The Star Lord Chang Sheng of the Palace of Trials - Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Isn’t the Sili Palace Just You?
On this day, when Zhuyue learned that Star Lord Changsheng was visiting, she couldn’t help but feel a bit smug.
“He must be here to apologize,” Zhuyue thought.
After all, with her elder brother, a high god, backing her, and her illustrious family background, who would dare offend her?
Feigning politeness, Zhuyue asked, “Star Lord Changsheng, your visit is an honor. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Star Lord Changsheng bowed slightly and said, “Immortal Zhuyue, I heard that Niyan recently offended you. I’ve come to express my concern.”
“Just as I thought!” Zhuyue mused, smiling as she replied, “It’s nothing! I don’t blame you. I saw it clearly—it was that little cat who caused my brother so much pain. Even if I’m not the most talented, I understand the principle of holding the right person accountable.”
However, Star Lord Changsheng raised an eyebrow and said, “That’s where you’re mistaken, Immortal. Ju Fang was only following orders. If you blame her like this, how can the Sili Palace continue to function?”
Realizing that Star Lord Changsheng wasn’t here to apologize, Zhuyue’s tone turned cold.
“One thing at a time! She followed orders, but seeking justice for my brother is my duty! If anyone dares to bully my brother, I’ll make sure the heavens collapse! After I’ve settled this, Star Lord Changsheng, you can go complain to whoever you want. At worst, I’ll just be confined to my quarters for reflection!”
Star Lord Changsheng chuckled and said, “Immortal, that’s not the right way to think. I’ve long known that the Yushi Clan possesses many treasures. May I ask which one you used to spy on the mortal realm and observe Ju Fang’s every move? Do you know that unauthorized observation of the mortal realm or interference with mortal trials is not a matter that can be resolved with mere confinement? If someone were to embellish the story in front of the Jade Emperor, you might be sent to the mortal realm to undergo trials yourself!”
Caught off guard by the revelation that her use of the treasure had been discovered, Zhuyue was momentarily speechless.
Star Lord Changsheng continued calmly, “You’ve wronged someone from my Sili Palace. Do you think I might accidentally let slip a few extra words in front of the Jade Emperor?”
Zhuyue’s face fell.
“You…”
Star Lord Changsheng’s previously lighthearted tone turned serious as he said, “If you don’t want your trials in the mortal realm to be doubly harsh, I suggest you stop causing trouble for Ju Fang. If her heavens collapse, the Sili Palace will bear the burden for her!”
With that, Star Lord Changsheng left gracefully, leaving Zhuyue standing there, muttering under her breath, “The Sili Palace will bear the burden? Isn’t the Sili Palace just you? Who else is there?”
Though she spoke boldly, Zhuyue was genuinely frightened by Star Lord Changsheng’s threat and began to think of other ways to handle the situation.
—
[In a World Where A Likes B, but B Likes C]
After Ju Fang was rescued from the Heavenly Kitchen, Star Lord Changsheng, concerned about her injuries, dug out the medicine specially refined by the Supreme Lord Laozi for healing and brought it to Ju Fang’s door.
As he reached the door, he suddenly felt that showing too much concern might seem out of character. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the worry on his face and replaced it with his usual look of annoyance.
Pushing the door open, Star Lord Changsheng pretended to be impatient and said, “Got beaten up? Don’t tell me you’re too injured to carry out your duties.”
Ju Fang glanced at her wounds and said boldly, “Just minor injuries! Nothing serious! I’m used to fighting. I could’ve won even if Niyan hadn’t shown up!”
Star Lord Changsheng asked, “Where are you hurt? This is medicine from the Supreme Lord Laozi. It’ll heal you instantly, so don’t use it as an excuse to slack off.”
Ju Fang extended her injured arm, where a deep cut was still bleeding.
Seeing this, Star Lord Changsheng couldn’t help but frown.
Due to his unique constitution, Star Lord Changsheng rarely got injured and thus seldom saw wounds.
While he often bumped into things and got bruises, he had hardly seen a bleeding wound more than three times in his life.
To him, Ju Fang’s bleeding wound looked as severe as a bone-deep injury would to a normal person, making it quite shocking.
Star Lord Changsheng thought that this injury was a result of her carrying out her duties, and he felt a pang of guilt.
Not only did he apply the medicine with unusual gentleness, but he also spoke in a rare soft tone, “Look at you, getting all torn up just from carrying out one trial. Consider this as making up for the trouble you caused. Once you’re healed, go wherever you need to go.”
Seeing Star Lord Changsheng holding her hand, gently applying the medicine, and carefully blowing on the wound, Ju Fang felt her heart flutter.
She wondered if he was actually a tsundere—a tough exterior with a soft heart, the rumored handsome but aloof type?
But when she heard him tell her to leave again, she immediately thought of the delicious food she hadn’t yet eaten.
Even if she were tied to the door, she wouldn’t leave! She quickly said, “I haven’t found Record of Love Tribulations yet! Until I find it, I’ll always owe you. Once I’m healed, I’ll go down to the mortal realm to find it. I won’t leave until I do!”
Star Lord Changsheng’s difficult personality had been mentioned many times before.
