The Star Lord Chang Sheng of the Palace of Trials - Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Cats Are Indeed Heartless
Just as Jufang returned to the Sili Palace, she encountered Lord Changsheng, who was on his way to the Lingxiao Palace.
(T/N: I will put palace of trial as Sili palace because I’m too lazy put as palace of trial..hehe)
Ju Fang, concerned about her performance, was about to ask when Lord Chang Sheng interrupted her.
“You stay here in the palace and don’t wander off. I’ll report to the Jade Emperor and return shortly,” Lord Chang Sheng said before leaving with Niyan.
His tone might have been a bit cold, but Lord Chang Sheng was actually somewhat anxious.
Although only a few days had passed in the heavens, Ju Fang had spent several years in the mortal realm. While confined in Chu Jie’s palace, Ju Fang had to constantly act, which must have taken a toll on her mentally. Lord Chang Sheng had initially wanted to order the heavenly kitchen to prepare some chicken soup for her, but he was summoned to the Lingxiao Palace and had to wait until he returned.
At the Lingxiao Palace, Lord Chang Sheng listened to the Jade Emperor’s usual praise, which was always the same—successfully overcoming the trials, doing an excellent job, your efforts are seen, keep up the good work, and so on. This drama-loving fan girl just wanted to make chicken soup for his idol and had little interest in such formalities.
But when he actually returned to the Sili palace and saw Ju Fang sitting on the railing, eagerly looking out, he suddenly remembered that day’s “If I win, you’re a scumbag man, scumbag man, big scumbag man!” and suddenly didn’t feel like being gentle with her.
This petty guy completely forgot that for him, this might have been just a few days ago, but for Ju Fang, it was a conversation from years ago, and she had long forgotten it.
Lord Chang Sheng said irritably, “Is the railing for sitting on? Don’t lower the standards of the Sili Palace.”
Ju Fang hurriedly stood up and respectfully asked, “Lord Chang Sheng, did Lianyue successfully go through three lifetimes with that mortal?”
This question inexplicably annoyed Lord Chang Sheng.
“I rushed back all the way to make chicken soup for you, and the first thing you ask about is Lianyue? Cats are indeed heartless,” he thought.
With an unhappy tone, Lord Chang Sheng said, “It’s Lord Lianyue! Show some respect.”
Ju Fang immediately softened and rephrased her question, “Did Lord Lianyue successfully go through three lifetimes with that mortal?”
Only then did Lord Chang Sheng reply, “Yes, he did. You can consider the trial a success.”
Logically, he should have praised her, but the petty guy still couldn’t get over that hurdle in his heart and didn’t say anything.
Just then, Xiaofan arrived.
Having heard that Ju Fang had returned, he came to organize records with Lord Chang Sheng and to congratulate Ju Fang on her first successful trial.
Xiaofan had had a bit to drink before coming and swayed slightly as he said, “Congratulations, Ju Fang! You succeeded in your first trial!”
Ju Fang smiled and replied, “Thanks to Senior Xiaofan’s blessings and the red thread’s help, I didn’t let everyone down.”
Lord Chang Sheng said sourly, “With me overseeing it, of course, it was successful!”
Xiaofan retorted, “Yes, overseeing it so meticulously!”
Seeing that Ju Fang clearly looked tired and was much quieter than when she left, Lord Chang Sheng thought she must be exhausted and urged her to rest.
“But I was the one who set up the trial. Without me, can you manage the records?” Ju Fang hurriedly asked.
Lord Chang Sheng said impatiently, “Yes, yes, yes! Your handwriting is terrible; we don’t need you. Go wherever you need to go. It’s not my first day doing this; do I need your help? Hmph! Overestimating yourself.”
After Ju Fang left, Xiaofan and Lord Chang Sheng went to the study to review the records.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Xiaofan asked, “If you wanted her to rest, you could have just said so nicely. Why do you always sound like you’ve eaten gunpowder?”
