After Sheng Jun Chapter 80 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 80 End (part 1)
Returning once again to the front of the Tianshan Mystic Platform, the multitude from the Three Realms had not yet dispersed.
The two descended gracefully from the sky, their entire aura harmoniously rounded like jade, their radiance restrained. Their realm far surpassed Mahayana. The crowd that had been waiting in place for a long time needed only one glance to feel reverence and worship arise from the depths of their hearts.
Almost instinctively, the circle of people all paid their respects in unison. "Congratulations to Xu Jian Sheng Jun and Ting Xue Sheng Jun on stepping into the Ascension Realm!"
Zhong Ming nodded aloof and cold as always. Jiang Xingzhi waved his hand cheerfully, "No need for excessive courtesy."
Only then did the solemn atmosphere relax.
Lin He was the first to squeeze out from the crowd, tentatively asking Jiang Xingzhi, "How do you feel after ascending?"
Jiang Xingzhi carefully savored the feeling, "I feel especially light."
Lin He was puzzled, "Haven't you always been like this?"
Jiang Xingzhi, "......"
A deadly stare fell upon Lin He. He hurriedly closed his mouth, placed the statue on the Mystic Platform, and changed the subject, "Your statue, I'm returning it to you intact."
Following his action, a multitude of gazes fell upon Jiang Xingzhi's statue. Now that Jiang Xingzhi had successfully ascended, this statue also took on a different significance.
Almost at the same moment Lin He had just placed the statue down, a circle of people "whooshed" and surrounded it, pressing their palms together in worship, saying, "Please, Sheng Jun, bless us to ascend smoothly!"
The actual Jiang Xingzhi standing to the side, "......"
Zhong Ming looked down at that group of people and transmitted to Jiang Xingzhi, "I think they're somewhat lacking in intelligence."
Jiang Xingzhi turned his head to glance at the least intelligent person present, "Mm."
Lin He was squeezed out by that dark mass of people. He tucked his hands away and sidled up next to Jiang Xingzhi, full of admiration, "You're really popular." Between the lines, he had already defined him as a tourist attraction.
Jiang Xingzhi didn't wish to quibble with others. He looked at the statue surrounded by the crowd and softly instructed Lin He, "You all should also sculpt one for Xu Jian and place it next to mine."
Lin He wore an expression of being utterly nauseated. Zhong Ming was moved and tightly gripped Jiang Xingzhi's hand beneath his sleeve: his Deng Deng, as expected, was thinking of him at every moment, even wanting their statues to be sculpted as a pair!
Just as he was thinking this, he heard a resentful mutter from beside him, "Let them use mine to ward off evil, and sculpt another one to scrape down more wealth from the people."
Zhong Ming: ......
Lin He: .........
To avoid becoming part of the wealth scraped from the people, Lin He swiftly turned in the doubled observation fees he had collected and quietly retreated to the side. Jiang Xingzhi, having earned until his bowl overflowed, gleefully pulled Zhong Ming along, "Let's go, Xu Jian."
Zhong Ming asked, "Where to?"
Jiang Xingzhi looked at him with the gaze one uses for an idiot, "Everything that needed to be done is finished, so next comes time that belongs to us, of course~"
Zhong Ming's eyes brightened, "Good."
The two figures instantly disappeared from in front of the Mystic Platform.
When the crowd finished worshipping the statue and turned their heads, they saw the original spot empty and couldn't help but mutter in their hearts: Where did those two go now?
…..
The two people being talked about had returned to Kunlun at this moment.
Zhong Ming said he wanted to come back to take some necessities to bring to the Heavenly Realm, so that henceforth they could live their world of two in that realm beyond the world. Jiang Xingzhi remembered that the mutual heart knot the other had given him was still left in the room, so he agreed.
They returned to the sleeping palace at the mountain peak.
Jiang Xingzhi quickly found the mutual heart knot hanging on the clothing rack. This was the betrothal token Xu Jian had given him; no matter what, he had to carry it with him.
Now that the day of great joy had passed, he took the opportunity to change out of his wedding garments and put on the warm yellow matching outfits they had bought earlier. Jiang Xingzhi hung the mutual heart knot at his waist and sweetly turned his head to call Zhong Ming, "Xu Jian, I've finished tidying up, you......"
Halfway through his words, he saw Zhong Ming dig out from the messy bed that shameful inner garment of his, carefully fold it up, and tuck it into his storage pouch.
Jiang Xingzhi's small face flushed yellow, "What are you bringing that for!"
Zhong Ming was completely serious, "Necessities."
As he spoke, he picked up several books scattered on the ground one by one, put them back in the book case, and even carefully counted the quantity, afraid of missing even one.
Jiang Xingzhi, "......" So this was what he meant by necessities.
Xu Jian was becoming increasingly improper!
****
After tidying up for a while, the two returned to the Heavenly Realm.
Upon returning, the great hall that had previously stood at the peak of the cloud mountain had disappeared without a trace.
