment, Sang Feng said, “In Dream Gu’s words, even if the celestial messengers and young attendants were sent, they would freeze to death in less than two days.”
Wu Xingxue remained silent.
Since he first opened his eyes in the spring breeze, he vaguely heard that the heavens had called another person to become immortal, bestowed the name “Mian” by heaven, and named him Tian Su.
However, he had little interest in immortals and what went on in the immortal realm. Although he could chat and laugh with anyone, he never actively visited anyone’s palace. It seemed that Tian Su was also not keen on making immortal friends.
Moreover, they both had their own matters to attend to, and after half a year, they had only heard each other’s names but had never met.
Every time he visited the immortal realm, he always heard Tian Su’s name mentioned in passing by others, accompanied by remarks like “his temperament, unexpectedly…” or similar phrases.
After hearing it so many times, it was hard not to pay attention.
However, Wu Xingxue’s curiosity was limited.
He had just finished handling matters, severed a tricky thread, and was feeling lazy, wanting to rest.
But the smirk on his lips was deceiving, and Sang Feng didn’t notice at all.
“Ah, let’s not talk about others. I heard that the Lord likes lively places, so why make your residence so deserted?” Sang Feng said, “Could it be that you’re afraid the celestial messengers and attendants will cause trouble?”
Before the Spirit King could speak, he continued, “You can rest assured about the Reception Pavilion’s affairs. Those celestial messengers and attendants are sensible and obedient, every word and action of theirs is appropriate, they won’t cause any trouble.”
After praising them, he advised, “You should get one.”
“No.”
“…”
Wu Xingxue thought to himself, These celestial messengers and attendants released by your Reception Pavilion are indeed obedient, but each one is as stiff as a board, all so dull. Bringing them back won’t liven things up. What’s the point?
But it was said that the personalities of those celestial messengers and attendants were personally adjusted by Sang Feng, so Wu Xingxue hesitated for a moment, not wanting to embarrass him, and simply said, “Although I enjoy lively environments, I can’t sleep with someone in the room.”
“…”
This reason was irrefutable. Sang Feng’s persuasion was in vain, so he sighed deeply and left, walking away with three glances back. Before leaving, Wu Xingxue, seeing his pitiful state, politely said, “If you ever need someone in the future, I’ll come to you.”
“Alright, I’ll remember that.”
Blame it on Sang Feng being too honest. If only he had lurked by the spring breeze a few more nights, he would have discovered that everything the Spirit King said was nonsense.
Especially the line about “can’t sleep with someone in the room”.
He was born on the Fallen Blossom Platform, accustomed to the liveliest sounds, and transformed into a human while listening to them. He never minded having someone or noise in the room. On the contrary, he needed some noise to rest.
Whether it was the sound of falling petals or the wind, there were times when he created a few shadows made of spiritual energy, banging gongs and drums and singing operas by the bed. He listened to them and slept soundly.
At that time, Wu Xingxue truly had no intention of having celestial messengers or young attendants, until shortly after he cleared up some loose threads and arrived at the Plain of Reeds.
Generally speaking, when loose threads were caused by someone altering the past, there would often be similar signs.
Such as seeing people or things that shouldn’t be present in a certain realm; such as time being disrupted, being pulled to a past or future day; or such as someone being in a strange state, neither alive nor dead.
Having seen countless anomalies in his travels, Wu Xingxue could discern them at a glance without the need for divine edicts.
However, after eliminating the chaotic threads, there were no obvious signs that could be discerned at a glance. It required divine edicts to clarify.
Yet Wu Xingxue never blindly believed, nor did he cease his actions upon hearing the divine edicts proclaim “all is well.” Instead, he often followed the cause and effect, meticulously investigating again to confirm the chaos along these threads had completely disappeared before returning to the Immortal City.
So, each time he descended to the mortal realm, it was never a brief affair; it always consumed a considerable amount of time. And anything he had handled had never gone awry.
Therefore, that day, when he saw that pair of slender spirits on the Jiamei Plains, he indeed couldn’t react immediately.
He stared at the two little ghosts for a good while before finally realizing-they were the legendary “Ghost Children” of the Jiamei Plains.
The story had circulated during his three years of sensory deprivation, and the first divine edict he received upon opening his eyes was to set everything related to that story back on track.
At that time, he spent a full ten days shuttling between different years, decisively severing cause and effect, dragging back the cultivators who would have caused trouble to their origins.
With sword in hand, he watched as the cultivator died tragically at that node, following the fate he was supposed to. Then, he smoothly guided everything else back on track.