Lord Chang Sheng stubbornly replied, “This mess was her doing in the first place. It’s only right that she put in the effort for the trial. Why should I be nice to her? What if she misunderstands and thinks I’m grateful, and then slacks off in future trials?”
Xiaofan pointed to the small stove in the study that seemed out of place and said, “Oh, not grateful? Then, is the chicken soup for me?”
Only then did Lord Chang Sheng stop fanning the fire and hurriedly explained, “This is for me! I just happened to make some for her too, by the way!”
Xiaofan sighed and said, “You really have a terrible personality.”
In fact, Lord Chang Sheng’s feelings were quite complicated at this moment.
On one hand, Ju Fang was like the female lead in a drama he had been following for a long time, and seeing her gave him the same excitement we feel when we see our favorite actors. On the other hand, Ju Fang was also that little cat who always ended up arguing with him every time they met, leaving on bad terms.
When ordinary people see their favorite actors, they can do whatever they want without hesitation because they might only meet once or twice in a lifetime. They don’t need to worry about their image since they might never see each other again. But Lord Chang Sheng was different! He had the heart to cherish his idol but didn’t have the face to let her know.
Sigh, Lord Chang Sheng’s personality was already unlikable, and now he was even more annoying!
—
[Just Looking for the Little Girl from the Sili palace]
“Hey! Little girl from the Sili palace, come out!”
While Lord Chang Sheng was in the study with Xiaofan, working and making soup, a young woman appeared at the gate of the Sili palace. She looked to be under twenty, with delicate features but a slightly fierce expression, clearly a little firecracker not to be trifled with.
Niyan went to investigate and recognized her as Zhu Yue, Lord Lianyue’s younger sister.
Zhu Yue was notorious in the heavens for being difficult. Relying on her powerful family background, numerous relatives, and her godly brother, she feared nothing. Fortunately, although she was playful, her nature wasn’t bad, or she might have already caused quite a bit of trouble in the heavenly palace.
Niyan greeted her politely.
Zhu Yue shouted, “Niyan, don’t worry, I’m not here to cause trouble for Lord Chang Sheng. I’m just looking for the little girl from your Sili palace!”
Niyan, of course, wasn’t afraid of Zhu Yue and asked, “What do you want with her?”
Zhu Yue replied, “She made my brother suffer so much in the mortal realm. I want to vent some anger on his behalf!” With that, she tried to rush inside.
Niyan stopped her by placing a hand on her head and said, “Everything she did in the mortal realm was by order. If you want to vent your anger, go to the Jade Emperor. Don’t cause trouble here in the Sili palace.”
Zhu Yue, being stopped, was unwilling to give up and said, “So you’re going to protect her, huh?”
Niyan replied, “As long as she’s part of the Sili palace, you can’t touch her.”
Knowing she couldn’t win against Niyan, Zhu Yue had no choice but to leave.
Later, Niyan reported the incident to Lord Chang Sheng.
Lord Chang Sheng was surprised, “She was looking for Ju Fang, not me? Niyan, from now on, no one enters the Sili palace without the Jade Emperor’s decree unless they’re part of the palace.”
Niyan: “Understood!”
“By the way, this chicken soup was made by Immortal Xiaofan. Go check if Ju Fang has gone to bed. If not, take it to her,” Lord Chang Sheng said, pretending to be indifferent.
Xiaofan almost spat out his wine and hurriedly said, “I made it? Niyan, do you believe that? He’s still holding the fan!”
Niyan expressionlessly said, “If Lord Chang Sheng says so, then it is so,” and took the chicken soup away.
Xiaofan complained, half-amused and half-annoyed, “What did you feed him? Why is he so obedient?”
The next morning, a large group of celestial maidens and attendants were stopped by Niyan at the gate of the Sili palace, not allowed to enter.
It turned out that various gods and immortals, hearing that Lord Chang Sheng had successfully guided Lord Lianyue through his trial, came to send congratulatory gifts. Of course, while they claimed it was to celebrate, their true intention was to curry favor, hoping that when it was their turn, Lord Chang Sheng would go easy on them.
