My Husband’s Ascension Ch 6
Chapter 6 None Beside Him
Before Zhao Zhao could intervene, the little girl hanging from the main hall’s beam had already cut the rope herself.
She plummeted to the ground from midair, yet didn’t utter a single cry of pain. Brushing the dirt off her clothes, she ran over to Zhao Zhao and fixed her gaze on the dark-clad figure sprawled in the distance.
"Is he dead?"
The little girl gasped in admiration as she saw several trees in the courtyard shattered, burn marks from the Karmic Fire Lotus Parasol still visible where the wood had splintered.
She was a wiry little thing, her cheeks slightly hollow, which only made her eyes seem larger and brighter. When she looked at Zhao Zhao, her jet-black eyes reflected nothing but her.
"That was incredible! Which sect are you from, jiejie*? What’s your cultivation level? Are you looking to take in any disciples?"
(TLN: 姐姐 (jiějiě) literally translates to ‘older sister’, but can be used to refer to any female older than the speaker. They do not need to be biologically related; it’s just a cute way of referring to another woman.)
Zhao Zhao was still trying to steady her breath, and it took her a moment before she could speak. "…Just now, you said this person tried to ambush and kill your master? Then…where is your master?"
The girl replied in a crisp, matter-of-fact tone, "The old man vanished early this morning. He’s a bit senile and forgetful, often disappearing for days at a time. But don’t worry, jiejie, he always manages to come back on his own."
The color drained from Zhao Zhao’s face.
"…I fear we won’t have the chance to witness his return."
The little girl tilted her head, puzzled, and followed Zhao Zhao’s gaze.
Inside the building torn open on impact, the dark-robed man rose shakily. Dust swirled in the air as he staggered upright, his expression dark and menacing, his eyes locked on Zhao Zhao.
"You actually possess such a powerful divine artifact." He wiped the blood trailing from the corner of his mouth, narrowing his eyes. "But no matter how strong an artifact is… you don’t think you can pull off the same trick twice, do you?"
The crushing difference in power caused Zhao Zhao’s blood to run cold.
From behind her, the little girl poked her head out, chin tilted in defiance. "Don’t get all high and mighty! Jiejie’s gonna twist off your mutt head and hang it from the beam!"
When she finished speaking, she turned to Zhao Zhao with utter trust and eager anticipation, clearly waiting for her to unleash her powers and avenge the grievance in her heart.
However—
Zhao Zhao stepped back.
A creeping sense of dread welled up in the little girl’s chest.
Aside from the child clinging to her leg, another little boy was still dangling from the roof beam behind her.
She still had over a dozen wind control talismans—enough to make an escape.
Drawing in a deep breath, Zhao Zhao seized the little girl with one hand, sliced through the rope with the parasol’s keen edge with the other, caught the falling boy, and vaulted out the back window at the fastest speed of her life.
"Don’t look back! Run!"
Two wind control talismans flew from her hand, affixing themselves behind the children. Though startled, the pair wasted no time—hand in hand, they sprinted away without missing a step.
Zhao Zhao was right on their heels.
They might not outrun him, but death was certain if they stayed to fight.
Before Zhao Zhao could ride the wind far, the sound of pursuit rose swiftly behind her.
Stranger still, a peculiar sensation coursed through her limbs—as though her body itself were undergoing some strange transformation.
…It was the pills she had swallowed all at once!
When handing the pills to Zhao Zhao, Shi Lanyan had perhaps assumed that, as basic pills for early cultivation, they required no detailed explanation.
All she had said was that, at the outset, mortals must take such pills to cleanse the impurities from their bodies, allowing spiritual energy to flow unobstructed through their meridians.
What Shi Lanyan had not mentioned was how excruciating the process would be!
{Child. Pills are useful, but they’re not meant to be taken like candy.}
An old man’s gentle voice suddenly sounded in her mind.
Zhao Zhao, wracked with pain and on the verge of falling from the clouds, was momentarily dazed, as if experiencing a hallucination before death.
But the voice continued:
{Recite after me—}
{Primordial Origin of the True Self; Pure Yang intertwined; Grand Origin melded; One with the Great Dao.}
(TLN: I def butchered the translation, I’m sure y’alls won’t mind, it’s just a chant the author made up using a bunch of old verses mashed up anyways xD. Og: 真正至元，纯阳一气，太元合体，大道同心)
The old man’s voice poured into her mind like a basin of ice water, dousing into the vessel of her soul[1] and shocking awake the mind that had been on the verge of boiling over.
Zhao Zhao’s bones creaked under the pain, yet she forced herself to repeat the words in a halting cadence—and when one recitation failed to take effect, she recited again.