This already hard-to-get-along-with personality was unfortunately tasked with overseeing others’ love trials.
Having witnessed all sorts of love triangles, quadrangles, and even more complicated relationships, he had developed a theory that made his personality even worse.
He firmly believed that in a world where A likes B, but B likes C, no matter how good A is to B, B will always see it as a burden, even if A’s intentions aren’t necessarily romantic.
This might sound a bit complicated, so let’s use a more realistic example: If Zhu Yingtai likes Liang Shanbo, and Ma Wencai offers her an umbrella on a rainy day, she would rather throw it on the ground than accept it. But if Zhu Yingtai “accidentally” finds an “unclaimed” umbrella nearby, she would gladly use it to shield herself from the rain.
Therefore, if Ma Wencai doesn’t want Zhu Yingtai to get wet, the best way is to not let her know that the umbrella came from him.
At first glance, this theory seems to make sense, but we’ve overlooked the fact that Zhu Yingtai didn’t refuse Ma Wencai’s umbrella because she liked Liang Shanbo—she refused it because she disliked Ma Wencai.
In novels, the male lead’s every kind gesture toward the female lead is always warmly received, even if it’s not reciprocated.
Otherwise, why would we feel so much sympathy for the male lead?
The reason for explaining all this in such detail is that from this point on, the male lead of this story, Star Lord Changsheng, is about to enter a realm of thought that ordinary people cannot comprehend.
When he heard Ju Fang say, “Until I find the Record of Love Tribulations , I’ll always owe you,” he interpreted it in his own way as, “Because I like Wuyi, your kindness is a burden to me, and I can never owe you.”
Yes, you read that correctly.
This is twisted logic.
It’s the kind of logic that requires the right timing, circumstances, and a leap of imagination to emerge.
It’s the kind of conclusion that can only be reached with a terrible personality, a vast imagination, and a deep-seated self-loathing.
And yet, today, it happened.
We may laugh at it, but Star Lord Changsheng was deeply hurt.
Suddenly (in his mind) being rejected by his idol felt like a punch to the chest, leaving him breathless.
He even began to reflect on himself, thinking that since Ju Fang had entered the Sili Palace, he had never shown her a kind face.
It would be a miracle if she didn’t dislike him.
Star Lord Changsheng thought, “Since you don’t want my kindness, I’ll disguise everything under different pretenses.”
If Ju Fang were to go down to the mortal realm to search for the Record of Love Tribulations on her own and encounter heavenly soldiers, it wouldn’t be something the Sili Palace could easily handle. Of course, Star Lord Changsheng couldn’t let her take such a risk, so he pretended to be angry and said, “You’ve already caused so much trouble, and now you want to go down to the mortal realm on your own? Do you want to make things worse for me? No one is allowed to go down without a trial! Where else are you hurt?”
Ju Fang, having just had her hand bandaged, silently began to undo her shirt.
This instantly snapped Star Lord Changsheng out of his self-pitying world.
He let out a nearly girlish scream, “What are you doing?!”
Ju Fang, confused, replied, “I was hit in the chest…”
Star Lord Changsheng quickly covered his eyes and said, “Don’t take off your clothes! There’s a difference between men and women! Put your clothes back on! Apply the medicine yourself!” With that, he threw the medicine at Ju Fang and fled the scene in a panic.
Once in the hallway, the still-shaken Star Lord Changsheng hurriedly said to Niyan, “Niyan! Go fetch Wei Qing.”
—
[Cats Are Naturally Adorable Creatures]
Now, this Wei Qing was no ordinary celestial maiden!
The three-legged crow, rumored to be the sun’s messenger, was skilled in fire-based magic.
After Pangu separated the heavens and the earth, ten of these crows appeared, residing in the sun, unafraid of fire and high temperatures.
Later, Houyi shot down nine of them, leaving only one—Wei Qing, the mount of the Queen Mother of the West.
Why did Star Lord Changsheng specifically go to Kunlun Mountain to fetch Wei Qing at this moment?
The reason was simple: Ju Fang was a woman, and the wound on her chest was not something a man could tend to.
Aside from the Queen Mother of the West, Wei Qing was the only female Star Lord Changsheng knew.
Of course, someone as important as the three-legged crow wasn’t someone Niyan could easily summon.
He hesitated and said, “Now? Wei Qing isn’t just any celestial maiden. I’m afraid it won’t be easy to summon her. Does it have to be her?”
Star Lord Changsheng replied, “She… that little cat has a wound on her chest. I’m a man; it’s not appropriate for me to tend to it. If not Wei Qing, will you do it?”
Niyan struggled for a few seconds, thinking that on the battlefield, there was no distinction between men and women, so perhaps the same applied to healing.
He actually agreed, “Yes! I’ll go.”
Seeing that Niyan was serious, Star Lord Changsheng quickly said, “Come back! I’ll go fetch her myself!”
Wei Qing didn’t understand what was happening until she reached the gates of the Sili Palace.
Star Lord Changsheng stammered and couldn’t explain clearly, but seeing how anxious he looked, she decided to wait until they arrived.