Ju Fang didn’t know why the Sili palace suddenly barred outsiders, but seeing that the gifts included plenty of food, she quickly moved them inside. The celestial maidens were also relieved to finally complete their task.
Ju Fang brought all the delicious food to the pavilion, prepared tea and wine, and planned to call Lord Chang Sheng over to eat together.
Entering the study, she saw Lord Chang Sheng still looking at the Mirror of Mortal Observation and hurriedly said, “Stop looking! No one’s undergoing trials right now; what are you watching? There’s delicious food outside; come and eat!”
Lord Chang Sheng was concerned about the whereabouts of the Record of Love Tribulations, but if he said he was looking for it and couldn’t eat, Ju Fang might feel awkward, so he replied, “You eat. I’m vegetarian.”
Unexpectedly, Ju Fang directly pulled him, grabbing his arm and saying, “There’s vegetarian food! Keep me company, consider it a celebration.”
Lord Chang Sheng was dragged out like a doll and sat in the pavilion. Ju Fang enthusiastically piled vegetarian dishes in front of him while happily eating meat herself.
Lord Chang Sheng thought, “These dishes are here because you successfully set up the trial. Just enjoy them!” and didn’t touch the food much.
Ju Fang, her mouth greasy, asked, “Why is the Sili palace so empty? Just you and Niyan, isn’t it boring?”
Caught off guard, Lord Chang Sheng instinctively answered truthfully, “I oversee the trials of the gods, punishing them. Such an unpopular position naturally has fewer people. Why would I want more immortals who attract resentment?”
Ju Fang laughed, “But all this delicious food and drink are also because you oversee the trials, right? Look on the bright side. You’re unpopular because you always have a stern face, not because of your position.”
This made Lord Chang Sheng’s forehead vein pop out again.
“Don’t get angry; she didn’t mean it,” Lord Chang Sheng told himself.
Seeing Lord Chang Sheng’s twitching brow, Ju Fang advised, “See, you’re frowning again! Smiling is much better.”
With that, she reached out to pinch Lord Chang Sheng’s cheek, but he coldly pushed her hand away with his chopsticks.
Ju Fang, knowing she was being annoying, changed the subject, “Why does Niyan say you can’t shed a single drop of blood? Are you that delicate? Anemic?”
Ju Fang didn’t know that Lord Chang Sheng’s true form was the Peach of Immortality. Not only his flesh, but even his blood could extend life, heal wounds, and enhance cultivation. His blood was like a cheat code and couldn’t be spilled carelessly. Of course, this was a secret ordered by the Jade Emperor, and it was better for Ju Fang not to know. So Lord Chang Sheng coldly said, “You don’t need to know so much.”
Ju Fang, hitting a wall, tried again, changing the subject, “With all this delicious food and drink, I think I have a talent for helping people through trials. Why don’t I stay and keep helping you?”
Lord Chang Sheng thought, “My dear ancestor! Do you think I’ve been searching for the Record of Love Tribulations day and night for anyone else? You snuck into the heavenly palace; do you plan to stay until you die?”
He hurriedly stopped her, “You did well helping Lord Lianyue with his trial. Consider it repayment for the Record of Love Tribulations. You can go back to the lower realm now, and we’re even.”
Hearing this, Ju Fang was unwilling. In the Lower realm, not only was there no such delicious food, but she often went hungry. Life there was nowhere near as comfortable as the heavenly palace.
“You want to kick me out? Not so easy!” Ju Fang thought.
“That won’t do! The Record of Love Tribulations hasn’t been found yet. What will you do for the next trial? There’s so much food here; it’s not like one more mouth will make a difference. I’ll eat less if I have to,” Ju Fang hurriedly said.
Looking at the table full of food, Ju Fang sighed and added, “Wu Yi also helped with this trial. It’s a pity the Sili palace doesn’t allow outsiders in now; no treats for him!”
