Chapter 286: Extra: Daily Life, Visiting the Temple Fair Again

Chapter 286 Extra: Daily Life, Revisiting the Temple Fair

Xiao Wu paid no heed to the bustling crowd on the long street. He pulled Xie Shu into a tight embrace, burying his chin firmly into the other’s shoulder. He held on for a long time, refusing to release him.

The temple fair wasn’t devoid of couples on dates, but two men—both tall, slender, and exceptionally handsome—embracing so openly inevitably attracted many stares. Not far ahead, disciples from an immortal sect were present. If they kept this up any longer, scandalous gossip would surely spread.

—"Lord Pingwu Remains Unmarried for Twenty Years—Is This the Reason?"

—"Shocking! The Mystic Leader Seen Embracing a Young Man in Public—Public Romance?"

—"Scoop! Lord Pingwu’s New Lover Bears Uncanny Resemblance to the Former Sovereign of the Demon Sect, Xie Chunshan—Is It a Painful Doppelgänger Affair or a Ghostly Love Story?"

Xie Shu mused that idle minds truly were the devil’s workshop. Indulging in idle thoughts had clearly spawned these bizarre ideas. He patted Xiao Wu’s shoulder lightly. "Alright, Young Immortal Lord, let’s go. If you want to hug, at least find a secluded spot."

Xiao Wu’s face flushed. "...I—I wasn’t trying to hug."

He coughed, releasing his grip. With one hand, he straightened his slightly disheveled robes, barely managing to regain his usual dignified composure. The other hand, however, clung tightly to Xie Shu’s sleeve, as if afraid he might vanish.

Xie Shu watched him with amusement.

He reached out, brushing the back of Xiao Wu’s hand. Xiao Wu stiffened momentarily before withdrawing it casually. Xie Shu sighed softly and gently took hold of it instead.

He was careful not to be too forward, avoiding an outright interlocking of fingers and instead loosely gripping Xiao Wu’s wrist. Even so, the man beside him turned as rigid as a statue.

The "statue" cautiously extended a finger, hooking it around Xie Shu’s.

Their arms remained hidden beneath their wide sleeves, unnoticed by those around them. Xie Shu waved his fan idly as he led the way. "Let’s go. The city sets off fireworks every year during the temple fair. It’s too crowded here—further ahead will be better."

The two strolled along the fair.

The best spot for viewing the fireworks was the Kuiyuan Tower, the same place where Xie Shu and Xiao Wu had once dined on Squirrel Fish. It was an exceptionally tall, pagoda-like structure rising beside the city gates. The lower floors faced the streets, while the upper levels offered a bird’s-eye view of Yunzhou. It was also the finest restaurant in the city, boasting wines priceless, the most enchanting singers, and the most graceful dancers in Yunzhou. Every year during the temple fair, the wealthy and influential would reserve the place to enjoy the fireworks.

Xie Shu and Xiao Wu arrived at the foot of the tower.

Xiao Wu glanced up, studying the building before him. He looked at the tower, then at Xie Shu, hesitating for a long moment before finally muttering, "The Squirrel Fish here is delicious."

Xie Shu paused mid-fan and chuckled. "Young Immortal Lord, I’m afraid I can’t afford this place now."

Back when Xiao Wu had stayed at Wuwang Palace, destitute, Xie Chunshan—the wealthy Demon Sect Palace Master—had naturally footed all the bills. But now, Xie Shu was broke, a freshly created character with nothing but a worthless folding fan to his name.

Xiao Wu said, "My treat. I brought money."

As the Mystic Leader of two sects, Xiao Wu certainly wasn’t short on funds.

Xie Shu closed his fan. "Then I’ll happily accept."

He happened to be hungry and showed no hesitation about mooching. Striding into the tower, he called over a waiter. "Do you have a private table upstairs?"

For fireworks viewing, the higher floors were naturally preferable.

Though Xie Shu and Xiao Wu’s attire wasn’t ostentatious, the fabrics were of the finest quality. Xie Shu wore a smile as warm as a spring breeze, while Xiao Wu’s cold, divine beauty made him seem untouchable. The waiter, skilled at reading people, sensed they weren’t to be trifled with.

He said apologetically. "Gentlemen, to be frank, the upper floors are all reserved. Some travelers from afar have reserved the rooms and won’t allow others upstairs. Would you mind sitting on the second floor instead?"

The second floor offered a poor view for fireworks, but there was little choice. Xiao Wu nodded. "Very well."

Xie Shu said, "Wait a moment."

He glanced toward the upper floors and suddenly remarked, "They may be familiar faces."

The two slipped past the waiter and headed upstairs.

Wu Buke was drinking with Xue Sui, clinking their bronze goblets and singing under the moonlight, living it up.

