The million-dollar question…
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Ch. 57 | The House of Bai
‘This is what you’ve promised. If you leave one day, then that means you’ll be going back on your word. I’ll catch you and bring you back, lock you up, or I might even cut off your hands and feet rather than let you go again,’ Song Lin stated.
Hearing this, Dandan shivered for some reason, probably because he was cold. ‘Crazy, why would I want to leave? Where can I go? You’re not making any sense.’
He sneezed suddenly. ‘Uh oh, it’s too cold, I want to get into the tub.’ After saying that, he turned and got ready to clamber in.
Song Lin lifted him easily and put him into the tub.
Surrounded by hot water, Dandan was instantly warmer and sat down pleased. The water came up to his chin; he tilted his head back, closed his eyes and settled down to enjoy himself. Just then, he smelled the scent of herbs and when he opened his eyes, saw Song Lin scattering medicinal herbs into the water.
‘Ahhh, what an honour it is in my remaining years to have Second Master Song wait on me personally while I bathe.’ Dandan rested both arms along the edges of the wooden tub as though he were some big shot.
‘Yu Huan never helped you to take a bath?’ Song Lin seemed to ask this casually.
‘He did.’
Song Lin’s hands stilled and with a dark look he asked, ‘He also helped to take off your clothes and to bathe?’
‘Not quite. We had just finished fighting in the Guardians’ Tournament and our opponent had been a loach. After I split him in half, the sticky juices inside splashed onto me. It was a really gross feeling, so Yu Huan carried me to a waterfall, threw me in and let it wash me clean…’ Dandan frowned and added, ‘Logically speaking, this isn’t a very good memory.’
Song Lin said nothing but merely kept ladling the bathwater over Dandan; he appeared to be thinking about something. After a long time, he observed, ‘You and Yu Huan certainly have a lot of memories together.’
‘Mm hm,’ Dandan didn’t pick up on the deeper meaning behind his tone and continued to reminisce, ‘Yu Huan was too unique, there was no one else like him. He had a scatterbrained expression every day and never really took care of the three of us, even frequently forgot to feed us. Most of the time we found our own meals and used to bring some food back for him so that he wouldn’t starve either. But he actually really cared for us: I was once tricked by the villagers at the foot of the mountain so he went down to teach them a lesson the next day. But he didn’t tell me — I found out by myself.’
Song Lin was gazing at Dandan. Only when Dandan was talking about Yu Huan did he look this animated, this proud and happy¹. That day after the Crone had removed Dandan’s suppressant, he had almost gone berserk. All of Dandan’s emotional highs and lows were because of Yu Huan. Yu Huan would always lie like a yawning chasm between the two of them, one that could never be crossed over.
¹ 神采飛揚. If you’re not reading this chapter at hiding in plain sight, it has been stolen and reproduced by novelscraping sites.
Song Lin pondered: if it weren’t for Yu Huan, would you have chosen me as your owner?
You wouldn’t have. All your actions and motives revolve around Yu Huan from start to finish. In those few pages from the Ancient Book of Spells, it said that for Guardians who use the Transmigration Spell, the soul will leave the physical body for twenty-four hours on their death anniversary. You’re only staying by my side because you’re waiting for that day to see Yu Huan again.
Song Lin’s hand tightened on the scoop handle as he asked, ‘If Yu Huan were to appear, would you leave with him?’
Dandan was taken aback and sat staring for a very long time before he laughed and replied, ‘Yu Huan is already dead, y’know.’
‘What if he isn’t?’
Dandan was immediately floored again before he pointed out, ‘If he’s not dead, then I should be by now.’ A spirit beast was only allowed to have one pact owner and could only look for a new one only when the previous one had died, otherwise it would incur the wrath of Heaven and suffer a most agonising death by having its heart corroded.
Song Lin paused for a long while before continuing to ladle the water over him and saying in a low voice, ‘That’s true, looking at how frisky you are, you don’t seem to be in danger of dying any time soon.’
Dandan was a little flushed from the steaming water as he said, ‘Don’t worry, I certainly won’t die before you. I still have to protect you, watch you take up the position of Arch-Guardian and let you become the strongest Guardian in Ridge City.’
The corners of Song Lin’s mouth curved up into a small smile. ‘Ridge City is a very small world. Outside of it, there may already exist Guardians who are strongest beyond our wildest dreams.’
Since they were on the subject, Dandan scratched his chin and remarked, ‘Right, speaking of which, the Crone is the most mysterious Guardian I’ve ever come across: she can actually transform into a puddle of black water to escape. I’ve never seen any Guardian, in Ridge City at least, cultivate such an ability. And for the last century, I’ve never been able to figure out what her powers actually are. I really suspect she comes from elsewhere.’
