Chapter 58.1: Fellow Daoist Xi, Fellow Daoist Ye, some restraint ah!
Chapter 58 Part 1
On the way home from the movie theatre, Xi Jia’s mood seemed to be pretty good. He kept on talking about the new movie he was shooting for the past few days to Ye Jingzhi. It seemed like meeting with the old classmate was just something unexpected that didn’t matter. Xi Jia didn’t mention the old classmate at all, and Ye Jingzhi wouldn’t ask either.
When the two of them returned to the neighborhood, they even saw a child ghost around four years old. This small wandering ghost was amongst a group of children and wanted to play with them; however, these children ignored it. The child ghost thought the children didn’t want to play with it and was silently crying to the side. It didn’t know that it had already died and that these kids simply couldn’t see it.
Xi Jia was carrying some groceries in his hands. He swept his gaze across the group of children and the crying little ghost. He turned his head and continued to talk to Ye Jingzhi, “In two days, it’ll be the middle of the seventh month. Jingzhi, you really don’t have to go to Fengdu?1 I heard Pei Yu say that the majority of the younger generation Celestial Masters all went to Fengdu in order to guard the Hell Gate.”
Ye Jingzhi, “With Fellow Daoist Nan Yi and Fellow Daoist Hu Die, there wouldn’t be too much of a problem. I don’t have to go.”
Xi Jia nodded, “I even heard Pei Yu say that he needed to properly guard the Hell Gate since it’s also the same time Tian Gong Pavilion and Shennong Valley would have a holiday sale, he needed to buy a lot of things. So, besides the Poyang Ghost Market, the Xuanxue world even has a special shopping holiday.”
Ye Jingzhi patiently explained to Xi Jia.
For ordinary people, the most important holiday was the Spring Festival.2 To the Xuanxue world Celestial Masters, the most important holiday of the year was the Ghost Festival.
The Hell Gate opened during the middle of the seventh month.
Every year during the Ghost Festival, the Hell Gate of Fengdu would always open which would require Celestial Masters to guard it and prevent ghosts from rushing out and causing harm to the human world. Therefore, in the two months prior to the Ghost Festival, the Xuanxue world would hold a Celestial Masters Representative Assembly. During the conference, the masters of Tianji School would calculate the scope of this year’s Fengdu Hell Gate and determine who would go to the Fengdu Hell Gate.
The ghosts that are able to charge out of Fengdu Hell Gate are at least wild ghosts with many of them being malicious ghosts. However, since they already belong to Hell, the modou wouldn’t react to them and killing them wouldn’t give points. Guarding the Hell Gate was both strenuous and unrewarding. This responsibility naturally fell onto the younger generation. In pretty words: Giving the young people a chance to train themselves.
Xi Jia originally thought that Charlatan Pei would scoff at this kind of bitter work and wouldn’t go do it no matter what. Who would’ve guessed that Pei Yu had an attitude of “If I don’t go to Hell, who would?” He righteously expressed that he was already prepared to guard the Hell Gate and definitely wouldn’t fail to live up to the expectations of the organization.
Ye Jingzhi said, “Maybe it’s because every year while guarding the Hell Gate, ‘Ghosts Know’ would make a separate headline report for the Celestial Master with the most contribution.”
Xi Jia didn’t react for a moment, and Ye Jingzhi reminded, “Each year, the Celestial Master with the most contributions would be very welcomed by the other fellow daoists, especially fellow female daoists.”
Xi Jia, “……”
You shouldn’t have any expectations for someone like Charlatan Pei!
The days still peacefully passed. Lately, Xi Jia didn’t have any work, and Ye Jingzhi occasionally went out to ghost hunt. Life was ordinary and warm. The two seized the moment to cultivate the Unity of Yin and Sha, and Ye Jingzhi’s baleful energy slowly came under control.
Ye Jingzhi never forgot the words he heard at the movie theatre that day. He wanted to ask Xi Jia what had happened that year several times, but each time he wanted to speak, he couldn’t bear to ask when he saw Xi Jia’s calm and gentle smile and could only give up each time.
Ye Jingzhi wouldn’t investigate the things that Xi Jia didn’t mention.
Ye Jingzhi knew that everyone had their own secrets. He was willing to tell all of his secrets to Xi Jia. But if Xi Jia didn’t want to tell him, he wouldn’t force it. There were many things that couldn’t be said so easily. Some things were too heavy. He would slowly wait until there was a day Xi Jia would be perfectly willing to tell him.
However, this time, Ye Jingzhi didn’t get to wait for Xi Jia to take the initiative to talk when two people who shouldn’t be here appeared.
On the morning before the Ghost Festival, Xi Jia offered to cook. Master Ye became extremely happy and obediently sat in the living room, waiting to eat. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Xi Jia thought it was a delivery so he let Ye Jingzhi open the door. Once the door opened, the daoist and monk outside the door each gave their greetings.