Hearing this, Lord Chang Sheng chuckled. He thought, “So you don’t want to leave the Sili palace because you’re attached to your lover and don’t want to leave the heavenly palace!”
He said, “I’m done eating. You can take the rest to Wu Yi.”
As he was about to leave, Ju Fang thoughtfully asked, “I wonder if Lord Lianyue successfully made that mortal woman fall in love with him?”
Lord Chang Sheng replied, “Probably.”
Ju Fang smiled and said, “I hope they can happily spend their three lifetimes together. It would make all my hard work worth it. I also bet correctly; I didn’t expect Lord Lianyue to fall for that mortal’s face at first sight, which made the trial successful.”
Lord Chang Sheng disagreed, “When a woman chases a man, it’s like there’s only a thin veil between them. Of course, it went smoothly. Don’t think you have any real talent.”
Ju Fang thought for a moment and asked, “What if it was a female immortal undergoing the trial? Did you personally seduce them before?”
This question made Lord Chang Sheng spit out his tea, and he hurriedly replied, “We had the Record of Love Tribulations before; it wasn’t so troublesome!”
Ju Fang looked at Lord Chang Sheng’s face and agreed, “True! With your icy demeanor, anyone who likes you is doomed. They’d either freeze to death or get frostbite. I hope the next trial is for a female immortal. I’ll be a charming rogue and play with innocent women.”
Lord Chang Sheng sneered, “A charming rogue? You couldn’t even bear to let Lord Lianyue suffer a few decades of love and used tricks to make his trial end early. What makes you think you have the heart of stone for this?”
Ju Fang hurriedly said, “That’s because Lord Lianyue didn’t deserve such punishment! He just fell in love with someone he shouldn’t have. Two days of trial were too much.”
Lord Chang Sheng said, “It’s not for us to judge whether his crime was severe or not. Our duty is to follow the Jade Emperor’s orders, not to act on our own.”
This time, Ju Fang disagreed, “You’ve been setting up trials for gods for so long. I don’t believe you’ve never encountered a situation where you thought the punishment didn’t fit the crime.”
Lord Chang Sheng thought of how he had caused so much trouble because he felt Ju Fang’s carelessness didn’t deserve death and couldn’t help but chuckle.
This laugh annoyed Ju Fang, who said, “What are you laughing at? I know you’re heartless, emotionless, loveless, and hateful. Great cultivation!”
Seeing Ju Fang upset, Lord Chang Sheng explained, “Lord Lianyue wasn’t punished for falling in love with the wrong person. He was punished for wanting to stay with someone he shouldn’t.”
Ju Fang was even angrier, “Another one of your self-righteous nonsense! Who wouldn’t want to stay with the person they love? Such rules are against common sense!”
Lord Chang Sheng thought for a moment. With his job that constantly attracted revenge, if he ever fell in love, it would indeed be better not to stay together. Just as he was about to retort, he saw Ju Fang’s hair being blown by a sudden gust of wind.
Remembering Qiu Die’s words, “Autumn nights may seem cool, but the autumn wind can sometimes be piercingly cold,” he instinctively took off his outer robe and draped it over Ju Fang.
After doing all this, he felt a bit awkward and, blushing, said, “I… I just had some wine and feel a bit hot. After you finish eating, help me put the robe away.”
Then he fled back to the study, leaving a confused Ju Fang muttering to his retreating figure, “You didn’t drink any wine! What’s wrong with you…”
Turning to Niyan, Ju Fang asked, “Are you eating?”
Niyan shook his head silently.
—
[Always Bullying the Weak]
That day, Wu Yi came to the Sili palace gate looking for Ju Fang, saying that the heavenly kitchen was testing new dishes today and there were many samples to try. He wanted Ju Fang to join him. Ju Fang, of course, agreed without hesitation, fearing that if she went late, all the good food would be gone.