At this point, Song Lin seemed to be struck by a thought and he looked up and asked, ‘You said that Yu Huan was burnt to death by her. Is that true?’
‘Yes.’ Dandan answered firmly.
Song Lin had his doubts though — really? Yu Huan was so powerful, how could he have been so easily killed in a fire?
‘Second Master,’ Styx knocked on the door.
‘What is it?’
‘There’s a message from the League.’
Song Lin dried his hands and walked out. ‘About the Guardians’ Tournament?’
‘Yes,’ Styx nodded and explained the situation to him. ‘In the previous draw, our opponent was the Bai clan while the Ye clan faced the Wanyan clan. Now that the House of Bai has withdrawn from the fight, that makes us winners automatically. Since the Ye clan won their round, that means they’ll face us in the finals.’
‘What do you know about the House of Ye?’
‘The head of the Ye clan, Ye Ziran, is your age and was also born with innately strong talent to be a Guardian. When Old Master was still alive, he used to say that among the Five Great Houses, only Ye Ziran was a match for you.’
Song Lin said, ‘Forget the Ye clan for now. Let’s pay a visit to the House of Bai.’
‘What for?’
‘The Crone’s appearance constitutes the greatest threat to us and we can’t just ignore it. Bai Yini has had the most contact with the Crone, so she must have the information that we need.’
‘Then…’ Styx darted a look at the bathroom, ‘Dandan isn’t coming along?’
‘Let him remain here in the manor.’
‘You’re afraid he’ll be in danger, Young Master?’
‘He hasn’t made a full recovery and doesn’t have any weapons.’
‘Young Master is really considerate of his safety.’
‘Let’s leave now.’ Song Lin did not wish to discuss it further so he closed the bathroom door and went out with Styx.
— The Bai residence —
The entire courtyard was blanketed with the smell of incense. In the main hall sat a statue of the Buddha, flanked by candles on either side and with some joss sticks in front of it. Madam Bai, simply but elegantly dressed, was kneeling with her eyes closed on a red cushion, chanting sutras devoutly.
‘Mother,’ Bai Yini said from the door of the prayer hall. ‘It’s time to eat.’
Madam Bai did not move but merely continued to keep count of the Buddhist prayer beads with her fingers.
‘You refuse to talk to me again today?’ asked Bai Yini.
Silence was her only answer.
Her lashes quivered as she commented, ‘You’ve refused to speak to me ever since Father’s death.’
Madam Bai turned round slowly. Her face, covered in scars, was hideously disfigured. One would never have guessed that before her disfigurement, she had been easily reckoned one of Ridge City’s most beautiful women.
A servant girl helped her up and supported her as she walked out of the prayer hall. As she brushed past Bai Yini, the latter questioned, ‘You’re such a devout Buddhist, practising vegetarianism every day. How long are you going to torture yourself for?’
Madam Bai said softly, ‘I’m helping you to atone for your crime.’
Atone for her crime?
Bai Yini’s chest rose and fell. It was laughable — things having reached such a stage, you still feel I was at fault?
Her father had been a monster: she and her mother used to endure daily beatings at his hands. As long as the slightest thing displeased him, he would throw mother and daughter into a small dark room and subject them to severe beatings. But he would never hit their faces because every time the League had a get-together, he would have a richly-dressed Mother attend in order to present a façade of familial harmony.
Once, Father had too much to drink and grabbed Mother by the hair, forcing her face down into a pot of boiling oil. Mother had let out a heartrending² scream but she had been too weak at the time to protect Mother.
² 撕心裂肺. Translation belongs to theresanother(DOT)wordpress(DOT)com.
When Father had vented his spleen at last and left, she had rushed over, trembling as she hugged her mother and vowing, ‘I’ll kill him, one day I’ll kill him!’
But Mother had only caressed her head, saying, ‘I only have this one husband and this family. Everything can be forgiven.’°
Not everything can be forgiven!!
She bit her lower lip, vowing secretly to pay whatever price it took to kill this monster!
Later on, she had met the Crone.
The Crone had brought her to the Exchange where they had found a small, thin lu-shu. The lu-shu’s spiritual power had not been awakened yet then so it was still at the level of a Chrysalis and it had lain under beast trappers’ chains in a cage. Bai Yini had bought him for an extremely small sum.
Following the Crone’s infusion of spiritual power, the lu-shu’s spiritual power had awakened; its calibre had actually been Supreme. Bai Yini had named him Bijou.
