Living Up to You

Chapter 25

Ling Xi didn’t know what level this hell was. There was only silence and separated from the world. She seemed to have returned to a few years ago when the supremo imprisoned her at Xuwang Cliff. Every time, she opened her eyes, it was dark and no sound could be heard.

- There are 18 levels of hell with the first level being the most lenient and the 18th being the hardest.

At that time, fortunately there was that bracelet that Qing Kui gave her that let her see some light. This time was also like this.

Perhaps, she had really been poisoned by the red spider lilies. She couldn’t remember how she entered this hell or for how long she had stayed here. The moment she regained her consciousness, her whole mind was filled with Nan Zhi’s body that was corroded by the water of the River of Forgetfulness.

She didn’t dare to move for fear that she would discover that Nan Zhi was not at her side. It took a long time before she called hoarsely, “Nan Zhi…”

This place was so quiet that no traces of time could be found. Ling Xi felt that after a long time that also felt like a blink of an eye when she heard someone say, “Mm.”

She immediately sat up from the ground, but she didn’t dare to use a spell to light the lamp. She only used the light of the bracelet to find Nan Zhi.

He was curled up in a corner.

Ling Xi didn’t dare to look at the wounds on his body. She wanted to cry and felt that she was useless. She only knew to cry when she was in trouble. She went over, hugged him and opened the purse of tail feathers. She put pills one by one in his mouth. After taking a few, he refused to open his mouth again.

“Nan Zhi…take the pill.” Ling Xi coaxed him softly.

Nan Zhi ignored her.

Ling Xi still said softly, “Nan Zhi, take the pill.”

After a long time of silence, Nan Zhi hoarse voice said, “You have been poisoned.”

Ling Xi’s eyes itched and couldn’t help but cry. She said, “I will take it. I will also take a pill.”

Ling Xi took a few pills that could detoxify her. When she fed Nan Zhi again, he became obedient.

“Stupid Nan Zhi, why did you go to look for high-tiered deity Donghua to cultivate a human body? Isn’t a human form very good? They wouldn’t be able to hurt you then,” Ling Xi choked.

Nan Zhi remained silent.

“In fact, it is my fault. I shouldn’t have let you go down to get the Soul-Locking water.” Ling Xi cried, “Nan Zhi, I’m sorry. I always thought that you are special. I always felt that your spiritual strength was great and that your cultivation was deep. Nothing would be difficult for you. You already said that no spells could be used at the bottom and I still let you go down and caused you to be tortured like this by the water of the River of Forgetfulness. It hurt very much, right? Nan Zhi, I’m sorry…”

Ling Xi didn’t know how to face him. The wounds on him and his ruined face was all caused by her believing herself to be infallible, her selfishness and willfulness.

Nan Zhi hugged Ling Xi. He hugged her so tightly that Ling Xi was a bit afraid, “Nan Zhi, be gentler. Wouldn’t it hurt you if you hug me so tightly?”

Nan Zhi shook his head. After a silence, he said slowly, “If I don’t have a human body, how can I hug you like this?”

Ling Xi’s nose itched again, “Stupid Nan Zhi, it’s the same if you turned into Da Hei…”

- Qing Kui calls Nan Zhi Xiao Hei which means little black and when he turns into a bear, Ling Xi calls him Da Hei which means big black.

“Not the same. That is not the same…” Nan Zhi grasped Ling Xi’s hand and gently put it in his palm.

He didn’t want her to touch emptiness when she wanted to grab him.

He didn’t want to have to change into a black bear when she wanted to lean on him.

He didn’t want her to look at him like just a shadow that was ethereal and untouchable.

He just wanted to stand beside her like a normal person. So, as long as he could cultivate a human body, no matter what kind of conditions high-tiered deity Donghua issued and how much spiritual energy he would lose, he agreed.

Ling Xi wiped away her tears. She looked for a medicine for wounds in her purse of tail feathers, but didn’t find one. She tried to cure Nan Zhi’s wounds with spells, but after trying for many times, it was all in vain. In the end, Nan Zhi whispered, “The immortal’s spells are useless against the wounds caused by the River of Forgetfulness.”

