Chapter 21

T/N: I mistakenly translated Yao as a demon in the previous chapters. I translated the word yao as demon, but it actually means spirit/fae, as after the war between gods and demons.. there is almost no demon. So after this, I will use spirit instead of demon unless the chapter contains real demons, such as in this chapter… This is a little explanation of Yao and mo…  

Yao (妖 yāo) is commonly translated as “demon” or “monster.”.

In these novels, they are often conflated with Magical Beasts – especially in the case of Demonic Beasts (妖兽 yāoshòu). Magical beasts are animals capable of cultivation.

They tend to be much more intelligent than mundane animals, and some are capable of speaking in human languages.

Those that have reached a high stage of cultivation may even be able to take on a human form.
Yao are very similar, but the main difference is that Yao can be more than just animals! Yao is a broad term for any animals, plants, or even inanimate objects that have gained spiritual awareness and magical powers (usually by absorbing Qi from the natural world over a long period of time).

Yes, even a stone can become a Yao!
The English word “demon” is sadly tainted with an “evil” connotation, which doesn’t fit Yao very well. Yao are closer to the classical Daemons and Fae.

Mo (魔 mó) is commonly translated as “devil” or “fiend.”. It is also translated as “demon,” although this can cause confusion for readers trying to distinguish Yao from Mo.

Mo are evil spirits/creatures of remarkable power and cruelty. They are actually very similar to the demons and devils of Western mythology.

In some novels, evil cultivators emulate Mo by practicing devilish cultivation methods and committing atrocities in their pursuit of power. They are typically called Demon Cultivators (修魔者) and are contrasted with the more-standard Immortal Cultivators (修仙者).

Yao and Mo are sometimes grouped together or considered to be a single species (Yaomo 妖魔), and at other times they are considered to be distinct species (the Yao race 妖族 and the Mo race 魔族). Two examples of novels that prominently feature them are Way of Choices and World of Cultivation.

I hope you understand..the difference between Yao and Mo….huhu… I also often confused with these two terms ..~~ P/s:huhu..i’ve corrected back all the previous chapter….please forgive this lazy translator… 🙂 

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Mount Wanlan is located at the western border of the Kingdom of Qiong, stretching for thousands of miles. It is rumored that the imperial tombs of successive dynasties of the Kingdom of Qiong are hidden somewhere within the mountains, guarded by a war ghost general.

Riding on his bird of paradise, Yuan Zhong became restless and uneasy as soon as he passed this area, sighing repeatedly and clearly recalling some unpleasant memories.

Tanyin asked curiously, “What’s wrong with you?”

Yuan Zhong hung his head in pain, “… I remembered a heart-wrenching little girl.”

That fierce lady, fiercer than the war ghost general… Wasn’t her name Xin Mei? He would never forget! She nearly knocked out two of his teeth with a slap, and she arrogantly ordered him to drive her around like a cheap chauffeur. He was so traumatized that his legs trembled whenever he saw a fresh-faced girl of about fifteen or sixteen.

Tanyin evidently misunderstood, and worried about hurting him, she cautiously asked, “Is… she your lover? Do you want to go down and see her? It’s better to clear up any misunderstandings…”

Yuan Zhong shook his head like a rattle drum. What a joke! Only the war ghost general could handle a girl like Xin Mei. He would rather spend his whole life with Tang Hua than spend a single day with Xin Mei.

“You misunderstood.” He glared at Tanyin and said, “The woman I like isn’t her.”

“Oh…” She didn’t know how to respond, so she just murmured in acknowledgment.

“Idiot.” He sighed at her clueless expression.

The weather was clear; there was not a cloud in the sky, but after flying for a while, large clouds appeared, obstructing their view. Yuan Zhong whistled, and the bird of paradise slowed down, hovering in mid-air.

“Below should be the imperial tombs; this is the cloud formation released by the war ghost general.” He parted the thick mist in front of him, but more clouds quickly surged in, so dense that Tanyin, who was less than ten feet away, became invisible.

Yuan Zhong’s eyes darted around, and he turned back with a kind smile.

“Can’t see the way, can you? Come over here.”

“It’s fine; I can follow you.” It was a completely unromantic answer.

He persisted, “This is just the outer perimeter of the cloud formation. If we go deeper, you won’t be able to see me.”

“No worries, just keep flying forward; I can keep up.” Still unromantic.

He frowned.

“… Are you coming or not?”

“… Okay.” Tanyin reluctantly agreed.

She maneuvered her mechanical bird closer to him and lightly stood up, landing behind him as softly as a feather. The bird of paradise’s soft feathers were indeed much more comfortable than those of the mechanical bird.

“I can feel it; the Concentric Mirror is inside the imperial tomb.”

She said it softly, her voice carrying a hint of a smile.

“What’s that?” Yuan Zhong whistled, and the bird of paradise began to fly through the cloud formation at a slow pace.

“Something interesting I made before. Only a couple with a destined bond can see their reflection in it; otherwise, the mirror remains blank.”