On the night she killed her father, she had neither hesitated in the least nor had she shed any tears.
Bijou had pinned her father to the wall. She had picked up the long sword and stabbed the latter right through the chest, letting the fresh blood splatter onto her face and her qipao but she hadn’t felt sullied, only joyful.
Madam Bai had witnessed it all from behind and Bai Yini had seen terror on her face.
Whilst holding the sword which was dripping with blood, she had gone towards her mother.
‘Mother, I’ve killed that monster. You’ll never have to suffer again…’ She had cradled her mother’s face with her bloodied hands but Madam Bai had suddenly pushed her away, slumped to the floor and cried herself hoarse.
After that, she had become a devout Buddhist and practised vegetarianism³, and had never spoken a word to Bai Yini again. Perhaps her mother’s feudalistic thinking didn’t allow her to forgive Bai Yini for the crime of patricide, but the latter didn’t regret doing it — as long as it meant her mother would never be hurt again, she was willing to be accused of any crime.
³ 吃齋念佛. Please consider reading from hiding in plain sight rather than from novelscraping sites.
‘Mistress,’ Bijou came over. ‘Second Master Song is here.’
‘What brings him here?’ Bai Yini frowned slightly. ‘Show him in.’
Song Lin was shown into the hall.
Bai Yini was still in a qipao, lithe and graceful, like some dignified maiden. ‘Second Master Song, I’ve already forfeited the fight. Why are you still looking for me?’
Song Lin drank some tea and asked slowly, ‘Was that your mother I saw just now when I was passing by the prayer hall?’
Bai Yini was taken aback and it was a while before she replied, ‘That was my mother, yes.’
‘Your mother’s face…’
‘Why, are you here to laugh at me?’ As soon as her mother’s face was mentioned, Bai Yini’s hackles rose and even her voice turned sharp.
Song Lin glanced at Styx. ‘Better if you explain.’
Styx nodded and took a step forward. ‘I can heal the injuries on your mother’s face.’
‘What?’ Bai Yini looked stunned for a while. ‘Can you restore her looks completely?’
‘Certainly,’ Styx answered unequivocally.
Song Lin clarified, ‘In return, I want to know everything about the Crone.’
Bai Yini bit her lip. ‘The Crone…’
—————
At that moment in the Song Manor, Dandan had just finished his bath and was feeling fresh and cool. He had carried a stool into the garden and was presently sunning himself.
He was really enjoying this peace and quiet where he didn’t have to worry about anything. The Crone, the Guardians’ Tournament were all cast aside and he was feeling unwontedly relaxed.
Just then, someone called from behind him, ‘Dandan.’
This voice…
Dandan turned round sharply and saw a figure robed in pale green standing under the clustering roses on the garden wall.
‘…’ Dandan rubbed his eyes very hard and then went rigid.
‘Long time no see.’ That green-robed figure pushed past the clusters of roses and went towards him with smiling jade-green eyes that were like two pools of spring water, and a silly smile wreathing his face.
The sun was shining down on the garden at that moment and everything appeared dreamlike.
Dandan’s lips moved and he blurted out the most unthinkable name: ‘Yu Huan?’
(Approx. 2337 words)
12’s notes:
° Wouldn’t she have been in too much pain to speak, let alone comfort the girl? 🤨
And talk about a cliffhanger!
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Translated and edited by 12
hiding in plain sight 
Omg, yandere!Song Lin activated!!! Song Lin, you took a sweet moment and made it that… I’m vaguely impressed, haha. I also liked how Dandan glossed over it. :’)
A jealous Song Lin is a fearsome Song Lin. NGL, ML being jealous is my jam, even if it isn’t super great for their relationship or whatever. 8) But woooow, Dandan, get a clue. If you keep rambling about Yu Huan how are you making Song Lin feel. Then again, Dandan’s denseness is part of his cuteness in some respects… But holy crap is Dandan dense sometimes.
You know what I find funny… you get a sentence about how Madam Bai refuses to speak to Bai Yini, then two paragraphs later she tells Bai Yini something, even if it’s not much. :D; Also, I get why Bai Yini did what she did. If I was in her shoes I’d probably react much in the same way.
Madam Bai seems rather ungrateful–even if she didn’t want anything to happen to her husband, her daughter was just protecting her. Not only that, but her husband was also hurting her daughter. Just… ugh.
DEF NOT YU HUAN. DON’T BE FOOLED!!!
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Jealous Song Lin always has some great lines 🤣 I think it’s great though otherwise he’s a bit too cool and controlled.
Dandan, always so blissfully unaware haha!
Well, it seems impossible now but let’s see how it plays out 😋
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