If the meaning refused to reveal itself as a whole, then she broke the sentence into fragments, chewing over each word until it lodged firmly in her mind.
Behind her, Li Feng narrowed his eyes at the swaying figure ahead, suspicion flashing within them.
Tripping and staggering left and right… Surely it couldn't be that she can’t even use a wind control talisman?
Strange. Were there disciples of Kunwu’s Immortal Realm this feeble?
But he had no leisure to ponder the matter further. His true target was the sect master of Cloudculm Abode; he could not allow these two hostages to slip away.
The talisman’s power was nearly spent. The woman’s silhouette dipped lower and lower, branches in the forest whipping against her as she passed. Seizing the chance, Li Feng pushed himself to his limit, finally closing the distance between them.
"Heh, let’s see how you sneak up on me this time—Ugh!"
Li Feng, braced for another strike from the Karmic Fire Lotus Parasol, never imagined that the assailant would not be Zhao Zhao at all, but a white-haired old man who had stolen up behind him without so much as a whisper of warning.
The elder, hair and beard both snow-white, wore a genial smile, yet his hands struck with ruthless precision. With a single palm strike, he sent Li Feng crashing into the earth.
Boom!
The impact gouged a deep pit into the bamboo forest floor.
Li Feng clenched his teeth. "So you must be Jue Ming—"
"Hahaha." The old man let out a chuckle, twirling his beard as he peered down at Li Feng sprawled below. "Have you mistaken me for someone else, young man? I am Ming Jue, the sect master of Cloudculm Abode, not a simple medicinal herb."
(TLN: Li Feng mixed the sect master’s surname and given name, Jue Ming (决明) is the Chinese name for Sickle Senna / Cassia tora.)
"Like it or not, you’re coming with me today to heal them! Otherwise, your sect will pay the price!"
Daoist Ming Jue glanced at Li Feng, who was struggling to rise from the pit, then turned his gaze toward Zhao Zhao, who had just descended.
"Feeling alright now, child?"
It was the same voice that had instructed her in her mind moments ago.
Zhao Zhao, feeling as though her entire body had been stripped of a layer of skin, gave a weak nod. Her Eight Extraordinary Meridians* had been thoroughly opened, and she had already tasted the sensation of so-called Qi* coursing through her.
(TLN: Eight Extraordinary Meridians (奇经八脉) act as reservoirs or pathways for the circulation of Qi. Of the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, the Governing Vessel (督脈) and Conception Vessel (任脈) are mentioned most frequently. Qi (气) is the vital energy which exists in all things.)
This old man should be the sect master of Cloudculm Abode.
Excellent.
With the sect master here, surely she would be safe no matter what…
"Well then, now that you’ve recovered, child, please take the stage."
Zhao Zhao: ?
Facing Zhao Zhao’s stunned gaze, Daoist Ming Jue paused, a sudden realization crossing his mind. He stepped forward, extending his hand as a moss-green spiritual energy enveloped her, easing away the lingering pain from her recent meridian breakthrough.
With a satisfied smile, Daoist Ming Jue remarked, "Alright. Now you may go ahead."
Zhao Zhao: ???
Zhao Zhao: "No, I can’t! I can’t do anything to him! I’m just a mortal!"
"Just because you were a mortal moments ago doesn’t mean you are one now." Daoist Ming Jue regarded her with a kindly gaze. "To advance to the Foundation stage in such short order… child, you possess great talent. There is no need for false modesty."
(TLN: Xianxia cultivation is highly inconsistent—stage names, abilities, and number of levels vary widely between series. However, these are the first four stages most novels follow: 1. Qi Condensation, 2. Foundation, 3. Core Formation, 4. Nascent Soul. The stages that follow will be up to the author’s discretion.)
"…But you’re the sect master!"
Zhao Zhao cast a glance at the dark-clad man glaring at them with a gaze that seemed ready to devour them whole, and her scalp prickled violently.
Meanwhile, white-haired, white-bearded Daoist Ming Jue still found it in himself to laugh heartily. "Apologies, but we Cloudculm Abode cultivate Divine Farmer Dao, focusing on healing rather than battle, and generally value harmony above conflict."
"……"
That can’t be!
Yunlu Immortal Mansion shouldn’t be cultivating Divine Farmer Dao!
Zhao Zhao’s mind whirled, fragments of memory flashing past in rapid succession. Yet no matter how she recalled it, the Cloudculm Abode where Miss Immortal Yao Ling resided had always been a sect devoted to Sword Dao!
Where had things gone awry?
"Child, I can’t hold him for long."
Daoist Ming Jue surged his spiritual power, and countless vines burst from the earth, weaving themselves into a cage around Li Feng.
