Bumper update #2
‘Dandan told you everything?’
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Ch. 38 | A rift
‘So he has four weapons and an innate ability inside his body?’ Bi An was astounded. ‘… After the first owner dies, doesn’t the weapon disappear?’
‘No.’
‘By golly, wouldn’t that make Dandan invincible? The weapon that Yu Huan bestowed is so powerful that if he uses it, wouldn’t he be killing his enemies in a matter of minutes?’
‘He doesn’t have enough spiritual power currently to summon Yu Huan’s weapon.’
Bi An nodded but without quite understanding and asked, ‘Then what’s the second possibility for his heart pains?’
‘If it’s the second possibility… then that’s more troublesome…’
‘Why? Do tell me, Teacher.’
Feng Chulian was just about to answer when a disciple suddenly came running over to tell them, ‘Teacher, Teacher! Song… Second Master Song is here!!’
He frowned — what was this big shot doing here?
‘Show him into the guest hall.’
‘Yes.’
When Feng Chulian arrived at the hall entrance, he saw Song Lin standing with arms folded, gazing out the window, the tea on the table untouched.
The High Priest was a sly old fox with a flower-like face who had lived for centuries, but even he felt a frisson of apprehension at this view of Song Lin’s back. He paused in the doorway for a moment before stepping over the threshold.
‘Second Master Song.’
Song Lin turned his head. ‘Your Excellency, my apologies for calling on you at this hour.’
‘Not at all, not at all,’ Feng Chulian stretched out a hand and gestured, ‘please have a seat.’
When they were both seated, he asked, ‘May I know what business brings you here, Second Master Song?’
‘I’m here to return something.’ Song Lin leisurely drew out the few crumpled pages of the Ancient Book of Spells from his pocket. ‘These… belong to you, I believe?’
When Feng Chulian glimpsed the characters The Transmigration Spell written on the paper, he felt his scalp tingle and cursed inwardly. This dratted rabbit is always giving me trouble.
Outwardly, he did not even bat an eyelid as he said blandly, ‘Why yes, they do belong to me. I’ll take them then, thank you.’
He was about to take the papers but Song Lin unexpectedly covered them with his hand and gave an insincere smile. ‘One moment.’
Feng Chulian raised an eyebrow. ‘Yes?’
Song Lin’s finger tapped briefly on the words, The Transmigration Spell. ‘I believe this spell is taboo.’
‘…’ Feng Chulian covered his mouth with his sleeve as he coughed lightly. ‘Is it? I don’t really know if it is.’
The corners of Song Lin’s mouth twisted as he sneered inwardly: You sly old fox, spewing rubbish with a straight face¹. If you don’t know your own book of spells, who does?
Feng Chulian then clarified, ‘There are more than ten thousand pages in the Ancient Book of Spells and hundreds upon hundreds of spells recorded inside. I haven’t even read all of them myself. You can’t expect me to recognise this based on nothing more than a few pages from goodness knows which spell.’
Song Lin replied, ‘Oh, what a pity then. I had thought you would know something about this which is why I came down specially to ask you.’
Feng Chulian frowned. ‘Why are you suddenly interested in this transmigration spell, Second Master Song?’
‘It’s not me who’s interested, it’s my rabbit. He’s too embarrassed to ask you himself so he asked me to do it instead.’
Feng Chulian looked blank for a moment before asking, ‘Dandan told you everything?’
Song Lin replied with a smile, ‘He’s my bonded spirit beast. What is there he can’t tell me?’
Feng Chulian looked at him, then at the papers on the table and after half a minute, laughed and said, ‘Second Master Song, are you trying to trick me into giving you information?’
‘What need is there to trick you? It’s merely the Jade Rabbit of Dragon Ridge. Why all the secrecy?’
Feng Chulian was inwardly astonished. Good lord, that dratted rabbit really told him everything? Doesn’t he know that the League has men out everywhere looking for him?
Then he reconsidered. Wait a minute, who cares whether he told him or not? I’m certainly not getting involved in this mess. The reason I’ve lived as long as I have is because I don’t poke my nose into what doesn’t concern me.
Having come to this conclusion, Feng Chulian yawned and said, ‘I haven’t the foggiest what you’re talking about, Second Master. I’m feeling rather tired so I’m going to rest first. If you want to study these few pages, you’re welcome to keep them for a while more; if you don’t, then just leave them here.’ He then got up and walked away.