Just as she arrived at the heavenly kitchen’s back door, Ju Fang heard a female voice say, “Good, little girl from the Sili palace, I knew I’d catch you outside the palace one day!”
Turning around, she saw a young woman dressed in yellow, with an arrogant and domineering air.
Ju Fang didn’t recognize her and asked, “Who are you?”
The young woman said, “I’m Lord Lianyue’s younger sister. My name is Zhu Yue. I know you made my brother suffer greatly in the mortal realm. Let’s see how I vent his anger!”
Ju Fang thought, “Wait, I helped your brother shorten his trial by many years. You should be thanking me!” Before she could explain, Zhu Yue grabbed a kitchen knife from the stove and slashed at Ju Fang and Wu Yi.
Ju Fang quickly pushed Wu Yi aside and kicked Zhu Yue, but still got cut on the arm.
Zhu Yue, having been kicked, was even more furious and swung the knife at Ju Fang. Ju Fang dodged and blocked, but the back kitchen was too cramped, and she didn’t want to damage the place and make things difficult for Wu Yi, so she couldn’t use her full strength.
Seeing Ju Fang dodging repeatedly and seemingly at a disadvantage, Zhu Yue realized that she hadn’t gained any advantage. She quickly gathered her energy, abandoned the knife, and switched to using her palms, employing her family’s Jade Condensation Palm technique to strike Ju Fang’s chest.
The Jade Condensation Palm is profound and unpredictable, a truly unique skill. Fortunately, Zhu Yue was lazy and only knew a little bit, but even so, its power was not to be underestimated, and it actually sent Ju Fang flying into the backyard.
Rubbing her chest, Ju Fang thought, “Good heavens, now that we’re outside, I don’t have to hold back. Let’s see how I deal with you.”
Unexpectedly, just as she stood up, “whoosh!” a white light flashed, and the Miao Sui halberd was thrust into the ground in front of Zhu Yue, who had just walked out of the back kitchen. It was only three inches away from slicing off Zhu Yue’s nose.
Ni Yan descended from the sky, pointing at Zhu Yue, and said, “What did I tell you last time?”
Wait! You must be wondering why Ni Yan arrived so timely.
Five minutes ago, Lord Chang Sheng was in his Sili Palace study, looking into the Mirror of Mortal Observation, when suddenly, “bang!” the door was rudely opened by Ni Yan. Lord Chang Sheng was about to scold him when he saw Ni Yan anxiously asking, “Lord Chang Sheng, are you alright?”
Lord Chang Sheng replied in confusion, “I’m fine, what’s wrong?”
Ni Yan said, “The protective spell was triggered.”
The protective spell was a magic spell that Ni Yan had placed on Lord Chang Sheng. Although it provided close protection normally, it was also cast on Lord Chang Sheng as a precaution. Once his physical body was attacked by external force, it would be triggered, allowing Ni Yan to know immediately.
Lord Chang Sheng said, “I’m fine, could it have malfunctioned?”
Ni Yan replied, “It’s probably Ju Fang! You said she was considered a member of the Sili Palace, so I also cast a protective spell on her.”
Lord Chang Sheng hurriedly said, “Then what are you waiting for? Go quickly!”
Ni Yan said with a troubled expression, “I’m afraid it might be a diversion.”
Lord Chang Sheng said, “I’ll go with you!”
And so, they arrived at the backyard of Heavenly Kitchen, where Ni Yan stood majestically, while Lord Chang Sheng, who couldn’t fight or get injured, hid safely behind a tree.
Seeing Ni Yan, Zhu Yue knew she had no chance, and angrily said, “Remember this! You’re just bullying the weak! This isn’t over, I’ll come back for you!” and then left indignantly.
Lord Chang Sheng might seem useless hiding there, but his personality was terrible, and he was filled with anger at this moment, secretly thinking, “So, Zhu Yue, you dare to bully someone from my Sili Palace? This matter is far from over.”
It seems that Ju Fang can only be bullied by him, and no one else can.