But, just as he had mentioned, practitioners of the Divine Farmer Dao were ill-suited for combat. The vines began to tear apart under Li Feng’s strength, and in less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense*, the man within would be free.
(TLN: Roughly 10~15 minutes.)
However, Zhao Zhao’s thoughts were in complete disarray, leaving her utterly incapable of responding to the enemy with composure.
"Give me a moment… let me… think…"
There shouldn’t be anything wrong with that prophetic dream.
This sect master ought to be the genuine one.
Before slaying Dao Lord Tianshu, Miss Immortal Yao Ling had wept blood with every word, denouncing Dao Lord Tianshu for the massacre of her entire clan.
She spoke of how, over the years, she had trained with tireless devotion, venturing into perilous secret realms where survival was a near impossibility, and how her companions had poured heart and soul—and even given their lives—to strengthen their sect, finally giving them the power to face him in battle.
The appearance of a cultivator could remain unchanged for decades, even centuries, so no matter how Zhao Zhao searched her memory, she could not determine how old Yao Ling had been when she killed Xie Lanshu in her dream.
"Sect master, may I ask… does your Cloudculm Abode have a female disciple by the name of Yao Ling?"
Master Ming Jue faintly smiled. "Of course."
Zhao Zhao’s eyes lit up with sudden hope.
"That’s the little girl you saved just now."
Zhao Zhao: "…"
If the timing weren’t so critical, Zhao Zhao would have gladly fainted on the spot.
Heavens, is this some kind of joke?
If that little girl was truly the destined one fated to kill Dao Lord Tianshu, how many years would that take?
A hundred?
A thousand?
Would she even live to see that day?
"Child, he’s about to break free. If you don’t act now, we’ll all be dead in moments."
Zhao Zhao was on the verge of tears, yet none would come. Lifting the Karmic Fire Lotus Parasol, she blurted, "I don’t want to die either, but I’m just a mere mortal… what can I possibly do to him—"
She faltered mid-sentence. At first, Zhao Zhao didn’t notice, but this time felt entirely different from when she had first opened the parasol. With only a gentle flick, she felt the spiritual energy coursing through her meridians, drawn irresistibly toward the parasol.
At that very moment, Li Feng tore through the last of the vines restraining him.
"You really think these fragile vines can bind a member of the Yao Clan? You vastly underestimate me—"
Boom!
Li Feng’s eyes went wide. The mighty yao warrior could scarcely believe it—struck down a second time by a cultivator who had only just formed her foundation!
And this time, he’d actually been knocked unconscious by a parasol!
Simply… utterly… disregarding martial ethics…
Li Feng’s words were caught in his throat as he collapsed, losing consciousness completely.
Once certain the yao was truly unconscious, Daoist Ming Jue moved with incredible speed, binding him tightly with the Immortal-Sealing Rope.
The two children who had been hiding deep within the forest finally peeked out.
The little boy asked in a small voice, "Is he dead?"
The little girl shot back, "Idiot, if he were dead, they’d be burying him. If he’s being tied up, he’s obviously still alive."
"Then… what if he wakes up?"
"What’s there to be afraid of? That mighty jiejie will just knock him out again!"
Hearing their exchange, Master Ming Jue chuckled.
When he turned back, his weathered face was filled with genuine gratitude. "Thank you, child, were it not for you, our sect would have faced certain ruin."
He studied the still-dazed girl in front of him and asked, "May I know from whence you came, and where you are bound?"
Zhao Zhao gazed blankly at the elder before her, her mind still reeling from the battle, at a loss for words.
The elder’s serene eyes continued to watch her, carrying the weight of infinite understanding.
Following a long pause, Daoist Ming Jue’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Lost one—"
"Would you care to come to this elder’s humble sect and rest for a while?"
…
The golden crest glowed under the moon.
In stillness and silence rested the Thirty-Third Palace, Separation’s Regret Heaven.
Gauze curtains danced gently through the empty hall, where incense of sarcodactylis and acronychia pedunculata smoldered in a corner. The thousand-branch lamp flickered and cracked, highlighting the serene, detached silhouette of a man in meditation.
A deep furrow marked his brow, and his expression was trapped in a silent nightmare.
It was dark.
Frigid.
Airless.
—Is it the turn of the Zhongli Clan’s child?
—How pitiful, how very pitiful.
—It hurts so much! Save us, please save us.
—They’re all liars! Kill them!
There was no escape, no respite.
The ghostly presences circled perpetually in his mental sea, clinging to him like malignant growth since birth.
He had long grown accustomed to their ceaseless gibbering, yet his absence from the cultivation world had dulled his tolerance. Now, the familiar torment returned, sharper than he remembered, almost unbearable.
