Cover Up

After a few rainy days, late spring was coming to an end, and life had been peaceful.

They had visited Zhuang Baihan once. The scholar had calmed down a lot, and there was no visible distress on his face. After this change, he seemed to have become much more composed.

Chen Weichen asked him if he still wanted to enter the court as an official based on his accomplishments at the Peach Blossom Banquet. Zhuang Baihan nodded, a flash of pain passing through his eyes, but it was covered up by something else.

They continued to cultivate as usual and occasionally went out to play.

After visiting a few famous scenic spots, they ran out of places to go. The capital was at the foot of the Son of Heaven, and the storytellers could not talk about the previous dynasty's affairs or the current dynasty's matters. Everyone was unable to show their skills, which was very boring.

They went to the theater to listen to a few plays. Apart from some noisy ghost stories, there were only some old romances of talented scholars and beautiful ladies. People nowadays didn't seem to like reunion plays. The plainly dressed female lead would sing "Originally the purple and red blossomed everywhere" at one moment, and then something like "Originally you had a fake heart waiting for the red makeup" at another, which was very dispiriting.

"There are also some human stories in the collection of our Daoist temple, most of which are historical books. When a dynasty is about to fall, there are often some stories circulating, such as heavenly prophecies and ominous signs. At that time, my understanding of the Dao was still shallow. I thought they were all fabricated excuses - to show that this was the will of heaven and could not be resisted. But now, looking at the situation here, even the opera can't be lively, it seems that people have a premonition early on. My master said that all things have their own aura at birth, and cannot escape their predetermined fate. All things have spirits, and even if they are ignorant, they can still receive some hints. I truly was not being deceived," Xie Lang said.

After the young Daoist finished speaking, he looked at the few people beside him, wanting to get a response, but everyone was walking on their own and no one paid attention to him. Xie Lang scratched the back of his head, not knowing why the atmosphere suddenly became heavy, making it seem like he was the only one who didn't understand the taste of sorrow.

Lu Hongyan often practiced with her sword in the courtyard. In late spring, the messy red petals fell like rain, and the sword momentum was surging, making the falling flowers even more numerous. Although her figure was slender, her swordsmanship was extremely heavy and oppressive, lacking gentleness. When Chen Weichen was tired of reading, he would kindly give a few pointers, and the girl listened obediently.

The State Preceptor also came to the Chen manor to join in the fun when he had nothing to do. He was now lying lazily on the glazed couch. Xingluo Abyss was extremely cold. After coming here, he couldn't stand the heat, and his clothes were getting thinner and thinner, which was very improper.

"I say," Xing Qiu said, "what's going on with you two?"

His reference was a bit unclear, so Chen Weichen asked, "With whom?"

"Your sword." Xing Qiu answered as if it was a matter of course.

Chen Weichen had to explain to him that it was not his sword spirit that had transformed into human form, but a person who had transformed into a sword.

For this, he even had to take out the fan as proof - this was the weapon connected to his essence and blood.

"Tsk, using one's body to transform into a sword, there is such a method," Xing Qiu said, "You should know that all things have spirits. It's easy for things to transform into humans, but difficult for humans to transform into things. Alas, Brother Chen, I can't help but pity you."

The immortal way and demon way each had some incomprehensible theories. Chen Weichen asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The Demon Emperor stretched out his hand, and the little phoenix obediently flew onto it, letting him play with it. He said lightly, "Only these beasts truly live cleanly. Look at this world, apart from humans, what else has so many troubles? It shows that it's easy to generate troubles, but difficult to eliminate them; easy to form attachments, but difficult to sever them. Those spiritual objects and beasts, transforming into human form and understanding worldly feelings, only one in ten thousand can do it. They just learned a few more things, not really rare. But humans - humans, how many of them can cut off the seven emotions and six desires, and become an object without any attachments? For him to transform into a sword, he must have already attained that state of mind. Brother Chen, you have taken a liking to him, but he won't take you seriously."

Chen Weichen was hit where it hurt, almost spitting out a mouthful of blood. He said gloomily, "Brother Xing, if you don't gain some insight and keep your mouth shut, who knows how many enemies you'll provoke."

Xing Qiu snorted, "You think I'm afraid of having enemies?"

Chen Weichen knew how to deal with him. He brought over a Buddhist scripture and covered Xing Qiu's face with it, saying, "This is a verbal misdeed, it will anger the monks."

Xing Qiu sighed, "Anger, anger is fine. I don't want to see him again in my life anyway."

He then turned over gloomily and stopped talking.

Young Master Chen could only go and apologize - it took a lot of effort to coax him back.

He thought to himself, these two people were really bored to death, to the point of enjoying stabbing each other.

Xing Qiu also tried to make amends, "But, since he's willing to transform into a sword for you to use, I guess he doesn't treat you as an outsider. I see that he's usually intimate with you, but not like this in the past few days - what happened?"