Song Lin gnashed his teeth inwardly. This sly old fox…
Sly old fox in question: legging it, legging it.
¹ 一本正經 yīběn-zhèngjīng. If you’re not reading this chapter at hiding in plain sight, it has been stolen and reproduced by novelscraping sites.
Song Lin sat where he was for a while after that, slowly drinking his tea. It was not long before he saw Bi An tiptoe in.
‘Second Master Song, did Dandan come with you today?’
‘Why no, I packed him off to the hot springs.’
‘Oh, I see. Do help me to tell him that I’ll come visit him at the Song Manor when I’m free.’
Song Lin hesitated for a second before saying, ‘You’re most welcome to visit.’
Seeing this sudden show of amiability sent a shiver down Bi An’s spine — What the deuce, is this the legendary hiding of a dagger behind a smile²?
Just then, he caught sight of the papers on the table and asked in surprise, ‘Aren’t these the pages Dandan stole from Teacher’s Ancient Book of Spells? What are they doing here?’
‘Dandan didn’t understand what they meant so he asked me to come and ask your teacher about it.’
‘Asked you? You don’t mean he told you about Yu Huan?’
Song Lin’s expression did not change in the slightest as he replied, ‘He did.’
‘Well, since he’s already told you about it, help me to persuade him a little as well. Tell him not to be so obstinate. Yu Huan’s been dead for so many years but he just can’t let it go.’
Can’t let go of … Yu Huan? Song Lin’s eyelashes quivered a fraction. Outwardly, he still nodded calmly.
Bi An sat down on Feng Chulian’s chair, picked up the unfinished cup of tea and took a mouthful before wiping his mouth and saying, ‘This Dandan has the most one-track mind out of any spirit beast that I know. When the owners of other spirit beasts die, the beasts don’t even look back as they go off to find a new owner but only he keeps pining for Yu Huan. Logically speaking, Yu Huan died in a fire on Dragon Ridge and not even his ashes were recovered. How could he possibly have transmigrated and been reborn?’
Transmigrated… reborn?
Song Lin’s hand which was resting on his knee slowly formed a fist and he paused fractionally before replying, ‘Mm hm, that’s also what your teacher said.’
‘You see! I told him as much. Although there’s such a taboo technique as the Transmigration Spell, the transmigration is only the stuff of legend. In reality, how many Guardians have actually come back from the dead? Dandan’s already waited for a hundred years. At the beginning, he even refused to come down from Dragon Ridge and just kept clinging stubbornly to the spot where Yu Huan had died. He would squat there when it was pouring and squat there when it was snowing; nothing could convince him to move from that place. Even his reason for making the pact with you is because you might just be Yu Huan’s reincarnation… you tell me, in the whole of Ridge City, is there a more obstinate person… ahem, rabbit than him? Eh?’
At this point, Song Lin found himself speechless. He rarely ever had such a feeling; there was a dull roaring in his ears and he couldn’t listen to anything else Bi An was saying. He grabbed the pages from the Ancient Book of Spells and stood up to leave.
² 笑里藏刀 xiàolǐ-cángdāo. Translation belongs to theresanother(DOT)wordpress(DOT)com.
‘Eh, you’re going back, Second Master Song?’ Bi An clearly did not know why and trailed after him saying, ‘Don’t forget to tell Dandan that I’ll visit him at the Song Manor.’
Song Lin did not answer him. His expression was extremely grim as he got into the car and the driver did not dare say a word while driving at breakneck speed back to the Song Manor. The thick thunderclouds gathering in the back seat were so forbidding that he was having trouble breathing. He floored the accelerator: Mamaaa, I want to go home!!
Back at the Song Manor, Styx was waiting at the entrance and hurried forward when he saw Song Lin, asking, ‘Second Master, where did you go?’
It took Song Lin a few moments to recall where he had been after hearing this question and he finally answered, ‘Crescent Moon Ridge.’
Styx noticed his strange mood and cautiously probed, ‘What has happened?’
Song Lin fished out the few pages from the Ancient Book of Spells and showed them to Styx.
Styx frowned. ‘The Transmigration Spell?’
Song Lin’s tone was flinty as he said, ‘Find out everything you can about the Arch-Guardian Yu Huan.’