Ling Xi’s felt a pain in her heart. Could it be that Nan Zhi would stay like this forever in the future?

“No, there is definitely a way.”

Nan Zhi stopped her hand that was about to cast a spell and held it in his hand. He hugged her. His body gradually leaned on her.

“I…like it here.” Nan Zhi suddenly said softly.

Ling Xi was stunned for a while before she understood why he said that. She choked, “After we get out of here, we will return to Cangjia Mountain and go to Xuwang Cliff. Perhaps, we can go to a very far place. To the ends of earth, I will not let you become a Chinese rose again and hide you. I will tell everyone about your existence…”

Ever since they came down of Cangjia Mountain, the thing that Ling Xi said the most to Nan Zhi was to not be impulsive and don’t show himself. She felt Nan Zhi’s displeasure. She always thought that she would find an opportunity in the future to tell him that it wasn’t because he was shameful that she couldn’t show him to the world, but it was because she was worried…

For a long time, Nan Zhi didn’t respond.

Ling Xi continued, “Nan Zhi, I’m sorry. I was afraid that they will bully you. I was afraid that you will not be by my side. I was afraid that they would say that you are a demon, a devil. That was why I didn’t dare to let you stand by my side in the open. I promise you, as long as eldest senior brother returns, we will leave. We can go search for big brother or roam the world. Nan Zhi, there would only be the two of us in the future…”

Nan Zhi’s body became colder and colder. Even his breathing was getting weaker and weaker. Ling Xi’s voice began to tremble, Nan Zhi, hug me, alright?”

“Nan Zhi, hug me, alright?”

There was no response from Nan Zhi.

Ling Xi kept calling him. He didn’t respond. She put almost all the pills into his mouth. He still didn’t respond.

Not a sound could be heard.

Ling Xi began to be afraid.

She searched for the lantern that Nan Zhi personally painted for her in the purse of tail feathers. She didn’t find it. Hence, she casted a spell to make a lot of lanterns appear and casted a bright light in this silent hell. But she was still afraid because Nan Zhi’s body began to be cold like ice and his breathing almost couldn’t be heard.

The time seemed to be still. Ling Xi couldn’t calculate how much time had passed. After she got tired of calling, she turned off those lights and nestled in Nan Zhi’s arms. She forced herself to sleep. She pretended that they were still at Xuwang Cliff, that the two of them depended mutually for life and when she wakes up, Nan Zhi is already preparing delicious food for her.

Three days, five days, perhaps ten days. Ling Xi refused to feel hunger, refused to admit that the body next to her was already cold as ice, refused to hear the breathing of her alone and refuse the attempt to talk with Nan Zhi.

She didn’t know from when it had begun that this small place was filled with the fragrance of Chinese roses.

The rich fragrance of the Chinese roses made it impossible for people to breath. It was as if it released the energy of all his life.

Finally, Ling Xi couldn’t continue to pretend anymore. She cried loudly in that void place. She slapped every visible wall and shouted, “Help.” She begged the judge, begged the king of the netherworld to let them let Nan Zhi go. She begged master, begged senior brother Qing Kui, begged senior sister Qing Lian for them to come save Nan Zhi.

Yet, no one responded to her.

When big brother left her, her mind was still muddled and she didn’t know what sadness was. When eldest senior brother left her, she was still ignorant. After she cried and blamed herself, the pain gradually faded as she got older. Now, she deeply remembers every day and night that Nan Zhi spent with her and every word and ever thing he did for her. He let her watch him leave like this with her having no way to save him.

This was the first time that Ling Xi discovered that Nan Zhi had become an indispensable part of her life.

She suddenly remembered the kiss Nan Zhi gave her before he went to the bottom of the River of Forgetfulness. It was so soft and so sweet. At that time, her body was completely unaware of the cold and her cheeks even felt a bit hot.