Not long ago, Xie Chunshan had died, and Xiao Wu took over the Wuwang Palace, to the Demon Palace’s collective misery.

They were naturally unrestrained, indulging in pleasures and whims, but once Xiao Wu arrived, he cracked down hard, turning the entire demonic faction upside down. The palace members no longer dared to drink or seek amusement, spending their days playing meek in the Wuwang Palace, purer than temple monks. They were practically one step away from swapping swords for prayer beads. After all, most demonic cultivators had past misdeeds and feared the new Palace Lord digging up old grievances to execute them all.

Adding to that, Xiao Wu was in a foul mood, and Wu Buke and Xue Sui had offended him before, leaving the two walking on eggshells, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Finally, with the Palace Lord away on travels and absent from the palace, Xue Sui and the others seized the chance to cut loose. Now, with the grand Yunzhou temple fair offering all manner of fine food and wine, they brought their trusted subordinates to join the excitement.

Xue Sui swirled his wine cup, clearly three sheets to the wind, and declared, "Xiao Wu is finally gone. If I had to stay in the Demon Palace for another two years, I wouldn’t be able to keep up the act."

At this point, he ditched all formalities, calling him "Xiao Wu" outright.

Wu Buke wholeheartedly agreed.

He raised his cup as well. "Ah, back when Xie Chunshan was in charge, he was such a weirdo—I prayed for him to croak sooner, with all those troubles day and night. But now, with Xiao Wu taking over, I realize Xie Chunshan was actually somewhat normal. I mean, Xiao Wu is forcing us demonic cultivators to reform—does that even make us demonic cultivators anymore? Might as well all join a monastery."

Xue Sui sighed. "Now that you mention it, I almost miss our late Palace Lord."

As he spoke, he filled his cup and dramatically tipped it out onto the floor. "Here’s to the old boss. We followed him all these years—if not for merit, we put in the work..."

Before he could finish, the curtain was pushed aside, and a figure stepped out.

Xue Sui’s face instantly darkened. "Who’s there?"

His hand gripped the hilt of his blade.

They had reserved the upper floor of the tavern, and only trusted subordinates were present, allowing them to speak freely. This gatecrasher had overheard who knew how much—under demonic faction rules, that was already a one-way ticket to the grave.

But the newcomer merely fluttered his fan. "Envoy Xue, didn’t you have something to say to me? I’m here now. ‘No merit, only toil’—what comes next?"

Xue Sui’s wine cup clattered to the floor.

Both men looked like they’d seen a ghost.

Xie Chunshan was dead—they had personally watched Xiao Wu bury him!

Yet the cultivation world was no stranger to tales of spirits and revenants. Wu Buke reacted faster than Xue Sui, his legs gave out as he slid from his seat to kneel on the floor, hands raised in deference. "May the Palace Lord enjoy long life and endless riches!"

Xue Sui: "..."

He promptly dropped to his knees as well, bellowing, "May the Palace Lord enjoy long life and endless riches!"

Like they meant to shake the heavens.

Xie Shu snapped his fan shut and leisurely took a seat before them, picking up the wine jug for a glance. "Oh, the ‘Drunken Immortal’ from Kuiyuan Tower—how much per jug?"

Xue Sui stammered, "F-five... five hundred silver?"

Xie Shu smiled. "Five hundred?"

Xue Sui: "E-eight... eight hundred silver."

Xie Shu chuckled again. "Only eight hundred?"

His tone was light, carrying a ghost of a smile.

Xue Sui gritted his teeth: "O-one... one thousand taels."

He stammered so badly it sounded unnatural.

They stayed kneeling, cold sweat dripping down their backs. Wu Buke suddenly shot Xue Sui a glance and sent a voice transmission: "Old Xue, I think..."

Xue Sui glared back: "You still dare to voice-transmit?! With the Palace Lord's cultivation, he can hear us!"

Wu Buke: "He can't."

Xue Sui: "?"

Wu Buke calmly replied: "Look closely. This guy’s got no cultivation right now."

Observing Xie Chunshan's aura, it was clear he was an ordinary person without any cultivation.

Xue Sui’s anger flared.

Whether it was a case of possession or just someone with the same appearance, without cultivation, none of it mattered.

A Palace Lord like this should stay dead.

His hand tightened around his sword hilt.

Then the curtain parted again, and someone else walked in.

Xiao Wu's cold gaze swept indifferently over Xue Sui and Wu Buke: "Why are you here?"

"..."

Wu Buke swiveled on his knees, turning 180 degrees right there, and began banging his head on the floor: "May the Palace Lord's boundless fortune reach the heavens and his immortal reign endure eternally!"