He remembered very clearly that the wandering brothers who traversed the Jiamei Plains had made it to the capital. He had investigated, and everything was exactly as it should be, without any deviations.
So why were there still two small spirits on the Jiamei Plains?
And when those two spirits saw him, they actually staggered towards him and called out “Immortal” with their faces upturned.
This reaction clearly indicated recognition.
This was very strange indeed.
Because everything he had done shouldn’t have been remembered; those returned to the right track would only feel they had always been on it, never having encountered any problems.
Wu Xingxue frowned at the time, thinking the divine edicts had made a mistake, or perhaps he had overlooked something during his initial cleanup.
However, when he reached out, he found that the two spirits were not real spirits but more like phantoms.
Still unconvinced, he scrutinized them for a long time. Finally, he confirmed that he had not overlooked anything, and the brothers were indeed living their lives in the capital as they should.
These two phantom spirits on the Jiamei Plains seemed to be remnants left in the gap between life and death, proving that he had done something.
Wu Xingxue was somewhat stunned at the time, asking the two phantom figures, “Have you seen me?”
The smaller ghost shook its head.
The slightly larger one pondered for a moment, then pointed to his mask and said, “I have seen.”
Wu Xingxue asked again, “Where did you see me?”
This time, both of them looked bewildered, then shook their heads obediently.
“Why are you here then?” Wu Xingxue raised his chin, indicating the desolate and uninhabited wilderness.
The two little ghosts rolled their eyes, racked their brains, but couldn’t remember anything.
Wu Xingxue understood in his heart.
After all, they were just remnants, naturally unaware of everything.
The remnants wouldn’t interfere with the right track; they would dissipate on their own after a few days. Wu Xingxue thought about summoning a gust of wind to send them off.
But the two little ghosts looked at him expectantly, seeming somewhat aggrieved.
Wu Xingxue considered it for a moment, then relented somewhat impatiently, “Do as you please, I’m leaving.”
Yet, hardly had he taken a few steps when the two little ghosts trotted up to him again.
When Wu Xingxue stopped, they stopped; when he walked, they followed.
After a few rounds of this, the dignified Spirit King finally squatted down and said, “You’ve latched onto me, haven’t you?”
Surprisingly, the two little ghosts nodded.
Wu Xingxue: “…”
Well, if they didn’t interfere, he could treat them as if he had made two paper dolls.
He thought to himself.
So, three days later, rumors spread throughout the Immortal City that the Spirit King had returned with two young boys and made Sang Feng, the Master of Ceremonies, cry.
Sang Feng was terrified when he heard these rumors, but the Spirit King believed the latter half. Thus, he took the two boys and casually strolled over to the Ceremonial Hall, claiming to appease the situation.
After spending an hour trying to calm things down, Sang Feng was truly on the verge of tears.
Seeing the situation turning sour, the Spirit King turned to leave with the boys.
Sang Feng shouted from behind, “My lord, what should I do with the row of boys I’ve prepared? They’ve been waiting here in my hall for nearly half a year, my lord!”
The Spirit King didn’t stop, nor did he turn his head. “Let them stay and trouble the heavens, just in case.”
Being tall with long legs, he was afraid of being caught up by the overly enthusiastic Sang Feng, so he walked away briskly. The two boys, who hadn’t fully adjusted to the paths of the Immortal City, ran after him with short legs, still lagging behind.
As Wu Xingxue reached the White Jade Steps, he suddenly remembered that he was now responsible for two boys. So, he stopped and turned around to wait for the two little ones to catch up.
It was at that moment he encountered Xiao Fuxuan for the first time in the Immortal City.
He heard two faint sounds, like the gentle tapping of sword against scabbard. Turning his head, he saw the Celestial Swordsman carrying his sword, ascending the White Jade Steps.
The other party seemed to sense someone on the top of the steps and looked up.
The wind of the Immortal City swept past him, swirling up and gently sweeping upwards. In the wind, Wu Xingxue caught a familiar spiritual aura.
In that moment, he stood stunned in the wind.
For some reason, the other party also paused their steps.
Wu Xingxue snapped out of his daze, his thin lips about to part, when suddenly he saw two dark figures running over, nearly colliding with his shins in their haste.
As they ran, they asked, “My lord, who is Tian Su? Why did you just let someone harm him?”
Wu Xingxue: “…”
He saw Tian Su originally lifting his foot, about to pass by them. Upon hearing this, his steps abruptly halted.
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