Ling Xi wiped her tears and stopped crying and calling. She lowered her body. She kissed him gently and sucked a bit. She caught the softness of his lips and wanted to warm him and be so close to him that there is no distance between them.

“Nan Zhi, Nan Zhi…,” She shouted his name silently in her heart to tell him not to sleep anymore.

Suddenly, there was movement in the quiet space. It was not big and could said to be faint, but Ling Xi heard it clearly. She looked up at Nan Zhi in shock and joy, hoping that he had opened his eyes, but unfortunately, he did not. She saw a sword in front of her that spun quietly in the air.

It was Qing Kui’s Xiangyin sword. Ever since she had gone up to Donghua Mountain, she hadn’t used it anymore.

Ling Xi looked with hazy eyes at Xiangyin sword. She didn’t have the energy to think why it had left her and spun the air. She only heard a “boom” sound. After a dazzling white light, the world seemed to have returned to normal in an instant. There was sounds of the wind, the cry of the souls and most importantly and there was a very familiar voice that said, “Who dares to bully our Ah Chou!”

“Senior brother Qing Kui…” As if she saw a light in the night, as if she found the warmth in the coldness, as if a child who received comfort after suffering grievances, Ling Xi cried out, “Senior brother Qing Kui!”

Qing Kui grabbed Xiangyin sword accurately and landed next to Ling Xi. He swept once over the sorry state of Ling Xi and cursed, “These bastards of the netherworld!”

Ling Xi was only thinking about how Nan Zhi could be saved now that senior brother Qing Kui is here. When she turned her head to look at Nan Zhi, she saw that after the wounds on his body had been exposed to the light, they turned black immediately and became dusts. Under the dust was still his black clothes and his pale and thin face.

Not waiting for Ling Xi to ponder about whether she saw wrongly, Qing Kui chanted a spell and Nan Zhi became a Chinese rose again in Ling Xi’s hair.

“Let’s go!” Qing Kui grabbed Ling Xi and went up. Only now did Ling Xi discover that they were locked in the gap between the ninth and tenth level of hell.

Ling Xi didn’t have time to ask Qing Kui how he appeared in the netherworld because when the two came out, they were ambushed from all sides. The judge was still in the lead. Qing Kui and he were locked in a battle. She was imprisoned for so many days that she was physically weak. She seemed not as strong as she wished even when dealing with a few small ghosts.

Suddenly, Ling Xi recalled what Qing Lian had told her. It is easy to see the king of hell, but difficult to deal with the lackeys.

They didn’t get the Soul-Locking water yet. After they had caused such a big noise, it would be hard to get out. It was better to see the king of hell!

Thinking about this, Ling Xi accumulated all her strength and casted a spell. She used the most destructive one and sent it to each layer of hell.

The small ghosts didn’t expect Ling Xi to do this and wasn’t able to stop it. Because of this blow from Ling Xi, all the gates of hell opened. The evil spirits of all levels of hell went up and the ghost-guards were in chaos.

When the judge saw this, he let go of Qing Kui and went to deal with those evil spirits. Every small and big ghost-guard felt the change in hell and all went down.

Qing Kui was happy, “Not seeing you for a few days, you have become smarter!”

As he talked, he continued to move up with Ling Xi.

The ghost-guards didn’t have time to deal with them. Ling Xi had the opportunity to ask, “Why is senior brother in the netherworld?”

Even senior sister Qing Lian was afraid to come in and beat the grass to scare the snake. Moreover, Qing Kui shouldn’t have known that she would come to the netherworld to get the Soul-Locking water.

- Beat the grass to scare the snake: inadvertently alert the enemy

“Catch the demon,” Qing Kui answered briefly.

“Xinyin and Juisheng are still in the hands of that judge.” Ling Xi was afraid that Qing Kui will take them (QK&LX) directly out of the netherworld and quickly told him that.

Qing Kui cursed again.

“What about we go find the king of the hell?” Ling Xi suggested.

