After Sheng Jun Chapter 61 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 61 Wrapping Up and Settling Affairs (part 1)
Jiang Xingzhi still knew nothing about what had happened near the Kunlun training ground. At this moment, he was rushing between the various great sects, diligently working on wrapping up loose ends.
Shang Family.
On the mahogany table were placed fine fruits and famous teas. Deep autumn had arrived, and golden leaves with thin frost surrounded them on all sides.
Jiang Xingzhi sat facing Shang Luxing, holding a cup of hot tea as he looked around and sighed with feeling, "The Shang Family Head's way of life is still the most to my liking."
Shang Luxing felt melancholy upon hearing this, "Yet Brother Jiang doesn't visit often?"
Jiang Xingzhi touched his nose tip, "Heaven has bestowed great responsibilities, and I have matters at hand - I've been truly too busy."
Speaking of it, the Shang Family should have been his first stepping stone into the view of the various great sects, especially since his divine lamp - the original body - was still obtained from the Shang Family.
Thinking this, he took out that divine lamp from his storage pouch and placed it on the table, "I've come this time to return the divine lamp."
Shang Luxing was startled, "Brother Jiang, this is..."
"Before long, Bai Mu and I will retreat from the world. I'll leave this divine lamp to Shang Family Head." Jiang Xingzhi said half-truthfully, "In the future, seeing this divine lamp will be like seeing my true self. The divine lamp contains my divine consciousness - at critical moments, it might be able to protect the Shang Family's prosperity."
"Brother Jiang and Brother Bai are going into seclusion!?" Shang Luxing was greatly shocked.
He took the glazed lamp and turned it over several times to examine it, praising, "Worthy of being a glazed lamp containing Brother Jiang's divine consciousness - this quality is so much better than it was originally!"
Jiang Xingzhi: "......"
No, that's because it was polished and waxed by Qingfeng Pavilion.
"Yes, we..." Jiang Xingzhi paused, but still fulfilled Zhong Ming's wish and announced their relationship, "We plan to distance ourselves from the mundane world and become a pair of immortal lovers."
The glazed lamp was set down with a clatter. Shang Luxing raised his hand in congratulation, "Are you forming a contract? Congratulations to you both!"
He smiled again as he spoke, "It seems Brother Bai has finally gotten his heart's desire."
Hmm? Jiang Xingzhi blinked.
Seeing his apparent confusion, Shang Luxing explained, "The first time you both came to my residence, I could see Brother Bai's feelings for Brother Jiang - only Brother Jiang himself hadn't noticed."
There was such a thing? Jiang Xingzhi's face grew warm: Had Xu Jian been that obvious? To be seen through by others, it was really...
Really quite delightful!
His heart was filled with joy, his lowered eyelashes covered with a layer of light, as if soaked in honey.
Shang Luxing across from him glanced over and began to speak joyfully, "A hundred..." He paused mid-sentence, "A hundred million years of harmony."
Jiang Xingzhi admired his precision, "Shang Family Head truly knows how to speak."
Shang Luxing smiled, "After all, I'm a businessman - it's an occupational requirement."
"Then I thank you for the blessing." After Jiang Xingzhi finished speaking, he rose to take his leave, "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll go first."
"Brother Jiang, take care."
Jiang Xingzhi turned and walked through the long corridor, moving toward the main gate of the Shang residence through the dappled tree shadows.
After walking a distance, he turned back for another look, only to see Shang Luxing still standing in the same place holding the glazed lamp, looking his way. His flowing brocade robes were like golden jade streaming light among the light, shadow, and frost-touched leaves.
Shang Luxing raised his hand in a salute.
Behind him stretched the long corridor, and looking through it, one could almost see the appearance of the Shang Family's prosperity for thousands of years to come.
Jiang Xingzhi's heart was gently touched, and he turned back around, striding out of the Shang residence.
…..
After leaving the Shang Family, Jiang Xingzhi next went to Yuhua Sect.
When he arrived, Sect Master Xiu Yuan Zhenren was in closed-door cultivation, so the ones who came to receive him were the eldest disciple Ping Lan and junior sister Fei Yin.
Ping Lan was now recognized as the next sect master of Yuhua Sect, and sect affairs had basically been handed over to him to handle. Seeing Jiang Xingzhi, both were extremely delighted, "Immortal Lord Jiang, it's been so long!"