But Chen Weichen didn't answer, instead asking, "Have you ever had feelings for that monk?"

Xing Qiu sounded like he heard a huge joke and let out a "ha", "I have hundreds of beauties in my palace. I can find any one of them. Why would I be so desperate as to talk about love with a bald donkey?"

Chen Weichen said, "Then what exactly do you want from him?"

Xing Qiu shook his head, somewhat at a loss, "I haven't seen him for twenty years. I went to his temple with a heart full of joy, just wanting to see him and chat about old times. When we spent time together, he disliked that I didn't walk the righteous path and complained that I hindered his cultivation. He didn't even want to see me, which really made me sad."

"At first, I just wanted to stay by his side," Chen Weichen recalled that day when he was out of his mind and almost crossed the line, "But after more than half a year, I became more and more unsatisfied, and couldn't control myself. After becoming intimate, I wanted to be even more intimate."

"Brother Chen, I see that you have completely developed mortal feelings," Xing Qiu was an outsider, pinching his throat to imitate an opera tone, "Brother Chen, you, you - take care of yourself - just take care of yourself!"

Chen Weichen smiled faintly, his fingertips caressing the fan surface, "So be it."

Seeing his forced smile, Xing Qiu changed the subject and became lazy again, "In a few more days, I will report sick to that straw bag emperor. He actually wants me to preside over the Feng Shan ceremony - he really thinks he is the legitimate Son of Heaven. But I'm afraid of being struck by heavenly lightning, so it's better to hide early."

Chen Weichen: "When is the Feng Shan ceremony?"

Xing Qiu calculated, "The 24th of this month, not far away."

Having said that, the State Preceptor seemed to recall something: "Zhuang Baihan, he seems to be doing well, and has also gained the Emperor's favor. The fool is tired of those wooden old geese in the court, and is extremely fond of these young successors. Seeing his writing as upright and solemn, he even gave him the task of writing the Feng Shan sacrificial text - almost angering those old fools reeking of sourness and staleness to death, for not getting such a historically significant task, they nearly went to hit the pillars."

Chen Weichen was slightly surprised: "I thought he wasn't the type to go with the flow like this."

"Indeed he's not," Xing Qiu pondered for a while, "I think for those mortal scholars, this should be a joyous occasion. Meeting him on the road, I congratulated him on writing the Feng Shan text for the imperial dynasty, to be remembered through the ages. Guess what he said?"

Chen Weichen shook his head.

Xing Qiu said: "He wasn't happy, saying something like 'Historians write directly, a hundred years later, they will naturally distinguish the legitimate, the usurpers, the kingly and the reclusive. In the future on the green bamboo slips, the Emperor, you and I, are all just jumping clowns.'"

Chen Weichen: "He really hasn't changed after all. What did you say?"

"Me?" Xing Qiu smiled faintly: "I said, I don't care if it's legitimate or reclusive, only looking at how the Emperor seeks death, and then I left, not speaking with him further - we didn't have much of a relationship to begin with, nothing to say."

"Later," Xing Qiu narrowed his eyes, "when I walked to the end of the alley, I heard him laugh."

Chen Weichen fanned himself slowly: "Interesting."

After seeing off the State Preceptor, it was already evening. Having eaten dinner and whiled away some more time, Chen Weichen started feeling drowsy and returned to the bedroom - he seemed to always be fatigued these past few days.

In a daze, he heard Ye Jiuya's footsteps approach. He waited for Ye Jiuya to take off his outer robe and come to the bedside, then reached out and pulled him over, hugging him tightly and resting his head on him.

Ye Jiuya had no way to deal with him.

Ever since finishing the "Eternal Longing" sword manual together that day, Chen Weichen didn't like to talk much. The usual smile on his face also diminished quite a bit.

But at night he still had to sleep in the same bed, and had to be held to sleep soundly.

With nowhere to put his arms, Ye Jiuya could only hug him back.

In this state, he couldn't meditate to cultivate. After a long time, he also gradually got used to falling asleep.

However, he couldn't sleep the past few nights.

Ye Jiuya took advantage of the dim red candlelight, just able to see Chen Weichen's face clearly - when his eyes were closed, his expression was unreadable, as if he had already forgotten his worries, appearing especially obedient.

As the bright moon gradually rose to the middle of the sky, the person in his arms suddenly started trembling lightly, brows furrowing slightly.

- In the past few days, this would happen at midnight, getting better after a while. He checked Chen Weichen's meridians and found no abnormalities.

But tonight, the duration seemed excessively long.

Even his breathing became rapid, fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

He called his name: "Weichen."

After a few calls, the trembling finally stopped. Chen Weichen slowly opened his eyes.

When he first woke up, he seemed a bit dazed. Upon seeing Ye Jiuya, as if by instinct, he actually shrank back a little, letting go and retreating.

Only when he gradually became lucid did he snuggle back over.