The voices surged louder.
His consciousness dove deeper, seeking a place untainted by the clamor.
—Dao Lord, pick up your sword.
—Dao Lord, Kunwu will depend on you for thousands of years to come.
—Dao Lord! Do not hesitate! You must not be indecisive!
Not here, nor there.
The exiled consciousness sank through thousands of years, until at last it glimpsed a sliver of light in the darkness.
There!
—Xie Lanshu!
The girl’s sweet voice pierced the gloom, and the ceaseless murmurs vanished in an instant.
—Xie Lanshu, how could I be so enamored with you?
Words so sweet and endearingly innocent.
As Dao Lord Tianshu’s consciousness, he gazed upon the memory belonging to Xie Lanshu with an almost chilling detachment.
—Why do you always seem to carry so much on your mind?
—Lanshu, how can I make you laugh more?
The sleeves of the incense-scented robe wrapped around the young woman like gentle wings. She pressed her chin against his chest, nuzzling him affectionately.
—Is this really enough?
—But isn’t this just me benefiting alone?
Dao Lord Tianshu felt a muffled chuckle against his chest.
Such tender, heartfelt laughter was utterly unfamiliar, as if he had never heard it in his life.
—Zhao Zhao.
—Zhao Zhao.
He repeated her name over and over, his blood thrumming with desire, as if he were sinking into undulating weak water*.
(TLN: “Ruoshui (弱水)” literally means “weak water.” In ancient times, without knowledge of buoyancy, people believed that rapids which dragged everything under had no floating power, and so called them “weak.” Over time, ruoshui was mythologized into the Weak River—a cosmic barrier said to guard the immortal realm from mortals who might profane paradise or ascend to Heaven.)
Through the open door, fallen petals drifted in, soft and crumpled under pressure. In the chaotic spring night, where time became unrecognized, their mingled breaths stretched into an almost eternal moment.
—This is plenty.
He spoke softly.
—Just like this… stay with me, always and forever.
His hollow body trembled with something deep, memory perhaps…or the pulse of love.
His consciousness sank into this place, losing all sense of time, until—unaware and unknowing—he drifted into sleep.
When he awoke again, someone had come to report outside the door, "Dao Lord, envoys from Mount Ling* have arrived. They claim a heavenly anomaly appeared during last night’s planchette writing and request your audience."
(TLN: Mount Ling (灵山) is described in the Guideways as a sacred mountain where the ten Wu-Shamans (Xian, Ji, Ban, Peng, Gu, Zhen, Li, Di, Xie, and Luo) ascend and descend in the ‘Classic of the Mountains and Seas[2]’. It serves as both a source of medicinal herbs and a conduit between humans and the divine, with Wu-Shaman Xian as their chief ancestral deity.)
"Very well."
With a rustling flap, the door was opened, Dao Lord Tianshu’s brows drawing together faintly.
Observing the Dao Lord’s displeased expression, the disciple, unaware of any wrongdoing, murmured, "Does Dao Lord have any other instructions…?"
"Lower your voice." He did not scold, merely softened his tone. "Do not disturb—"
The words cut off abruptly.
Do not disturb…?
Who is there to disturb?
The disciple lifted his gaze discreetly and saw Dao Lord Tianshu clutching the corner of the quilt, as if tucking someone in.
And yet, there was no one by his side.
.
.
.
TL Note: As they say, ‘old habits die hard’. 😔✊
Also, just an fyi: While I used ‘old man’ for the translation of 老者, the term is actually a very polite way of referring to an elderly person. Just keep it in mind, since ‘old man’ is (imo) a rather casual term.
Edit: Just realised Yao Ling actually uses the informal ‘old man’. This could be either seen as rude, or that they are close enough that she can be rather informal/casual with him.
Footnote:
[1] Vessel of her soul - The term lingtai (灵台; lit.“spirit platform/tower”), is sometimes used in Daoist literature to refer to the “heart” or “mind” (心), the center of spiritual intellect. However, since ‘mind’ was just used in the same sentence, I decided to take a more liberal approach and change it to ‘vessel of her soul’.
Read more here: https://journeytothewestresearch.com/tag/lingtai/)
[2] The Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海经), also known as ‘Shanhai jing’ is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and beasts. Early versions of the text may have existed since the 4th century BCE, but the present form was not reached until the early Han dynasty. It is largely a fabulous geographical and cultural account of pre-Qin China as well as a collection of Chinese mythology. The book is divided into eighteen sections; it describes over 550 mountains and 300 channels. In simpler words, it’s like a pokedex, but for ancient Chinese mythical creatures (the most well known should be the nine-tail fox).
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Mountains_and_Seas
