CALID Chapter 106

Extra : Quarrel

Since He Simu became a mortal, she increasingly discovered the differences between people, sometimes even greater than those between people and evil spirits. For example, some people were born with exceptional physique and were martial arts geniuses, while others seemed to have borrowed limbs and could fall off a horse even before it started running.

Like Duan Xu and her.

Over the past two years, she had gradually adapted to the daily life of mortals and began to eagerly learn martial arts. Since the turning point two years ago, Duan Xu’s body had gradually recovered. When he heard that He Simu wanted to learn martial arts, he volunteered to be her teacher.

Initially, Chenying was very worried when she learned about this, as she thought Duan Xu’s teaching methods could easily lead to accidents. However, He Simu didn’t think so. But when she really started learning with real swords and spears, she found that Chenying’s concern was still too understated.

Duan Xu was too ruthless.

Duan Xu was also too annoying.

He Simu looked down at her left hand wrapped in gauze and snorted. The middle-aged man beside her, over forty years old, smiled and said, “Miss He, what’s bothering you?”

He Simu was currently staying in Daizhou. She had given several paintings of Daizhou landscapes to Jiang Ai, which had been circulated among the famous artists of Daizhou. After receiving praise from the masters, her reputation soared in Daizhou, and her paintings were worth a fortune.

It had to be admitted that Jiang Ai was really talented in making money.

The man she met today, Mr. Chen, was the boss of a silk business in Daizhou and was said to be the richest man in Daizhou, with unparalleled vision and connections. His mansion in the Daizhou Prefecture had ninety-nine and a half rooms, with magnificent carvings and paintings. Now, he was smiling broadly, looking at He Simu with shining eyes.

He Simu pointed to the painting placed beside her and said, “Mr. Chen, have you decided whether to buy this painting?”

“Buy it, of course! Nowadays, whoever can buy Miss He’s paintings would brag about it for days. I’ve heard before that Miss He is exceptional in both art and beauty. “

He Simu said faintly, “As I said before, if you want to buy my painting, you should use your most precious Tianlin silk in exchange. Is Mr. Chen ready?”

Mr. Chen smiled and clapped his hands, and a servant brought out a roll of fabric from behind the screen. The colour was a bright vermillion, faintly emitting a silver light.

He Simu walked over and reached out to touch the fabric. It was as soft as a baby’s skin, warm and smooth. It was light as a cicada’s wings yet completely opaque. The silver light shimmered on the red fabric with the changing light, like the ripples on the sea surface at sunset.

“This Tianlin silk is made from the precious silk spun by the Tianlin silkworms of the Western Regions. It took more than two thousand Tianlin silkworms over ten years to produce this silk. Lan Yuefang made it into silk, and Sejugu found the finest cochineal dye to dye it. Originally, there were five pieces in the world. Two were lost in the war, and two were worn by the former emperor and empress, buried underground. The only remaining piece in the world is the one in my hand.”

Mr. Chen stood proudly, praising his family’s most prized possession.

He Simu bent down to look closely, her fingers delicately exploring the fabric. Her black eyes reflected the red of the silk as she softly remarked, “The colour is indeed beautiful.”

Over the years, she had seen many exquisite fabrics, and this piece was truly outstanding.

Seeing her approval, Mr. Chen grinned from ear to ear. He sighed and said, “This silk was not easy to obtain. Many people wanted to buy it, but I refused to sell. I intend to keep it as a family heirloom.”

Hearing this, He Simu turned to him and sized him up. “So, Mr. Chen, are you giving it to me or not?”

Finally, Mr. Chen broke the ice, smiling slyly. “You see, if we become family, then there’s no longer yours or mine. If you have this silk, it will benefit both our families.”

He Simu looked Mr. Chen up and down, then straightened up and turned to pick up the painting on the table. “Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

But Mr. Chen’s hand also landed on the painting, preventing He Simu from taking it. He sighed dramatically and looked at He Simu. “This piece of fabric is not easily brought out. Miss He has seen it and touched it. Don’t be disrespectful.”