Xue Sui quickly followed suit: "May the Palace Lord's boundless fortune reach the heavens and his immortal reign endure eternally!"

This "Xie Chunshan"—whether ghost or man—might lack cultivation now, but Lord Pingwu was a genuine dual-path sovereign, capable of squashing them like bugs.

Xiao Wu sat down next to Xie Shu and glared down at them: "You still haven't answered my question."

"..."

Xue Sui: "Well..."

Wu Buke: "Uh..."

They had no idea how much Xiao Wu had heard or how to respond. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads, and for a long moment, neither dared speak.

Xie Shu snapped his fan open: "Envoy Xue and Envoy Wu certainly know how to enjoy themselves. Lord Pingwu and I just arrived and heard the best spots for fireworks viewing were all booked. We couldn’t see anything from the second floor. Mind giving up a window spot for us?"

Of course, Xue Sui and Wu Buke didn’t dare squeak a word of protest and bolted out of there.

They retreated so quickly they vanished within moments, leaving behind many dishes yet to be served. Xie Shu asked the waiter for another jug of wine, canceled a few dishes, and took the refunded silver without a second thought.

In this unfamiliar world, he couldn’t mooch off Xiao Wu forever.

The wine and dishes were soon served. Xie Shu set the Squirrel Fish down in front of Xiao Wu, only to see the man actually grabbed the wine jug and pour himself a cup.

Xie Shu arched a brow, surprised, and chuckled: "Immortal Lord, easy there. This wine’s strong—don’t go coughing it up again."

Xiao Wu glanced at him and muttered sullenly: "I know how to drink now."

After speaking, he truly drank a cup, then flipped the cup over to show: "Drank every last drop."

Xie Shu: "...Perfectly normal, why are you drinking?"

He didn’t recall in his character settings that Lord Pingwu could drink.

Xiao Wu began prodding the Squirrel Fish with his chopsticks. Whenever he was unhappy, he would unconsciously poke things with them: "...Don’t talk about me, let’s talk about you first. What happened to your body and cultivation?"

Xie Shu’s body was noticeably different from Xie Chunshan’s. Xie Chunshan’s fingertips were covered in sword calluses, rubbing against the skin with a slight tingling sensation, while Xie Shu’s body seemed like that of a spoiled young master who had never suffered hardship.

"And," Xiao Wu continued poking the dish, "why did you say your name is Xie Shu, styled Chunshan? Xie Chunshan is the name—demons don't take courtesy names."

"Uh..."

"Lastly." Xiao Wu’s tone grew increasingly sullen. "When you impaled yourself on the sword back then, was it intentional? Did you know you wouldn’t die?"

Otherwise, how could you have come to meet me in a dream and made that one-year promise?

Xie Shu: "..."

He could only dodge the more serious questions: "Alright, I did know. My original name is Xie Shu. As for Xie Chunshan... just think of it as one of my identities."

Xiao Wu across from him fell silent.

Sullenly, he plucked up a piece of fish and ate it in one bite, as if chewing on Xie Shu’s flesh.

"Xie Shu." Xiao Wu kept his eyes downcast. "So your identity, your name, even your death this time—like Song Xiaoyu, were all deceptions?"

"..."

He pressed his lips into a thin line: "You lied to me again."

Once, twice, so many times.

Watching the normally calm and composed Immortal Lord so upset he couldn’t even eat fish, Xie Shu held up his hands in surrender: "...The last time, I promise."

He reached out across the table, tentatively enclosing the Immortal Lord’s fingertips into his palm. Xiao Wu didn’t look up at him, only fixed his gaze on the wine cup before him, as if sulking.

Suspicious, he asked: "The last time?"

Xie Shu affirmed: "The last time."

He poured himself a full cup: "I’m sorry for making you sad. It’s my fault. Let me make amends, alright?"

At that time, Xie Shu had never realized his own feelings. He followed the plan to complete his mission and smoothly returned to the real world. But when he found himself staring blankly at the empty hospital bed, he finally understood—he had long grown accustomed to being with Xiao Wu.

His childhood experiences had made him shut himself off emotionally too early, accustomed to solitude and judging everything by its worth. But this man was different. By his side, Xie Shu never had to worry about being hurt or abandoned.

Even if he had no cultivation, no status, no worldly success, Xiao Wu would still love him.

Just like their first meeting in the Demon Palace, Xiao Wu had done nothing special, yet Xie Shu was destined to treat him differently.

His voice was sincere, and with his apology, Xiao Wu, ever soft-hearted, couldn’t stay angry. He simply picked up his cup, clinked it with Xie Shu’s, and drank it all in one go.