After becoming a god, the first thing she created was the Concentric Mirror, using the celestial gold dust she had taken from Taihe. She remembered that when it was completed, she carried the mirror around looking for someone to try it with, but the divine realm was vast and lonely, unlike the bustling mortal world. The gods and goddesses were always busy with their duties and had peculiar temperaments. After a long search, she found no one and ended up sitting with the mirror in a daze, considering going to the mortal world to test it.

Taihe suddenly appeared behind her, looking curiously at the mirror in her hands.

“Oh? You made a bronze mirror?”

Startled, she turned and saw that it was him. Remembering her act of taking the celestial gold dust, she felt guilty and fled, hiding behind a pillar to glare at him.

Taihe picked up the Concentric Mirror she left behind and laughed, “Why can’t I see anything?”

She stammered, “It…it requires a couple with a destined bond to reflect.”

Taihe, intrigued, asked, “You made this? Sounds interesting.”

Seeing his gentle demeanor and soft voice, she felt relieved that he wouldn’t hold a grudge against her for taking the gold dust. She hesitantly emerged halfway from behind the pillar and whispered, “Um… I used the celestial gold dust from last time.”

Taihe smiled and said, “Is it enough? I have plenty more.”

She was overjoyed.

“Can I get more?!”

He nodded, smiling as he touched the rough and dull mirror surface.

“What’s the mirror’s name?”

“Concentric Mirror.”

“Good name.” Taihe praised her, walking towards her with the mirror.

Tanyin looked up at him, dazed, as he approached and stood beside her, lifting the Concentric Mirror—its surface remained dull and empty.

“Oh, does it really work?” Taihe smiled wryly, scratching his head.

Tanyin hurriedly explained, “It only works for a couple with a destined bond.”

“Alright.” He handed the Concentric Mirror back to her, smiling softly.

“I’m so sad; we don’t have a destined bond.”

It was just a joke, but she, being so naive, didn’t realize it and anxiously tried to explain, “Maybe, maybe it doesn’t work for gods…”

Taihe was briefly stunned, but then he smiled again, his smile very gentle.

“I know who you are,” he said.

“You are the newly arrived goddess Wushuang, the world’s greatest craftsman.”

Tanyin nodded. “And, and you are…”

“I am Taihe, god Taihe, in charge of the Milky Way and stars.”

Recalling these distant yet interesting memories, Tanyin couldn’t help but smile more deeply.

Yuan Zhong, silent for a while in front, suddenly turned his bird and flew downward, saying, “The Concentric Mirror sounds interesting. Let’s go take a look.”

Tanyin quickly pulled him back.

“That mirror, it usually doesn’t reflect people…”

“Just a look.”

“But there is a war ghost down there…”

“Don’t worry, I’m here.”

The bird of paradise shot forward like an arrow, breaking through the clouds, and in the blink of an eye, the row of red and white flower trees on the sacred path of the imperial tomb came into view. The war ghost general’s cloud formation was no match for this spiritual bird, which gracefully landed on the sacred path, proudly surveying the stone figures and horses beside it.

Yuan Zhong sniffed a strand of wind and smiled.

“The war ghost isn’t here. Let’s go.”

It was Tanyin’s first visit to the imperial tombs of Mount Wanlan. She wasn’t familiar with the tombs, but the sight of the fragrant red and white flower trees, the distant green mountains, and the beautiful scenery was quite different from the dark and desolate scene she had imagined. Only the southeast corner exuded a dense, ominous aura, likely the gathering place of evil spirits.

Yuan Zhong clasped his hands together and muttered a chant, quickly forming a light blue barrier that enveloped the two of them. He leaned to one side, sitting crookedly on the bird of paradise’s back, so he could look back at Tanyin.

“With this barrier, the people here won’t notice us.”

Seeing Tanyin engrossed in the scenery of the imperial tombs, he couldn’t help but secretly extend his hand, inching it closer until he gently grasped the hem of her garment. Sitting beside her, he could smell various scents from her body—wood, copper, and the cool fragrance of her skin—all blending together, more intoxicating than the strong floral scent here.

A beauty at his side, picturesque scenery—was it a dream? Reality?

He suddenly felt that the depths of the imperial tomb and Xin Mei were not scary at all. With Ji Tanyin here, even the war ghost general seemed a bit cute.

The bird of paradise moved very slowly. Along the way, they encountered many small spirits—a little boy with wings, a beautiful lotus flower spirit, an old man with a mouse tail peeking out from his clothes—laughing and chatting as they walked away.

Beside them was a bamboo grove, with delicate white stone tables and chairs. A pretty girl was sitting on a chair, eating a sweet melon, while a burly man stood behind her. They seemed to be talking, and the man’s face alternated between green and white, as if he were about to faint from anger.

Yuan Zhong couldn’t help but shudder when he saw the girl, and he patted the bird of paradise’s head to make it move faster.

