More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Who cared whether you were a god or a ghost? You were whatever people believed you to be.
“This den of mine is a carnival of hell to begin with. There’s a path for you in heaven, but you refuse to take it and instead chose to barge into the despairing depths of hell. So, what shall we do with you?”
“Shaking a cup is shaking a cup! What kind of correct posture is there?!”
Instead, he was watching him intently with the corners of his mouth curved up. Xie Lian couldn’t help but return that smile,
You’re completely mistaken. If he didn’t go easy on me, even if the whole world turned to ash, I would still never be able to win you back…
Only Xie Lian knew that the one standing before him was the genuine Crimson Rain Sought Flower of legend.
Xie Lian couldn’t help taking another glance back. Hua Cheng had also turned around, still with that half-eaten bun in his hand. He gave it a playful toss, then casually took a bite out of it, his gaze locked on Xie Lian as he did so.
San Lang’s appearance doesn’t look that much different from before, only a bit older and taller. That means he was pretty much in his true form the first time he met me. Strangely, that made Xie Lian feel a little happy.
“Even though a ghost king is no saint, the fact that he went easy on you must mean that he sees you as a friend. And one should never deceive a friend.”
“Since gege is here, why not come in? We haven’t been apart for that long, so don’t be a stranger to San Lang.”
“Of course,” Hua Cheng replied. “A home has family. A place where someone lives alone is not a home.” Xie Lian felt his heart stirred by this. By that definition, it had been over eight hundred years since he had anything that could be called a “home.” Although Hua Cheng had no trace of loneliness on his face, Xie Lian thought they were perhaps alike.
White-Clothed Calamity. The origin of plagues. The symbol of misfortune.
The large eye spun left and right, extremely lively, as if it wasn’t just a pattern carved onto a scimitar hilt but the real, living eye of a human.
Is this his missing eye?
An evil, bloody ritual wouldn’t forge a spirit this clever and cute.
You guys weren’t even playing properly; you were feeling up his hands, and he was feeling up yours. What kind of new method was that?”
When force is released, something must receive it. Thus, it is wrong to say I dissolved the force of two swords. Nothing was dissolved; I absorbed their attacks. To stop an attack by hurting oneself is a foolish technique and only to be used when there are no other alternatives.
Hua Cheng, walking in front of him, said, “If you want to see me, it won’t matter what you roll. I will appear.”
the skilled may not always ascend, but the ascended are always skilled.
“Oh, didn’t you know? There are some things in this world that are unstoppable. Like, for example, the sun setting in the west. Or an elephant squashing an ant. Or me—taking your damned life!”
Granting titles and land to us, the people of Xianle? So shameless, gifting them their own property that you stole! Everything you owned belonged to Xianle!”
“I stopped him because I don’t want him to dirty his hands. Did you misunderstand something?” Xie Lian said.
“Just because I’ve never hit you before, it doesn’t mean I would never hit you.”
That’s the kind of person my good cousin is, a saint who can’t have sand in his eyes, always doing shit that hurts both others and himself; he wants to please both sides but succeeds with neither,
“You never know. I don’t care if anyone else is disappointed. But to some, the very existence of a certain person in this world is in itself hope.”
You ask why I think so highly of him? It’s the same reason I think so highly of you. Those who are destined to shine, I must let them shine. Besides, I don’t believe that goodwill brings bad returns.”
But I refuse to bow my head for something I did right. Face the wall in reflection? What have I done wrong? What has anyone done wrong? It’s like how Qi Rong committed evil, but Feng Xin—who subdued the wrongdoer—had to be punished. Where’s the logic in it? If the heavens have eyes, they will not condemn me for this.”
“Then, Your Highness, let me ask you. What if the heavens really do condemn you? Will you apologize then?” “If that should happen, then the heavens are wrong. I am right. I will stand against the heavens and defy them until the end.”
“Your Highness, throughout the ages there’s a saying that’s been passed down like it’s self-evident truth. But it’s actually wrong, and no one has ever noticed.” “What saying?” “When humans ascend, they become gods; when humans fall, they become ghosts.” Xie Lian gave it some thought. “Is there something wrong with that?” The State Preceptor replied, “Of course it’s wrong. Remember: when humans ascend, they are still human…when they fall, they are still human.”