The servants around the room stood densely packed, and Mr. Chen’s gaze clearly said, “You came, so you can’t leave.”

He Simu glanced around the room and calmly said, “It seems Mr. Chen wants to invite me to dinner.”

“You can have as many meals as you want, with all kinds of delicacies. You’ve seen the industry of my Chen family, I won’t treat you unfairly.” Mr. Chen smiled with ill intent.

He Simu chuckled and took out a pearl from her pocket. “Then Mr. Chen doesn’t mind if I invite a friend, right?” After a pause, she called out, “Feng Yi.”

The pearl immediately emitted a warm glow.

“Ancestor?”

“A generous invitation from a boss, insisting that I stay for dinner, I find it hard to refuse. Would you like to come?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the pearl, then laughter came through. “How could I miss such a good opportunity?”

Since the pearl emitted sound, Mr. Chen showed a surprised expression, and the servants in the room looked around, discussing anxiously. At this moment, a violent wind suddenly swept through the room out of nowhere, causing papers and curtains to fly everywhere. Caught off guard, everyone stumbled and two figures emerged from the wind.

A slender and tall man dressed in a white silk robe with embroidered red lotus patterns and the twenty-eight constellations stitched in red thread on his back leaned on a staff. Beside him stood a woman in purple garments, resembling a porcelain doll, with fair skin, dark hair, and deep black eyes devoid of expression.

The man tapped the ground with his staff, and the wind immediately dissipated, leaving behind a mess.

Mr. Chen was so frightened that he fell to the ground, shouting about monsters.

He Simu’s gaze fell on the woman, and she frowned. “Why is Zi Ji here?”

Feng Yi said, “Zi Ji came down to see me, so I brought her along.”

After replying to He Simu, he turned to the fallen Mr. Chen and, as if seeing a long-lost relative, warmly grabbed his shoulder and helped him up from the ground. “I’m really sorry for the sudden appearance, it was impolite. Look at you, such a distinguished and wealthy appearance. You must be the boss inviting us to dinner, right? What’s your last name?”

Mr. Chen shrank his neck, trembling and unable to speak. His neck was originally short, but now he looked like a turtle without a neck.

He Simu said, “Mr. Chen.”

Feng Yi clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Ah! Your last name is Chen! Chen is a good last name! My senior brother’s uncle’s daughter-in-law’s aunt is surnamed Chen! How coincidental! We must have a strong fate, that’s why we’re having dinner together today.”

Feng Yi, acting familiarly, pulled Mr. Chen along, helped him up from the fallen chair, and sat him down at the table. Then, he pulled Zi Ji and He Simu to their seats and smiled at the still-stiff Mr. Chen, “Please don’t be polite with us, whether it’s dragon liver, leopard gall, or a feast of delicacies, you can eat as much as you want. Just order whatever you like.”

“Why did you come down to the Mortal realm?” He Simu asked Zi Ji directly.

More than two years had passed in the blink of an eye, and the day she became a mortal seemed like yesterday. Zi Ji had shortened her long life to that of a mortal and saved the dying Duan Xu.

But Zi Ji did not specifically come to save her; she later learned that this was the result of Feng Yi’s prolonged war with Zi Ji, with Feng Yi ultimately emerging victorious. She just happened to benefit from Feng Yi’s success and found a way out in her desperate situation.

However, she didn’t have much fondness for Zi Ji. It seemed that people trapped in cages wouldn’t feel much affection towards those who made the cages.

“Come and see the new order.” The deity sat at the round table carved from pear wood with the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. She looked into He Simu’s eyes for a moment before saying, “Miss He, you need not be hostile towards me. Livestock are inferior to humans, humans are inferior to evil spirits, evil spirits are inferior to deities; life has its place, each with its limitations. To live earnestly with a humble body and the belief in life, to experience love, hatred, joy, sorrow, aging, and death—all are worthy of respect.”