Monk Muyu, “Amitabha, long time no see, Fellow Daoist Ye.”
Nan Yi, “Fellow Daoist Ye, long time no see.
Xi Jia was currently in the kitchen cooking red braised pork since Master Ye really liked eating this. Hearing the two voices, he went out of the kitchen in surprise and saw two masters standing at the front door. Xi Jia was stunned, “What’s going on?”
Nan Yi looked up at Xi Jia and said with a calm tone, “Fellow Daoist Xi, is your body alright?”
A dumbstruck Xi Jia, “???”
Nan Yi’s tone became serious, “I heard that something happened to you. Fellow Daoist Muyu and I are sent by our sects to assess your situation. Are you alright?”
Xi Jia, “……Wait, is there something wrong with me?”
He had a problem, and he himself didn’t know? Then, how did you guys know?!
Nan Yi frowned, “You didn’t notice?”
The corner of Xi Jia’s lips twitched, “There’s nothing wrong with me at all, what should I notice?”
Nan Yi seemed to be very surprised. He turned to look at Ye Jingzhi and asked, “Fellow Daoist Ye, you also didn’t notice anything abnormal?”
Master Ye very much defended his wife, “Jia Jia isn’t sick.” There’s nothing wrong at all!
Nan Yi thought for a bit and suddenly realized, “What I mean is that lately, S City has had some anomalies, you didn’t notice?”
Xi Jia and Ye Jingzhi were both stunned.
In the last few days, Xi Jia and Ye Jingzhi had stayed in S City and never left. S City was Ghost King Xi and Hell King Ye’s base camp. Not to mention, it was almost the Ghost Festival, and the wandering and wild ghosts on the streets of S City had decreased by at least a half. Even if it wasn’t the Ghost Festival, with Ghost King Xi and Hell King Ye, malicious ghosts hurting people rarely occurred in S City.
Now that something had happened in S City, the two of them didn’t notice but the people of the Xuanxue world noticed first?
Nan Yi and Muyu entered the apartment. Nan Yi said, “In the last few days, the fluctuations of yin energy in S City has been extremely strange.”
Xi Jia immediately asked, “Wait a minute, you said the anomaly is related to yin energy?”
Nan Yi nodded.
Xi Jia turned to Ye Jingzhi, “Master Ye, has the yin energy in S City been abnormal lately?”
Ye Jingzhi shook his head, “Very normal.”
Upon hearing this response, Xi Jia even intentionally went towards the window to look at the weather outside. The sky was bright and blue with white clouds. Underneath the brilliant sunlight, there was only a trace of faint yin energy drifting across the sky above S City. The yin energy was completely within normal levels and wasn’t strange at all.
After Xi Jia was certain, he went back into the room and said, “I remember that Pei Yu had once said to me before that in the entire Xuanxue world, only Master Ye could see yin energy with their eyes.” En, also including himself, there were a total of two people. “Right now, we both haven’t noticed anything strange with S City’s yin energy. Master Nan Yi, are you certain that S City has a problem?”
Nan Yi hadn’t even opened his mouth to speak when Muyu to his side stepped forward and said while smiling, “Fellow Daoist Xi, you are here now.”
This was the first time Xi Jia had officially spoken to Muyu. Muyu was the eldest disciple of the Great Wanshou Temple and also one of Ye Jingzhi’s three friends. The relic that Xi Jia was wearing was left by Muyu’s Master before he had passed away. At that time, Ye Jingzhi had requested it from the Great Wanshou Temple.
Young Monk Muyu wasn’t tall, had a round face, and often smiled. Seeing the round plumpness, he looked a bit adorable. He spoke as he shuffled the prayer beads in his hands, “Lately, the yin energy in S City has been fluctuating somewhat frequently. In the surrounding cities including Haicheng and J City, their yin energy has been gathering towards S City. After discovering this, my Martial Uncle and Senior Cengxiu asked Senior Zhufeng to make a divination. The divination illustrated that the yin and yang will converge, a hundred turns to seek return. The changes in yin energy this time has to do with the Body of Extreme Yin.”
Once these words fell, everyone’s gazes concentrated onto Xi Jia.
Muyu greeted, “Amitabha, Young Daoist Xi, is your body alright lately? Did……cough, is it because Fellow Daoist Ye has been too friend♂ly?”
Xi Jia, “……”
Ye Jingzhi, “……”
When Muyu spoke of this, he still somewhat gave face by not pointing it out. But, Nan Yi was more upright and straightforwardly said, “We also didn’t know before that there would be such a large movement and impact on the yin energy of heaven and earth after the Body of Extreme Yin reached adulthood. However, the changes in the yin energy in S City has been very strange. It really isn’t a good thing. So Fellow Daoist Xi, Fellow Daoist Ye, if you can, please restrain yourselves a bit.”