Ye Jiuya asked him: "Is there anywhere you feel unwell?"

He heard an extremely soft and low voice say, "It hurts so much, Lord Ye. It hurts so much."

Chen Weichen stared blankly upwards, then turned to look at Ye Jiuya, not speaking for a long time.

Ye Jiuya finally remembered his heart that could neither feel sorrow nor joy.

Chen Weichen had only mentioned having this one ailment, but it didn't seem to manifest much in the past six months or so. Coupled with his meridians and body having no major issues, it was gradually considered just a minor illness that was harmless.

Now thinking about it, only during their first meeting, on the fifteenth of the eighth month, drinking by the sea, did it show some signs. After that, it never happened again.

He couldn't help but wonder, was it that it never hurt, or that he hid it too well.

So, he asked him.

"Does it often hurt like this?"

"Not often," the person in his arms mumbled, "just occasionally."

Ye Jiuya saw him lower his eyes, not looking directly at him as usual. He suddenly recalled the other day, when the young master scraped his hand on a rock in the artificial mountain, leaving a trail of blood. Xiao Dao took a handkerchief and clean water to wipe it, her eyes red.

Chen Weichen just smiled slightly, his other hand patting her hair: "Good girl, don't cry, it doesn't hurt."

"You're the most detestable," Xiao Dao's voice carried a hint of a sob, "always skillfully telling lies to gloss things over. Do you think no one else has ever been hurt and bled before, or that we don't know you're in pain?"

That's right - Ye Jiuya looked at Chen Weichen, thinking, saying "it was a few times" meant it was actually many times.

If Chen Weichen hadn't just woken up with a muddled mind, he wouldn't have let the truth slip when asked; he probably would have buried it in his heart forever.

He asked: "Why didn't you say anything?"

Chen Weichen just smiled: "If I told you, would you feel distressed for me? - If not, then what's the point of me saying it?"

"The Heartless Dao doesn't allow for the seven emotions and six desires, so I know you wouldn't feel distressed for me. As long as you treat me well, and don't make me sad like you did when we wrote the sword manual, I'll be content. You're always so hateful, deceiving me on one hand, while thinking of him on the other. Although I'm willing to be deceived by you, it's not like I won't be sad. If there's a next time, I..."

He paused for a while, but ultimately couldn't say any harsh words. Closing his eyes, he leaned against Ye Jiuya's chest, mumbling: "Let's sleep."

Ye Jiuya's fingers stroked his hair from time to time.

He thought, feeling distressed - what kind of emotion is that?

The heart is in the viscera, if not injured by external forces, it won't feel pain.

He could only think of Xiao Dao wiping the young master's injured hand, her reddened eyes and sobbing voice.

When Chen Weichen burrowed further into his embrace, perhaps because his shoulders were cold, Ye Jiuya thought that he should treat him well. So he reached out to pull the smooth satin brocade quilt to cover his shoulders, held him tighter, and gradually fell asleep amidst the flickering candlelight.

The peace that has been glossed over often appears far more authentic than the real thing.

It was so in the Chen manor, in the capital, and even in the entire Southern Dynasty.

With auspicious signs descending and His Majesty's sagely wisdom, inheriting the Mandate of Heaven, the Feng Shan sacrifices were imminent.

Daoist temples and ritual grounds were built one after another, silver taels flowing out of the national treasury like water. Smaller sacrificial ceremonies were also held one after another. Coupled with the great amnesty across the land, the whole world celebrated together. The daytime festivities need not be described, even at night lanterns were hung and decorations put up, celebrating the prosperous times of peace.

As the imperial treasury gradually emptied, the grand mountain road was carved out, and the majestic terrace was completed. The statues along the way were gradually perfected, and the conscripted laborers were exhausted. The grand ceremony of Feng Shan was slowly approaching.

Xing Qiu claimed illness and lay in the State Preceptor's residence. Even with six imperial edicts, he stubbornly refused to come out. In the end, he could only cough weakly a few times and tell the chief eunuch who came to announce the edict: "Cough, this eunuch, I really am cough cough cough, it would be a great fortune to be able to attend the grand ceremony, but to preside over this matter, it's really, cough cough cough cough cough cough"

The chief eunuch couldn't expose how fake his coughing was, and was pushed and shoved out the door by a group of attendants.

The emperor was also helpless. He thought and thought, but the department responsible for handling such matters in the previous dynasty had been destroyed in the flames of war, and had not been rebuilt after moving south. Among that group of old officials who claimed to be virtuous and respected, but in reality had faces full of wrinkles and mouths full of sour and stale air, he really couldn't find a suitable candidate. He was feeling vexed and troubled when he saw Zhuang Baihan, who had come to present the Feng Shan text. With his handsome features and tall, straight figure, the more the emperor looked at him, the more pleasing he was to the eye. With a wave of his wide sleeve, the emperor declared: "You go!"