The Heavenly Dao had left. Now the entire Heavenly Realm had only the two of them. Zhong Ming nodded with satisfaction in evaluation, "Still fairly sensible."
While building a luxurious sleeping palace according to his whim, Jiang Xingzhi thought to himself: Fortunately the Heavenly Dao left, otherwise hearing Xu Jian's words, he'd be upset again.
The two of them seemed to be the center of will for this Heavenly Realm.
With just a thought, whether it was a luxurious palace, an exquisite pond, a magnificent waterfall, or a delicate painting studio...... all could take form in an instant and appear before them.
"This place is so wonderful!" Jiang Xingzhi was extremely delighted, "No wonder so many people want to ascend."
Looking at the things and scenes before him that moved according to will, Zhong Ming's eyes gradually deepened, "Indeed very good."
Jiang Xingzhi turned his head, "Hm?"
In the time that followed, he personally experienced what Zhong Ming meant by "indeed very good" being good in what way------
At first, Zhong Ming wasn't too excessive, only flipping through books and pretending to discuss with Jiang Xingzhi, saying look how nice this swing is, how romantic this small boat is...... After getting Jiang Xingzhi's heart stirring with desire, he took the opportunity to manifest a swing and small boat, pulling him up to gallop about.
The swing swayed high and low, the small boat struck layer upon layer of waves with the undulations.
At the beginning, Jiang Xingzhi could still enjoy it immersively, but later could only clutch Zhong Ming's lapels, calling out terms of address he usually couldn't say aloud to beg for mercy.
After the lengthy ordeal ended, the two people's positions instantly reversed.
Jiang Xingzhi wrapped himself in the blanket on the bed, sharply staring at a certain someone attempting to get on the bed, "I already said to stop, and you still didn't listen! I won't let you come up!"
Zhong Ming coaxed him in a good voice, "I also wanted to stop, but the small boat and swing couldn't stop."
"I don't believe your ghost stories."
"Really. Then next time we won't do this kind of thing, okay?"
Jiang Xingzhi was half-believing and half-doubting as he let out half the bed space, "Then I'll trust you for now."
......
By the next time, he discovered his own naivety.
Zhong Ming indeed no longer manifested things like swings and small boats, but Jiang Xingzhi felt it was worse than swings and small boats.
Upon the soft cloud floss, Zhong Ming embraced him from behind.
Before the two of them was a water mirror, the smooth mirror surface reflecting the two of them crystal clear. Jiang Xingzhi looked until his eyes were dazzled and ears burning, and simply closed his eyes and turned his head away.
Zhong Ming's low, hoarse voice sounded again by his ear, "If you don't want to watch this, then let's watch something else."
As his words fell, the scene in the water mirror changed.
Unable to suppress his curiosity after all, Jiang Xingzhi slowly opened his eyes: he saw that the water mirror no longer showed the two people's figures, but instead displayed scenes from the mortal realm.
Before his eyes were crowds coming and going, the scene sweeping across face after face. There were even certain moments when he could meet eyes with people in the scene. Although he knew this was a one-way image, Jiang Xingzhi still felt a huge sense of shame. His face flushed red as he urged Zhong Ming, "Change it......"
Zhong Ming's lips touched his reddened ear tip, "Then back to the water mirror?"
Jiang Xingzhi was forced to nod, "Then, then the water mirror."
"Good." Zhong Ming was still shamelessly saying, "I knew you preferred this one."
"......"
****
After spending a period of shameless days in the Heavenly Realm, Jiang Xingzhi couldn't take it anymore and used the excuse of wanting to go play in the mortal realm to let himself catch a break.
Zhong Ming let him have his way, "Alright."
When the two arrived in the mortal realm, they still lived in Kunlun.
Sometimes they went to banquets, sometimes they went to meet friends, or when they encountered some festival, they mixed into the lively crowds to celebrate together.
During the leisurely days, they would occasionally run into Wujie in Kunlun.
Every time they met, Jiang Xingzhi would definitely call out his real name loudly, "Good morning, Master Tianjie!"
Wujie's usually unrippled face couldn't help but twist. Whether it was because his background had been stripped too thoroughly, or because the matter of "having his name called wrong for a thousand years" was too infuriating was unclear.
Zhong Ming let out a light laugh of retaliation from the side, "Ha..."
Wujie followed with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Ha!"
Jiang Xingzhi just watched these two people in a case of the pot calling the kettle black, while ancient trees lush and verdant on all sides cast tree shadows on the mountain steps. He tucked his hands in his sleeves and stood to the side, aloof from worldly strife.
Today, the Three Realms remained beautiful.
Besides touring mountains and waters in the mortal realm, Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming would also visit the Demon Realm from time to time.
Now Zhong Ming had a much improved view of the Demon Realm. Even when facing Su You's face full of provocation, he could suppress his hot temper and chat with him for a couple of sentences.
It's just that the chat content was limited to: Do you have more books? Other things are fine too.