The judge was now busy cleaning up the hell. Go find him to get Xinyin and Juisheng back was the same as pouring oil on fire. Nan Zhi wasn’t even able to get the Soul-Locking water after being wounded like that. Ling Xi also didn’t have hope that she would be able to get it. It was better to go see the king of hell and see whether she could beg him…

“Originally, I intended to go find that pervert!” Qing Kui took many turns with Ling Xi. The whole way, those small ghosts couldn’t catch up.

After rushing the whole way, Ling Xi discovered that the netherworld didn’t only have cold and dark places. Many palaces that they had passed were magnificent and dazzling. They even had gardens. There was the same blue sky and white clouds. The pavilions and artistic conception were not worse than the immortal realm. It was just that the two of them had circled around for many times and still didn’t find the palace of the king of hell.

The netherworld couldn’t be more chaotic at this time. According to reason, the king of hell should’ve come out and deal with the two of them. When Ling Xi gave the opening of hell a blow was because she wanted to make this matter big and let the king of hell appear.

Qing Kui went around a few more times and still couldn’t find his destination. Ling Xi whispered, “Senior brother, did you discover…we seem to be circling around in the same place.”

Qing Kui had discovered that long ago. He just didn’t believe that he couldn’t get out of this strange circle.

He stopped angrily. Ling Xi was also breathless.

The two had just stood still when a small ghost suddenly appeared in front of them.

That small ghost looked about seven or eight-year-old. He had a handsome appearance with red lips and white teeth. He had his hands behind his back and stared at them faintly.

Qing Kui said, “Little ghost, where is your king of hell?”

After the boy was asked this, he glared once at him (QK), “Why are you looking for the king of hell? Could our wise and awesome king of hell be someone that you get to see whenever you want?”

“Pei!” Qing Kui was furious at this moment. “I think he is a vulgar bastard! Since he couldn’t find beautiful female ghosts, he hid that bone-eating demon that changed her face into a beautiful face every day. Did he think that I didn’t dare to barge into the netherworld?”

The boy’s face flushed and scolded, “Nonsense! If you continue to speak nonsense, I will let people peel off your skin, throw it in the River of Forgetfulness and let it scatter into ashes and disperse into smoke!”

Qing Kui swept a disapproving glance at him, “You will let ghosts, right?”

“You…you…” The boy pointed at him and didn’t know what to say. He simply yelled, “People! Throw these two bastards from the immortal realm into the River of Forgetfulness for this king!”

Ling Xi was stunned. This ghost with a child-like appearance was dressed luxuriously. They happened to be in a rather luxurious palace. It made him appear haughtier as if made by the heaven. If you said that his status was not low, she would believe it, but…he is the king of hell?

“Pfff…” Qing Kui couldn’t help but laugh. “Haha, you…you are the king of hell?”

It happened that a group of ghost-guards came to take orders. They paid their respect to the boy and said, “As you bid!”

When Qing Kui saw this, he held back his laughter, raised his hand and said, “Wait!”

Little king of hell glared once at him and waited for what he had to say.

Qing Kui said earnestly, “If your highness the king of hell wants to catch us, it should also be justified.”

“What justified? Just now, you insulted this king in this king’s face. Can it be that you still can be justified?” Little king of hell was angry.

Qing Kui said, “Your highness is at fault on this matter first. That bone-eating demon caused a disaster in the mortal realm. How many people and young girls had died because of her? Your highness still hid her in private and you also wanted to throw the immortals who came to catch her into the River of Forgetfulness. If this gets out, no one will say that the king of hell is the reasonable one!”

“When had this king hid the bone-eating demon?!” Little king of hell’s eyes were evasive. It was obvious that he was not telling the truth.

“Then, it’s funny. Without your highness’s permission, such a big demon entered the netherworld, would your underlings be “harmonized”?”