Xiao Wu seemed intent on proving to Xie Shu that he could indeed drink now, knocking back several cups in succession. Xie Shu smiled and lifted his cup in kind.

But halfway through one cup, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

Xie Chunshan’s high cultivation made a few cups of wine like drinking water for him, but Xie Shu was different.

This is just an ordinary mortal's body with no cultivation whatsoever.

The wine at Kuiyuan Tower is called "Drunk True Immortal"—as the name suggests, even a true immortal would get drunk from it. It's an extremely strong liquor, and after a few cups, Xie Shu was already incapacitated.

The Immortal Lord before him seemed to split into two, then four, until dizziness overwhelmed him, and he crashed face-first onto the table.

The previously gloomy Immortal Lord instantly stood up, his voice full of panic: "Xie Shu? Xie Shu?! Don't frighten me like this! Are you alright?"

Thus, Wu Buke, who had just walked two miles away, was unceremoniously hauled back again.

Xue Sui gave him a sympathetic look, his gaze full of helpless sympathy.

Wu Buke was hauled back to Kuiyuan Tower, where he reluctantly took the pulse of the "former Palace Lord who had been dead for a year" and concluded: "Palace Lord, Palace Lord Xie’s pulse is steady, his qi and blood flow smoothly—he’s in perfect health. He’s just drunk."

Xiao Wu: "Are you sure?"

Wu Buke continued miserably: "How could I dare deceive you? I wouldn't dare lie to anyone, let alone you!"

Xiao Wu looked at Xie Shu, who lay with his eyes closed in deep slumber. During the time Xie Shu had been a living corpse, Xiao Wu had seen Xie Chunshan with his eyes shut far too often—it had left him deeply unsettled. He said sternly, "Wu Buke, if your diagnosis is wrong..."

Wu Buke, well-versed in the tropes of folk tales and dramas, knew exactly what usually happened to physicians in such situations. He immediately raised his hand and swore, "I’ll stake my head on it."

Xiao Wu waved him off, dismissing him.

Xie Shu was drunk, so there would be no fireworks viewing tonight.

Xiao Wu helped the drunken man back to the inn. After much hesitation, he very much wanted to share a room with Xie Shu but felt it might be improper. So he pushed a silver tael toward the counter: "Innkeeper, I need another room."

The innkeeper gave him a helpless look.

He pushed the coin back. "Sir, look around—Yunzhou City is packed tonight for the temple fair. Even the stables are packed to the rafters. Where would I find an empty room for you?"

Then, glancing at the half-conscious Xie Chunshan, he added, "This gentleman’s drunk, isn’t he? If he’s drunk, you’d best share a room with him. Otherwise, if he gets up groggily in the middle of the night, accidents can happen. Just a couple of years ago, a guest next door stumbled out of bed, missed his footing, fell from the windowsill, and died on the spot. You must watch over him carefully tonight."

Xiao Wu swiftly pulled the coin back. "You speak wisely."

He helped Xie Shu upstairs.

The innkeeper called after him, "Young master, I’ll have the attendant bring hot water later. You can wipe this gentleman down to get rid of the alcohol. Just bear with it for tonight, alright? If anyone checks out tomorrow, I’ll save the room for you!"

Before he could finish, Xiao Wu was already gone.

The innkeeper blinked. "How strange indeed."

He had made up an excuse—seeing Xiao Wu’s refined and noble bearing, he assumed he came from a wealthy family. Such people often had particular habits about cleanliness, like disliking sharing a room with a drunkard. Worried that failing to meet Xiao Wu’s expectations might provoke trouble, he had fabricated a story. Yet the guest had seemed almost… secretly pleased upon hearing it?

The innkeeper puzzled over it, utterly baffled, and could only conclude that this guest was not quite right in the head. He shrugged and let it go.

Once inside the room, Xiao Wu locked the door and laid Xie Shu on the bed.

Fortunately, Xie Shu wasn’t the rowdy type when drunk.

His drinking manners were impeccable—once he drank, he slept, quiet as a statue, perfectly well-behaved.

Yet Xiao Wu was terrified of this lifeless state. His voice unconsciously tightened with worry: "Xie Shu?"

The man’s eyes remained closed, but he let out a murmur-like sigh.

"Immortal Lord, I’m here."

Xiao Wu relaxed abruptly.

He sat by the bedside, studying Xie Shu’s features in the moonlight, until he couldn’t resist reaching out and tracing his fingers over Xie Shu’s brows.

Xie Shu had long, elegant eyebrows and striking eyes—his features were exquisitely handsome. Beneath his prominent brow ridge was a tall, straight nose, and below that, pale, thin lips that gleamed with a soft pink hue under the moonlight.

Some inexplicable impulse made him think, *They looked… inviting.*