After Sheng Jun Chapter 64 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 63 Ting Xue’s Return (part 2)
"You're still laughing. I think your ability to return from the dead might have benefited from that wisp of soul that hadn't yet dissipated."
The giggling stopped.
The speaker was unintentional, but the listener took it to heart. The Ting Xue sword suddenly surfaced in Jiang Xingzhi's mind—before he traveled back, the Ting Xue sword had transformed into a stream of light and entered his body, and now had completely disappeared without a trace.
"I'm not finished yet." Lin He continued his narrative, interrupting Jiang Xingzhi's thoughts. "Didn't you ask about Xu Jian Sheng Jun's matter?"
Jiang Xingzhi temporarily pulled his attention back. "Right, right, what happened to Xu Jian?"
"Since that day, Xu Jian Sheng Jun has disappeared. They say he went into seclusion, but since no one can enter Fuqing Mountain, no one knows if it's true."
"After several months, thunderous roars suddenly sounded over Jiuzhou. We all thought this time Xu Jian Sheng Jun was going to face tribulation, but the thunder only sounded a few times before stopping. After that, every few months, there would be startling thunder... The last thunderclap was particularly loud, even louder than on the day of your tribulation. After that time, thunder never sounded again, and no one has seen Xu Jian Sheng Jun since."
Lin He asked, "Do you think Xu Jian Sheng Jun ascended through tribulation?"
The room was quiet for a while.
Jiang Xingzhi lowered his eyes, pressed his lips together, and said, "No." Xu Jian had torn through the Heavenly Dao and come to find him a thousand years ago.
"How do you know he didn't?" Lin He's big face suddenly appeared in Jiang Xingzhi's vision. "Holy shit! Jiang Xingzhi, you you you... your eyes are red?"
He was shocked, then suddenly understood. "You're unwilling to accept it! Good good good, he definitely didn't ascend. The first to ascend in our Three Realms will definitely be you!"
Jiang Xingzhi's tears immediately retreated. "......"
Lin He really was his caring good brother.
He took a deep breath and glanced at the oblivious Lin He: Hmph, he and Xu Jian weren't that kind of relationship. They, they had already shared a bed, and were about to become dao companions~
Thinking about becoming dao companions, and that Xu Jian loved him so much, Jiang Xingzhi's melancholy mood immediately brightened: No more thinking about those heavy things from the past—the future was so beautiful!
He and Xu Jian would secretly date, then amaze everyone!
"By the way, did you give Xu Jian that funeral fee I asked you to deliver?"
"You really are my ancestor." Lin He had a headache. "I already told you, after you died, Xu Jian Sheng Jun split the sky with one sword, then went into seclusion. No one has seen him. How was I supposed to give it to him?"
Damn! He really hadn't received it!
No wonder when he mentioned that funeral fee before, Xu Jian seemed completely unaware. Jiang Xingzhi couldn't help feeling regretful: His such romantic confession had been completely wasted!
"Never mind, give it back to me." He spread his hand and beckoned to Lin He. When Xu Jian returned, he would give it personally.
Lin He dug out that high funeral fee from his storage bag. "You say you've come back to life—shouldn't this money be returned?"
"Return what? I didn't fake death to commit insurance fraud." Jiang Xingzhi snatched it and stuffed it into his pocket, calculating shrewdly. "Not only am I not returning it, I'm going to buy another policy."
Lin He: "......"
This was mastering the art of getting rich.
Having settled the property matters, Jiang Xingzhi looked at the sky outside again—there were less than two hours until dawn.
The candlelight in the room reflected in his eyes, like the dawn breaking from the horizon, radiating entirely new vitality. Jiang Xingzhi curved his lips and "whooshed," flinging his sleeve to pat Lin He's shoulder.
"Tomorrow, help me announce to the world—I, Ting Xue, have returned!"
****
The next day, news that Ting Xue Sheng Jun, Jiang Xingzhi, had returned from the dead spread throughout all of Jiuzhou.
The Three Realms were shaken!
The cultivators were half delighted, half doubtful:
"Returning from the dead—how is that possible? On that day of tribulation, Ting Xue Sheng Jun's very soul was scattered!"
"It's true, even the Sect Master of Xuantian Sword Sect confirmed it!"
"And Lord Huan Ji from West Mountain also went to visit upon hearing the news, saying it really is Ting Xue Sheng Jun."
...
Just as this news was spreading like wildfire, another piece of news exploded out of nowhere—the Deputy Sect Master of Xuantian Sword Sect and others were going to hold a banquet for their good friend Ting Xue Sheng Jun, inviting people from all sects of the Three Realms to celebrate Ting Xue's rebirth!