“I can sense the Concentric Mirror,” Tanyin said, turning her head towards the south. There, barely visible through the dense trees, was a row of black-tiled longhouses, likely the residences of the tomb’s inhabitants.

She flicked her fingers lightly, and a thin beam of golden light shot up from not far away, emitting a cheerful, clear whistling sound, like a happy bird rushing into her arms. As the faint golden light dissipated, a bronze mirror appeared in her arms, covered in dust, evidently not well cared for by its current owner.

Tanyin lovingly wiped the dust off the mirror with a handkerchief. The dull surface gradually cleared, revealing the fine gold dust from the Milky Way that she had mixed in.

“Look,” she said, smiling and holding up the Concentric Mirror.

“This is it.”

Yuan Zhong took the Concentric Mirror, examining it from all angles. Finally, he moved closer to her, and they looked into the mirror together. The rough, dull surface showed no reaction. He tapped the mirror with a finger, skeptical.

“Does this thing really work? You must have made it wrong.”

Tanyin hurried to defend herself.

“Of course it works. I said it only shows the reflection of a destined couple! And besides, this isn’t my real body; what could you possibly see?”

“Then show your true form, and let’s try again,” Yuan Zhong insisted.

Tanyin shook her head.

He smiled slyly and said, “You won’t show your true form, so you must be terribly ugly and unpresentable.”

Tanyin was speechless, not knowing how to clear her name from being labeled as ugly. After struggling for a while, just as she was about to speak, she suddenly sensed something, turned sharply, and looked towards the southeast—the area filled with an ominous aura—where she detected an unusual disturbance.

“What’s wrong?” Yuan Zhong asked, noticing her sudden silence and serious expression.

“…Let’s go take a look over there.” Tanyin flicked her fingers, and the Concentric Mirror reluctantly transformed into a golden light, returning to its place under the bed in the owner’s bedroom.

The bird of paradise slowly flew towards the southeast. Before long, it stopped above a vast apricot blossom forest. This endless forest, blooming with snow-white flowers in the late summer and early autumn, resembled an infinite sea of snow from a distance. Though it was beautiful, it exuded an eerie, ghostly aura.

“This is the burial pit of the imperial tomb,” Yuan Zhong whispered.

“Many emperors of the Qiong Kingdom are buried in the tomb, and countless people have died in the burial pit. It’s filled with gloomy clouds and haunted by fierce ghosts. Fortunately, a war ghost general guards this place, trapping these malevolent spirits within the apricot blossom forest.”

Tanyin didn’t respond; her eyes were fixed on the forest. She could see the dark entrance of the underground palace within, from which that familiar, unsettling disturbance emanated.

Suddenly, the dark entrance of the underground palace seemed to distort. Following this, a large, semi-transparent, fog-like entity slowly crawled out. Her hands clenched tightly—it couldn’t be wrong! It was indeed a demon!

No one knew better than she did what this entity was. Low-level demons grew stronger by devouring souls. Although she hadn’t personally participated in the fierce battles of the ancient war between gods and demons, she had seen some demons. This one seemed to be the lowest level, without even a human form, merely a semi-transparent mass of malevolent energy, attracted by the ghosts in the burial pit to devour them.

Tanyin’s expression gradually grew solemn. During the ancient war between gods and demons, all demons should have been eradicated, and the gods suffered heavy losses, with many primordial gods perishing and transforming into the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. After the war, various immortals and spirits emerged, creating the current world where humans, spirits, and immortals coexist.

At this moment, seeing a living demon appear before her was a shock akin to a thunderbolt. The already dwindling realm of gods could not withstand another war between gods and demons.

Tanyin suddenly jumped off the bird of paradise’s back. Yuan Zhong was startled. She had the bird of paradise fly above the apricot blossom forest and was now staring at the empty entrance of the underground palace. Why did she jump down? Had she lost her mind? He quickly followed, landing beside her, gently holding her slender shoulder, and whispering, “What’s wrong?”

Tanyin still didn’t speak, suddenly gripping his hand tightly. Her hand was cold and sweaty. Yuan Zhong was even more startled. He slowly opened his hand, wrapping hers securely within his palm, and stepped forward slightly, positioning himself protectively in front of her—although he had no idea what was happening, it was clear she was deeply unsettled, and he needed to protect her.

The unformed demon, having devoured too many fierce ghosts, was too heavy to fly. It crawled slowly out of the underground palace, seemingly taking a rest. It seemed to sense the presence of two people watching it from a distance and suddenly turned its body, slowly crawling towards Tanyin.

Tanyin felt her whole body stiffen. As a support craftsman, she had no combat ability. Faced with this unformed demon, she had no idea how to deal with it and could only watch as it crawled within five feet of her.

Suddenly, the demon seemed to recognize her. A strange, low voice came from its fog-like body—a somewhat familiar woman’s voice, though it had changed a lot, making it hard for Tanyin to identify who it was. The demon then turned and fled quickly, as if afraid to face her.