- He probably means had sex with her

“Vulgar!” Little king of hell glared once more at Qing Kui and pretended to cough twice. Then, he said leisurely, “Alright, even if I had hidden the bone-eating demon, she has escaped now. You can go chase after her. This king will take it as if you have never been here. But this one!” Little king of hell pointed at Ling Xi and said, “He sneaked into the netherworld with a few immortal spirits and deliberately wanted to steal the Soul-Locking water! Forget it if he wanted to steal the Soul-Locking water. Now, he caused a great commotion in hell. How can I just let him go?”

“If it wasn’t because you entangled and tortured a good girl into this, did I have to break into hell?” Qing Kui said in disdain.

When little king of hell heard the word “girl”, his expression immediately changed. Those eyes sparkled and he wondered, “It was a girl?”

Ling Xi’s hair was a mess. There were blood and tears all over her body. There was also the color of the water of the River of Forgetfulness and the red spider lilies. Her face was even more splendid (with wounds). It was indeed impossible to tell whether she was a man or woman.

Little king of hell chanted a spell. In a blink of an eye, the dirt on Ling Xi had disappeared. The wounds on her body also disappeared. Her hair was neatly done and her face was a lot more refreshing. When that little king of hell saw Ling Xi’s face clearly, he froze on spot.

Qing Kui glared once at him. He silently cursed and wondered whether this little pervert took a fancy on Ling Xi. If that was the case, then it would be more troublesome…

“Little…little…” Little king of hell blinked vigorously. Tears almost fell out. After he was sure that he didn’t saw wrongly, he affirmed, “Little Xi?”

Now, it was Ling Xi’s turn to be surprised. She had never seen this child. Why was he so excited and also knew her name?

“Little Xi! It’s truly little Xi!” Little king of hell blushed and ran into Ling Xi’s arms. “Little Xi, you finally came to see me!”

Ling Xi took two steps back, but her hand was still grabbed by him.

“Your…your highness the king of hell…you…” Ling Xi didn’t know how to deal with him. She wanted to get rid of his hand but her hand had been tightly grasped by him.

“I know that you are no longer the past you. Ever since last time…” Little king of hell suddenly paused and glared once at Qing Kui. “You can go back first. I will have a talk about old times with little Xi. I will send her back to you later.”

Qing Kui was reluctant, but little king of hell said angrily, “If you don’t go out now, I will keep you here forever!”

Qing Kui knew that although this little king of hell looked like a child, but he couldn’t be underestimated. However, when he saw Ling Xi’s pitiful eyes, he was not at ease leaving her alone here.

“People, sent him down (to hell) for this king!” Little king of hell truly got angry.

Qing Kui knew that he (QK) would never have a chance to win against him if he (QK) used force. He cupped his hand and said earnestly, “This humble one is the second disciple Qing Kui of the supremo of Cangjia sect. This one is this humble one’s junior sister Ling Xi. This humble one hopes that your highness the king of hell would keep your promise and sent Ling Xi safely out of the netherworld!”

“Talk less nonsense. Quickly go away!” While little king of hell gestured with his hand, he pulled Ling Xi away.

Before leaving, Qing Kui gave Ling Xi a reassuring gesture. The king of hell hasn’t come to the point yet of detaining an immortal disciple publicly.

—

Ling Xi was reluctant to go with the king of hell, but when she thought about not getting the Soul-Locking water yet and Xinyin and Juisheng were still in their hands, she had no choice but to cater to the king of hell. Remembering that Qing Lian had once told her that the king of hell liked young women, she forced herself to pull out a fawning smile.

“Little Xi, what have you been doing all these years?”

“Little Xi, do you still remember my name?”

“Little Xi, last time I also wanted to go save you, but I got the message too late. You didn’t blame me, right?”

“…”

No matter what little king of hell said, Ling Xi just smiled. She was afraid to answer wrongly and let the king of hell realize that she wasn’t that “little Xi” and would change the way he treated her. She also didn’t understand most of little king of hell’s questions.

“Hey, little Xi, the Chinese rose in your hair is very interesting.” Little king of hell suddenly noticed Nan Zhi, causing Ling Xi’s heartbeat to quicken.

“Is that your immortal spirit?” Little king of hell blinked at her smilingly.