Star Lord Changsheng led Wei Qing to Ju Fang’s door, pushing her inside while saying, “The injured person is inside. Thank you.”
Wei Qing thought it might be an important high god with a serious injury, but upon entering, she saw only a young girl who didn’t seem to be in any critical condition.
Wei Qing tentatively asked, “You are…”
Ju Fang, seeing Wei Qing’s noble demeanor and extraordinary aura, was instantly awed by her beauty and thought, “This must be what a true noble looks like!”
Ju Fang replied, “I’m Ju Fang. And you are, sister?”
Wei Qing, seeing Ju Fang’s bright and lively eyes, found her quite endearing.
It’s no wonder—cats are naturally adorable creatures.
The two women took an instant liking to each other.
Wei Qing, who was usually gentle and graceful, found Ju Fang even more charming and said softly, “I’m an old acquaintance of Star Lord Changsheng. You can call me Wei Qing. Are you a celestial maiden from the Sili Palace?”
Ju Fang thought for a moment and replied, “I’m not sure if I count as a celestial maiden. I just help Star Lord Changsheng with the trials.”
Wei Qing was surprised.
“How remarkable! In the four thousand years of the Sili Palace, aside from Niyan, there’s been no one else. Has he taken in a new disciple? But I haven’t heard anything about it!”
Wei Qing asked, “Are you injured somewhere?”
At this reminder, Ju Fang remembered her injury and said, “The wound on my arm has already been treated. The only other injury is a palm strike to my chest.”
Wei Qing, hearing this, was puzzled.
“Just… a palm strike? No hidden weapons or poison?”
Ju Fang replied, “No, just a palm strike infused with spiritual energy.”
Wei Qing closed her eyes in mild anger, but knowing this wasn’t Ju Fang’s fault, she tried to suppress her frustration and said gently, “I see. Then rest well.”
With that, she left the room.
Outside, Star Lord Changsheng was already impatient and quickly approached to ask, “How is she?”
Wei Qing, struggling to contain her anger, said, “You… you called me all the way from Kunlun Mountain just to apply medicine to someone?”
Niyan, sensing the displeasure in Wei Qing’s tone, hesitated whether to leave and pretend he hadn’t heard or to draw his weapon to protect his master.
Star Lord Changsheng, however, completely missed the tone and anxiously pressed, “Is the medicine applied? How bad are the injuries?”
Wei Qing finally lost her composure and snapped, “How bad? You dare ask how bad? A palm strike is an internal injury! What’s there to apply medicine to? Internal medicine would suffice! What’s wrong with you, Zhi Nuo?!”
After apologizing profusely, Star Lord Changsheng finally managed to send Wei Qing back.
The usually aloof Star Lord Changsheng actually had to bow his head and apologize.
Niyan thought to himself, “Living long enough, you really get to see everything,” while secretly relieved that he didn’t have to fight Wei Qing, as winning would have cost him dearly.
After Star Lord Changsheng saw Wei Qing off, he noticed Wu Yi waiting foolishly outside the Sili Palace.
It turned out that due to his earlier decree that “non-members of the Sili Palace are not allowed entry without the Jade Emperor’s decree,” the poor thing had been stopped by Niyan.
But because he was worried about Ju Fang, he didn’t dare leave and just stood outside, watching for any movement.
“Her lover has come looking for her. What am I, just standing here anxiously?” Star Lord Changsheng thought, and then instructed Niyan to allow Wu Yi to enter and leave the Sili Palace freely without obstruction.
After handing the prepared medicinal soup to Wu Yi, Star Lord Changsheng returned to his study to continue watching the mortal realm through his mirror.
But he couldn’t focus at all.
The thought of Ju Fang’s bleeding wound made his heart race.
It wasn’t entirely his fault—while the injury might heal on its own in three days for Ju Fang, Star Lord Changsheng’s unique constitution meant that his injuries took several times longer to heal than those of ordinary immortals.
To him, the wound looked as severe as a severed hand.
The next day, when Ju Fang woke up, she saw a pile of miscellaneous items in the backyard, as if Star Lord Changsheng was cleaning out the storage room.
Seeing Ju Fang, Star Lord Changsheng said, “Ah! Perfect timing. This is for you.”
Ju Fang saw that Star Lord Changsheng was holding a deep purple undershirt.
Star Lord Changsheng continued, “This was a gift from someone. I only wear green, so it’s a waste to throw it away. You can have it.”
Ju Fang said, “Oh,” and took the shirt, but noticed that Star Lord Changsheng’s nails were also slightly purple.
She asked, “Star Lord Changsheng, what’s wrong with your nails?”
Star Lord Changsheng’s ears turned red, and he angrily said, “The dye from this shirt bled! It’s a terrible shirt, perfect for you!”
With that, he fled back to his study, leaving Ju Fang confused.
Dye stains on nails are hard to wash off.
Niyan silently observed everything and asked Star Lord Changsheng, “Wasn’t that the Flamingo Brocade? Why did you give it to Ju Fang?”
Star Lord Changsheng, for once, smiled like a child and said, “With you around, what do I need the Flamingo Brocade for?”
Niyan thought for a moment and agreed, so he didn’t press further.