Xi Jia, “……”
Had it not been for Brother Jia knowing very clearly that he and Master Ye hadn’t pierced through that paper window at all, jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t wash him clean!
Next, Xi Jia seriously explained to the two Celestial Masters that he and Master Ye absolutely didn’t do anything to let down the people of S City! Since they returned to S City, the two slept in separate rooms. Not even mentioning doing that kind of thing, they didn’t even “help” each other.
Moreover, logically, even if there was an accident while helping each other, they were in G Province when they helped each other. How come nothing happened to the yin energy in G Province and something happened to S City’s yin energy instead?
Unless Brother Jia and Master Ye could shoot a cannon that could pass through half of Huaxia and hit S City?
They would absolutely not carry this blame, absolutely not!
However, they said it like so, but Nan Yi and Muyu somewhat didn’t believe it.
They both had read “Ghosts Know” before and knew of Xi Jia’s engagement to Ye Jingzhi. Furthermore, they were both core disciples of the Four Great Sects and had long since heard from their own seniors. At that time when Ye Jingzhi’s Year Fiend suddenly erupted, for the sake of his lover, Xi Jia had risked his life and faced the danger of getting his body destroyed by the baleful energy in order to hold Ye Jingzhi to comfort him.
The two were billing and cooing, as if they were joined by the hip. When Nan Yi and Muyu had just entered, they heard Xi Jia call Ye Jingzhi as “Jingzhi.” Ye Jingzhi was even better by directly calling “Jia Jia.” It was really sappy.
Moreover……
Nan Yi openly said, “Fellow Daoist Xi’s complexion appears to be much better.”
Xi Jia, “!!!”
What little shou getting done! Brother Jia absolutely hadn’t gotten done before, okay?!!!
Muyu seriously said, “Fellow Daoist Xi, the reason our Martial Uncles assigned Fellow Daoist Nan Yi and I was because we are all peers and our relationship with Fellow Daoist Ye isn’t bad. So on this kind of matter……cough cough, this kind of matter we are more open. You don’t need to take offense, just act like we didn’t say anything, we’ll leave now. Just that, take note and restrain yourselves a bit in the future, in moderation……”
Xi Jia, “We haven’t done anything!”
Muyu and Nan Yi simultaneously looked at Xi Jia with faces that said, “I didn’t study much, don’t you lie to me.”
Xi Jia, “……”
Next, Xi Jia pulled Ye Jingzhi towards him and said, “You don’t believe me, then could it be that you won’t believe Master Ye? Do you think Ye Jingzhi would lie? Master Ye, quickly tell them, are we innocent?” They were still unmarried virgin men!
Xi Jia originally thought Ye Jingzhi would tell the truth because they really haven’t done that sort of thing. Plus, even if they really did, how could it affect S City’s yin energy and let down the people of S City? But Ye Jingzhi, pulled by the hand by Xi Jia, slowly lowered his head and said quietly, “It seems……maybe not very innocent……”
Xi Jia, “……”
Muyu and Nan Yi had an expression that said, “As expected.”
Xi Jia quickly said, “Ye Jingzhi, say that again, are we innocent or not innocent?!”
Master Ye blankly raised his head and honestly said, “Jia Jia, didn’t we help each……”
“That didn’t count!” Xi Jia immediately cut Ye Jingzhi off. He turned his head to take a look. As expected, Nan Yi and Muyu were both contemplating what Master Ye had just said. Brother Jia coughed a couple times and proved his innocence, “Just say it, did we do that kind of thing, doing it to the very end kind of thing!?”
Master Ye suddenly blushed, “No……”
Xi Jia immediately said, “Hear that? Master Ye even said we haven’t, do you believe it?”
Nan Yi and Muyu glanced at each other, believing Ye Jingzhi’s words.
Only when Xi Jia saw their bewildered expressions did he heaved a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Master Ye had a great reputation in the Xuanxue world as the moral model, not just in name only. Otherwise, he really wouldn’t be able to wash himself clean even if he had jumped into the Yellow River.
Since “Yin and Yang converging” wasn’t Xi Jia and Ye Jingzhi doing that kind of thing, then the person who had stirred up the yin energy and let down the 7 million people of S City, just who were they?
Everyone was suddenly at a loss.
The Author has something to say:
C+: In moderation, your sister! You’re the one that got done! Master Ye and I are clearer than the vegetable tofu soup!!!
Mirror 【blushing】: But Jia Jia, we’ve clearly helped each other before……
T/N: the term for being clear here is the same for innocent.
Translator’s Notes:
1 A reminder: Fengdu is a necropolis in Hell. Also, any months that aren’t specified like July or August are lunar calender months. So middle of the 7th month is the 15th of the 7th month, aka Ghost Festival. ↵
2 Spring Festival: aka Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year/etc. ↵