Zi Ji raised her hand and gestured back and forth between herself and He Simu. “It’s the same between us. I respect your pain and difficulties, so I modified the order.”

After a moment of silence, He Simu seemed to accept her response. The topic shifted to Feng Yi. “Great deity, what are your thoughts on Feng Yi now?”

After discussions with the family, Feng Yi had passed on his influence as the Wandering Star to his nephew. He was no longer the Wandering Star, nor the strongest sorcerer in the world. However, this also meant he could cultivate for ascension.

Starting to cultivate for ascension at his age made his future seem uncertain.

“When he ascends, he should be a better deity than me.”

“What if he ultimately cannot ascend?”

Zi Ji fell silent for a moment. “Then, it will be as it is.”

Feng Yi, holding his staff, sat to the side watching the exchange between the two ancestors, feeling like a child about to go to school with a teacher and parent discussing his education.

Mr. Chen sat nervously at the table, as if he were a guest rather than the host in his own home. He looked around in panic, trembling, and said, “De-deity? Asce-ascent? What are you all…”

Just as he mustered the courage to ask about this bewildering situation, the door suddenly burst open, crashing loudly to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Mr. Chen cried out in anguish at the sight, lamenting the damage to his precious sandalwood door.

A man dressed in a blue arrow-sleeved round-collar robe stood behind the door, holding the collar of a fainted servant’s clothes. This man, nearly thirty years old, was handsome and tall, with a straight posture from years of martial arts practice, and his round eyes sparkled like stars.

Clearly surprised by the scene in the room, his gaze roamed around the people before settling on Feng Yi, who seemed most likely to explain the situation.

Meeting his gaze, Feng Yi immediately smiled warmly, waving his staff. “Oh, isn’t this Young Master Duan? Mr. Chen said he wanted to host the ancestors for dinner, but the ancestors felt it was too lonely with just two people, so they called me and Zi Ji over. Would Young Master Duan like to join in the fun?”

There was a moment of silence from Duan Xu, who looked at Mr. Chen, squeezed the servant’s collar in his hand until the servant fell to the ground. Then he put his hands behind his back and flashed an innocent smile, as if nothing had happened. “Mr. Chen is so hospitable; he shouldn’t mind having one more set of chopsticks, right?”

Mr. Chen, feeling indignant about his damaged door, raised his hand angrily to point at Duan Xu, but was interrupted by Feng Yi. “How can you say that? You’re insulting Mr. Chen. A person of Mr. Chen’s status wouldn’t care about one more set of chopsticks. Look how excited Mr. Chen is; he’s about to call for the dishes to be served.”

With a beaming smile, he turned to Mr. Chen. “Am I right?”

Mr. Chen silently withdrew his hand and forced a smile. “Y-yes… yes, please bring out the dishes!”

Duan Xu walked to the table, where the seats on both sides of He Simu were empty. After glancing at He Simu’s expression, he pursed his lips and sat opposite her—beside Feng Yi. Seeing the atmosphere between these two, Feng Yi couldn’t help but think they were about to quarrel.

“Haven’t you all… introduced yourselves yet?” Poor Mr. Chen finally asked this question to the group of obviously abnormal people at the table.

Feng Yi chuckled. “Oh, I forgot to mention. I’m Feng Yi from the Star Palace, and this is Zi Ji. I’m Miss He’s relative.”

“Oh! So you’re a Daoist from the Star Palace! I’ve been blind!” Mr. Chen bowed nervously, realizing that while ordinary families might not be familiar with other sects, everyone knew about the Star Palace.

Duan Xu glanced at He Simu, who averted her gaze.

“I’m Duan Xu, and He Simu is my fiancée,” he said.

Mr. Chen hadn’t even had a chance to be surprised when he heard He Simu coldly sneer, “Who said you’re my fiancé? What wedding? I’m not marrying you.”