Fei Yin chattered away even more, telling Jiang Xingzhi all about the recent situation in the sect -
Since the Grand Elder was executed, the conflicts between Yuhua Sect's two factions had gradually dissolved. The martial faction had been handed over to Second Senior Brother Lin Kuo, and the three senior siblings planned to merge the two factions together going forward.
Ping Lan was uncertain, "Immortal Lord Jiang, can this idea be realized?"
Jiang Xingzhi thought of the famous witchcraft sect from the Lingnan region a thousand years later, which seemed to be a combination of the technique faction and martial faction. He nodded encouragingly, "Of course. Don't abandon, don't give up - dreams can always be realized."
When he finished speaking, Ping Lan and Fei Yin beside him simultaneously fell into silence.
After Jiang Xingzhi spoke, he himself felt it sounded like perfunctory motivational nonsense, so he added, "If there are things you don't understand, you can ask the Brush Spirit for advice."
Their Jiang Langhao still had some real skills.
Especially that interpretation of "only because I'm within this mountain" from back then - thinking about it now, it had hit the bullseye!
Thinking of this, Jiang Xingzhi couldn't help feeling ashamed: he had misunderstood Langhao.
He said to Ping Lan, "Take me to see it."
"Yes, Immortal Lord."
Yuhua Sect's Library Pavilion.
The slanted rays of midday sun cast tilted squares of light between rows of bookshelves. In the vast Library Pavilion, a brush was dancing through the air with flowing strokes.
Fine dust motes floated in the light halo, and the brush's silhouette, with its back to everyone, appeared sacred and towering.
Sensing the movement at the entrance, a thin but dignified voice came, "What is it?"
Ping Lan bowed, "Brush Spirit Lord, there's a visitor."
"A visitor? Without an appointment, this lord doesn't meet with just anyone."
Jiang Xingzhi: "......" Really gotten uppity.
He spoke up, "Langhao, when writing consecutive strokes, don't use too much force - your brush tip is about to split."
The Library Pavilion fell silent.
The next moment, the dignified and steady Jiang Langhao suddenly turned around - its entire tuft of brush hair exploded incredibly wide, "Ances... Ancestor!!!"
A shadow "whooshed" across the air, pouncing into Jiang Xingzhi's embrace, its brush hair rubbing against his neck. Jiang Langhao wailed loudly, completely abandoning its dignity as a Brush Spirit, "I missed you to death~"
Ping Lan: "......"
Jiang Xingzhi felt liquid flowing down his neck. He held Jiang Langhao away a bit, had Ping Lan and the others leave first, then used gentle spiritual power to smooth Jiang Langhao's bristles.
After Jiang Langhao wailed for a while, it propped itself up and hiccupped, "Why did Ancestor come?"
"I have a family mission to entrust to you." Jiang Xingzhi casually flipped through the book it had been writing, seeing records of the extraordinary people and events they had encountered during their travels, as well as the year when Kongxuan Secret Realm appeared and the trigger for its opening:
"Appears once every thousand years, at the heart of Youpo Lake..."
Jiang Xingzhi's heart stirred: Why did this seem like the ancient text that Lord Huan Ji had referenced a thousand years later?
Jiang Langhao still lay obliviously on Jiang Xingzhi's chest asking, "What mission, Ancestor?"
"The book is written well, keep writing." Jiang Xingzhi turned back to praise it, then gave detailed instructions, "Travel more to gain knowledge and record this vast world."
"Also assist Ping Lan in integrating and unifying the martial and technique factions."
Jiang Langhao acted coquettishly, "So many things, it's so hard~"
Jiang Xingzhi encouraged it, "You're my only little sprout - you must shoulder the family's great responsibility."
Only sprout! Supreme glory suddenly fell upon Jiang Langhao's slender brush handle. It straightened its handle and said in a thin voice, "Alright!"
"Then I'm at ease." Jiang Xingzhi prepared to leave.
Jiang Langhao bounced in the air, "Is Ancestor leaving? When will you come again?"
Jiang Xingzhi stepped out of the Library Pavilion door, his heart gently touched again. His graceful silhouette merged into the bright light, turning his head to leave behind a faint smile.
"Perhaps in the future after you've grown up."