For a time, "Ting Xue's Return" became a topic passed from mouth to mouth throughout the Three Realms.
While people were shocked and suspicious, they couldn't help but anticipate: They wanted to see whether Ting Xue Sheng Jun, whose soul had long been scattered, was still intact and had returned at his peak.
….
On the day of the banquet.
Jiang Xingzhi's Qiting Mountain was decorated magnificently.
Lord Huan Ji from West Mountain, Divine Physician Shuang Ling, and Deputy Sect Master Lin He of Xuantian Sword Sect stood cheerfully in the banquet venue, satisfactorily surveying the banquet they had arranged in two days.
"How is it? Two days' work—look at this quality!"
Jiang Xingzhi stood with his hands tucked in his sleeves, sighing. "So I told you, there was no need to be so rushed..."
Xu Jian hadn't returned yet! He had clearly wanted to wait for Xu Jian to return before organizing it together, but these caring brothers had eagerly spread the news of the banquet.
"It's better to seize the day than wait for another." Lord Huan Ji said, "I've calculated—today is a perfectly auspicious day."
What kind of perfect day—where's his Xu Jian! Jiang Xingzhi thought, his gaze drifting again to the seat closest to him in the banquet: That was specially reserved for Xu Jian, hoping that maybe Xu Jian could make it back...
"What are you looking at?" Lin He keenly followed his gaze to that position closest to the main seat. "Hey, that's a good spot. Which of us is it reserved for?"
Jiang Xingzhi looked at him coldly and disdainfully. "In your dreams."
"Then who are you saving it for?" Lin He widened his eyes. "Aren't we three your best friends!?"
"Cough..." Jiang Xingzhi guiltily looked away. "That's a special position. Anyway, anyway, if no one sits there, just leave it empty."
Three suspicious gazes fell on him simultaneously. "Xingzhi, you're acting strange."
Jiang Xingzhi's earlobes imperceptibly turned red as he walked away several steps, changing the subject. "People are coming—let's greet the guests!"
As people from the Three Realms arrived wave after wave, Lin He and the others' attention was gradually diverted. In the vast banquet hall, guests gradually filled the seats. Seeing the living, breathing Jiang Xingzhi, people marveled while not forgetting to bow and congratulate him.
"Sheng Jun is truly Heaven's favored child, able to reshape his divine soul even under the Ninth Heaven Thunder Tribulation."
Jiang Xingzhi smiled bashfully. "Not at all, not at all. I should be everyone's favored child—everyone even crowdfunded to reshape my statue."
"......" The crowd was embarrassed. "Sheng Jun, please forgive us."
The banquet welcomed its opening in an atmosphere of harmony between host and guests.
The seats were packed full, and Jiang Xingzhi also sat at the main seat. Only that position below the main seat, closest to him, remained empty—quite conspicuous.
The guests from the Three Realms all cast their eyes on that empty seat, then secretly searched around the banquet several times: Among those with close private relationships with Ting Xue Sheng Jun, who else hadn't come?
It seemed everyone had come—so who was this seat reserved for?
Clang...! A deep bell toll interrupted everyone's thoughts. The auspicious time had arrived, and the banquet celebrating Ting Xue's return officially began.
Jiang Xingzhi sat at the main seat, hearing that bell, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the entrance. He was secretly anxious: Why hadn't Xu Jian returned yet?
He missed him so much—it had already been two days without hugs and kisses.
"Come, everyone." Lin He beside him stood up to warm the crowd. "Let us raise our cups together to congratulate our Ting Xue!"
Whoosh—people on both sides of the seating rose one after another, raising their wine cups together toward Jiang Xingzhi above. Jiang Xingzhi had no choice but to temporarily look away and raise the cup in his hand.
"Congratulations on Ting Xue Sheng Jun's return!" everyone said in unison.
Jiang Xingzhi said "Thank you" and tilted his head back to drain the wine in his cup. The clear wine at the bottom reflected his lowered eyelashes, revealing some regret and loneliness: Such a lively scene, yet only he was celebrating alone.
Just as he was tilting his head back, the barrier outside the mountain gate suddenly stirred.
Before he could react, he heard a commotion from the banquet entrance, mixed with the noisy whispers of the guests:
"Look!"
"Hey, isn't that..."
Jiang Xingzhi's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He quickly put down his wine cup and looked in that direction—
Across the long empty space in the middle, directly facing the main seat at the entrance, stood a sword-sharp figure in dark robes. The latter's deep eyes reflected Jiang Xingzhi at the main seat, churning with emotions others couldn't understand.
Everyone instantly erupted: Xu Jian Sheng Jun!?