Looking at He Simu for a moment, Duan Xu chuckled, his eyes glinting, “Alright, if you don’t want to, then we won’t. We’ve managed without any formalities for so many years. But you have to tell me the reason.”

Ignoring him, He Simu lightly traced her fingers over the painting on the table, not saying a word, but the bandage on her left hand was very conspicuous.

Twirling his fingers, Duan Xu said, “If it’s because I accidentally hurt your hand before, I apologize.”

Drawing his Broken Illusion Sword from his waist, a cold gleam flashed, causing Mr. Chen to cower on the ground, clutching his head, shouting for mercy.

But the sword wasn’t aimed at Mr. Chen; it was pressed down by He Simu. She grabbed his left hand angrily. “Duan Shunxi, what are you doing?”

“If you’re really upset, then I’ll compensate you with my hand. Do as you wish, whether you want to cut my tendons or crush my bones, I won’t say a word.” Duan Xu stared at He Simu with a smile.

“It’s not about that! I know you didn’t mean it; you just didn’t expect me to be so weak.”

Seeing a fleeting annoyance in He Simu’s eyes, Duan Xu remained silent for a moment, then grabbed her still unharmed wrist, saying, “I understand. Come with me.”

“Let go!” He Simu shouted.

Duan Xu simply took two steps, lifted her onto his shoulder, and walked away, leaving He Simu red-faced and struggling on his shoulder. She looked at Feng Yi and called out, “Feng Yi!”

Covering his eyes, Feng Yi said, “Oh, my ears aren’t working well. Zi Ji, there’s a saying in the Mortal world, something about how it’s hard for a righteous official to intervene in family affairs.”

“It’s hard for a righteous official to settle family matters,” Zi Ji added.

As the footsteps and calls disappeared, Feng Yi let out a sigh and turned to face Mr. Chen. “Mr. Chen, you should thank me today. That young master just now had a terrible temper. If it weren’t for me, your fate today would be as miserable as your door. Just for that, we should add more dishes today…”

Exiting Mr. Chen’s vast mansion of ninety-nine and a half rooms, Duan Xu put He Simu down and mounted his horse, racing back to their residence in Daizhou. It was only when they truly entered the room that Duan Xu let go.

He Simu had long stopped struggling. When he turned to look at her, he saw her face flushed and her eyes red, biting her lip as she looked at him coldly.

After a moment of silence, Duan Xu asked softly, “Simu, do you regret it?”

He Simu’s gaze hardened. “I have no regrets. I just…”

Just… what was it?

The room was not lit, and the light gradually dimmed. The orange glow of the setting sun reflected in Duan Xu’s bright eyes, giving them a viscous, sugary texture, warm yet fragile.

She loved the world she had, and if she hadn’t become mortal, she would never have seen such a vivid world or experienced such a vivid Duan Xu. How could she regret it?

However, she was still not accustomed to being the fragile and powerless He Simu.

She once possessed innate powerful ghostly abilities, and all demons cowered before her. No one in this world could threaten her except for the separation of life and death. She always looked at the multitude of living beings with pity and longing, pitying their weakness and longing for their vitality.

Now she had their vitality but also inherited their weakness.

Duan Xu was so strong that she became powerless before him. He could casually spar with her during their lessons, and she could easily injure her hand. He could carry her away, and she couldn’t resist. She learned the things he taught her slowly and painfully, as if she were naturally unable to acquire that kind of power.

She used to be unstoppable with her talent and had never experienced such frustration. She didn’t like looking up to others like this. She didn’t like feeling out of control.

She was angry with herself.

Under the light of the setting sun, Duan Xu’s chest rose and fell, and it was quiet all around, only the sound of their breathing.

“Living means facing aging, sickness, and death; it’s part of this world. Are you disappointed with this world?” Duan Xu looked at He Simu, his eyes intense.

He Simu shook her head. “I’m not disappointed with this world, I’m disappointed with myself.”