Ling Xi nodded.

“Such a rare immortal object. It’s a pity that he soaked for a long time in the water of the River of Forgetfulness…”

When Ling Xi heard this, she couldn’t stop herself from saying, “He was badly injured. My spells had no effect on him. Your highness…your highness, do you have a way?”

It was rare for the little king of hell to hear Ling Xi speak so many words. He patted his chest and said, “Is there a thing that is hard for this king?!”

Ling Xi was about to thank him when little king of hell whispered, “But the wounds caused by the River of Forgetfulness…little Xi, don’t blame me. I’m afraid that there is no one who has a way in these six realms…Otherwise, everyone would get the idea to take the Soul-Locking water.”

When Ling Xi heard this, the glimmer in her eyes extinguished quickly.

“But don’t worry about it. Fortunately, your immortal spirit is a Chinese rose.” Little king of hell said quickly, “He would only lost skin at best after being wounded by the water of the River of Forgetfulness.”

When Ling Xi thought about Nan Zhi’s wounds, her heart felt so much pain.

“When that layer of skin had peeled off, he would be fine! If you don’t believe me, take it down and look. Isn’t this Chinese rose a lot smaller?” Little king of hell added.

Ling Xi didn’t move. She just had her head lowered and didn’t say anything.

Little king of hell was very upset and forced himself to ask, “You came this time to get the Soul-Locking water?”

Sure enough, when he said that, Ling Xi’s eyes lit up again and nodded.

Little king of hell also nodded. He looked closely once at Ling Xi and muttered to himself, “Mm…Although, this soul was not badly repaired, but experts would know with one glance. It indeed needed the Soul-Locking water to supplement…”

Ling Xi looked at him puzzled. Telling her to supplement her soul…this Soul-Locking water would be used to bind eldest senior brother’s broken soul together. Of course, she didn’t dare to tell little king of hell that and remained silent.

“Haha. Since it’s for you, I will naturally give you it.”

Ling Xi looked at the king of hell in disbelief. Such an important thing to the netherworld, he actually promised to give it to her so easily?

“But the Soul-Locking water is the water source of the River of Forgetfulness. You can only take it for seven days. I will cast a spell. Ten days, at most ten days, you must return it!”

Little king of hell didn’t seem to be joking. Ling Xi nodded quickly.

“Haha, you certainly don’t remember my name…” Little king of hell smiled shyly, “Then, remember it this time. My name is Ming Sheng. We already knew each other thirteen thousand years ago.”

- His name means born in the netherworld.

Ling Xi was more confused. Thirteen thousand years…one had to know that it was rumored that high-tiered deity Donghua is eight-thousand-year-old. He was already the oldest immortal of the immortal realm…

“Moreover, last time you had promised me that you would marry me when I grow up.” Little king of hell blushed. “Although, only ten thousand years has passed and I still have one hundred thousand years before I grow up and you also don’t remember those past things anymore, but is this promise still valid?”

Ling Xi thought for a moment. Hundred thousand years… She didn’t even dare to think about ten years let alone hundred thousand years…

“Mm.” Now, she only wanted to leave quickly with the Soul-Locking water. What would happen in a hundred thousand years, let’s talk about it after a hundred thousand years…

“Alright! Play here for a few days. After I take you to get the Soul-Locking water, I will send you out.” Little king of hell was very happy after he got Ling Xi’s consent.

Ling Xi pondered a moment and the probed, “I…I still have friends waiting for me outside. It’s better…”

“That’s right. Supplementing a soul is a big matter!” Little king of hell suddenly said, “Haha, perhaps after your soul is supplemented, you will remember who I am. I will take you to get the Soul-Locking water now!”

Ling Xi didn’t expect things to go so smoothly. She said, “I also have two immortal spirits…”

“Oh, is it that hairpin and that wine gourd?” Little king of hell seemed to be afraid that Ling Xi would be unhappy and quickly said, “I will immediately let the judge bring them over to you!”

This time, Ling Xi truly laughed.