‘Yu Huan died a very long time ago. I’m afraid it’ll be hard to find anything…’
‘Find out whatever you can.’
‘… Yes, Second Master.’
Just then, Dandan and Troy came out of the kitchen, each holding a big lamb leg in their mouths which were oily from eating.
Styx cast them a disgusted glance. ‘Troy, how come you’re also being led astray?’
Troy ducked behind Dandan after hearing this.
Dandan saw Song Lin and complained, ‘This Ol’ Fish Eyes of yours is so unfriendly; he even called us little beasts at Lianxiang Pavilion. Isn’t it time to let Eldest Master know he can take him away already?’
Styx rolled his eyes slightly.
Song Lin: ‘If I send Styx away, who will wait on me then?’
Dandan: ‘Me.’
Song Lin snorted and began walking towards his bedroom.
Dandan trotted after him. ‘I’m attractive, can keep house, fight monsters and capture demons. What else does Styx know that I don’t?’
‘Since you know everything that Styx does, that makes you a second Styx. So why don’t I just stick with the original and familiar?’
‘Don’t be like that. I have talents that Styx doesn’t.’
Song Lin sat down on the bed and raised an eyebrow. ‘Such as?’
‘…’ Dandan stood in front of him, gnawing on his lamb leg and cudgelling his brains³. In all fairness, there really was no area in which he could compare favourably with Styx. About the only thing he could think of was that he had more facial expressions?
If that could be counted as a virtue…
³ 苦思 kǔsī. Please consider reading from theresanother(DOT)wordpress(DOT)com rather than from novelscraping sites.
He remembered having a similar conversation with Yu Huan before. Yu Huan had just taken in the Flood Dragon, Phantom, so Dandan had wanted to leave.
He had joked, ‘Since you already have a spirit beast after your own heart, why not release me from our pact and give me back my freedom?’
Yu Huan had been reading a book then, head resting on one hand. He had looked up languidly, fixed those green-as-jade eyes on Dandan and said, ‘No.’
‘Why not? That Flood Dragon is way handsomer than me. What’s the use of keeping me around?’
‘Hmm… you have a point…’ Yu Huan surveyed Dandan from head to toe before finally patting him on the head. ‘At least you’re cuter than him.’
Cu…cuter than him? Dandan was deflated and not too happy to hear that the one thing he excelled in was at being cute…
‘You still haven’t thought of anything?’ Song Lin’s voice woke him up from his reverie.
After a fierce internal struggle, through gritted teeth and with a stamp of his foot, Dandan declared, ‘I… I’m cuter than him…’
Song Lin: ‘…’
Dandan: ‘…’
An awful silence fell over them…
Dandan’s heart thumped hard once. The devil, this is too embarrassing. What am I doing?
Who would have expected that after a few seconds of surprise, Song Lin would actually nod as though in agreement and say, ‘Very true.’
(Approx. 2034 words)
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Translated and edited by 12
hiding in plain sight 
I really really love the characters and their relationship to one another. Just, Feng Chulian reluctantly trying to protect Dandan (but mostly trying to keep himself out of trouble). Song Lin who’s determined to get more information already! Bi An who is probably a great deal why Feng Chulian is willing to help Dandan, and is just a great character all around! ALL GOOD PEOPLE.
I’m screaming though. Feng Chulian is like “IM OUT” when Song Lin presses him a tiny bit for answers, but Bi An, pure pure Bi An, just opens his fool mouth. XD He means so well!!!! But c’mon Bi An!!!
At least Song Lin now knows… even if it’s kind of devastating… to be thought of some sort of replacement, or just a stand in, is pretty terrible all around.
I still also do not know how I feel about Yu Huan. I’m kind of upset at him for even existing, but Dandan wouldn’t be who he is without Yu Huan. Song Lin agreeing with Dandan that he’s cuter than Styx is gold though.
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Yeah, I laughed so hard at the original when Feng Chulian successfully wriggled out of telling Song Lin anything. But have to admire how Song Lin kept his cool until Bi An, all innocence, blundered in and let the the cat, or rabbit in this case, out of the bag. Well, things had to come to a head sooner or later.
So true, but without Yu Huan we wouldn’t have much of a story. It’s really from now that the conflicts start to happen.
I always have to remind myself not to inadvertently spoil the plot so excuse me if I don’t answer at length. 😆
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