Duan Xu chuckled lightly. “Yes, you don’t have the same immense power as before. But in this mortal world, you still have me, Feng Yi, Jiang Ai, and Chenying. What are you afraid of?”

“But after all…”

“It’s not your own strength after all? Then what do you want me by your side for? Just to share the good times and not the bad? Do you think needing my help is embarrassing? Do you think I would look down on you even the slightest bit for these things? He Simu, did I ever refuse your help when I was seriously ill? I knew full well that I couldn’t shake your long life, that I was as fragile as an ant compared to you. Did I ever shrink back or blame you for that?”

Duan Xu’s voice grew louder as he spoke, his eyes trembling and turning increasingly red. After he finished speaking, his chest heaved violently, and he pulled the stunned He Simu into his arms, whispering, “Could you stop running off in silence every time you’re angry? You were like that back then too, saying it’s over when it’s over. I’m really afraid of you.”

His heart was pounding fiercely, and even through several layers of clothing, she could feel his anger and fear. She remembered the young man who had charged at her in the ghost army many years ago. If she could feel back then, would his heartbeat have been like this?

He Simu held onto his back, murmuring softly, “So your feelings back then are like mine now.”

Duan Xu was indeed very brave. If it were her, she probably wouldn’t have persisted under such circumstances.

Duan Xu had been gambling with life since he was twenty-six years old, with his soul floating halfway between himself and fate. Living in constant danger, gains and losses intertwined, it was only in the past two years that things had settled because of her.

He had always lived like this, unable to fully control himself, yet living both fragile and tenacious.

But it was precisely because of this fragility that he could be passionate, know happiness through pain, and feel warmth through coldness. This was the human world she loved.

“It’s really hard to be mortal…” He Simu muttered, saying, “I need time, I need to learn slowly.”

“We have plenty of time, you need to rely on me, don’t leave me,” Duan Xu sighed softly in her ear.

“Okay.”

“You scared me, you owe me compensation.”

He Simu chuckled softly and said, “Okay.”

Duan Xu took a breath at her neck, then lifted her up and placed her on the bed, leaning down to kiss her. She hooked her arms around his neck, and he mumbled, “Watch your hand.”

“Mortals are really troublesome…”

He Simu’s voice disappeared into the sounds of their breathing.

The night was completely dark, but the lights in the room remained off.

In the overwhelming sensations, He Simu opened her eyes to see Duan Xu’s expression, fervent and infatuated, as if he were a fire about to dive into the water, wanting to exchange his entire fervor for a moment of warmth. His eyes were hazy, sweat dampened his hair, sticking to his forehead, and his sweat fell on her neck, scorching as if it would burn her. The same sandalwood scent on their bodies intertwined together, filling the entire room with a mist.

She lifted her head and offered her lips, their lips and teeth entangled as she let out a sigh, saying, “Oops, it seems like I’m becoming more and more infatuated with you.”

In this vibrant world, he was still the most dazzling.

She had seen many sights, but she couldn’t forget the sight of him many years ago, dressed in a red wedding gown, smiling at her amidst the raining red firecracker debris. She couldn’t forget the clear and gentle fragrance on him.

And now, she had Duan Xu, warm and bright, in her arms.

The consequence of her words was that she let out a cry, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

Duan Xu’s ears turned red, so she bit his earlobe.

He trembled slightly and chuckled softly, “Looks like you don’t want to get out of bed tomorrow.”

“It wouldn’t be bad if you took care of me…”

He Simu’s voice paused, and she kissed the early strands of silver hair on his forehead.

They would live as mortals in this fervent and vibrant world. As time passed, there was nothing to fear in the passage of time, for they were also flowing with it, until finally He Simu’s life and Duan Xu’s were completely intertwined.

The greatest fortune of their lives was to be with each other until the end of their days.

Later, Chen Lao Ban’s unparalleled Tianlin silk was made into the wedding dress for the former Ghost King – although that day He Simu was still angry with Duan Xu, she did indeed go to get the fabric for her wedding dress.