Heaven Official's Blessing Chapter 31-40
Ch.31: Poking the Ghost King; Crown Prince Seeks Truth 2—Once the air froze Xie Lian knew his question may have crossed the line.Although the past few days the two of them had gotten along well, but if Hua Chengnever revealed his real face, and didn’t change back even after his identity wasrevealed, then he had his reasons, and Xie Lian was in no place to push. Withoutwaiting for his response Xie Lian widened his smile, “I was just asking, don’t take it toheart.”Hua Cheng closed his eyes, and after a moment, he smiled softly, “I’ll let you see itsomeday, if there’s a chance.”If anyone else were to say that, then it’d naturally be perfunctory; ‘someday’ usuallymeant ‘please forget it.’ But it was Hua Cheng who said those words, so Xie Lian felt‘someday’ meant ‘someday’, and it would for sure happen. This made him even morecurious, and he grinned, “Then I’ll wait til the day you can show me. Let’s rest for now.”After messing around for half the night, Xie Lian had long given up on cooking anything,and returned to the straw mat. Hua Cheng also laid down next to him. No one botheredquestioning why after revealing each other’s identities that a god and a ghost could stilllay together on a rumpled mat, laughing and chatting, and simply just hanging out.The straw mat didn’t have pillows, so Hua Cheng used his own arm, and Xie Lianimitated him using his own arm too. He chatted casually, “The ghost realm seems soidle. Don’t you guys ever need to report back to anything?”Hua Cheng not only had his arm as a pillow, he crossed his legs too and replied,“Report to whom? I’m the biggest there is. Besides, we mind our own business, no onebothers with anyone.”So the ghost realm was formed by many disorganized bands of lost souls and feralghosts. Xie Lian replied, “Is that so? I thought it’d be like the Heavenly Court wherethere’s a central government. So if that’s the case, have you met any other ghost kingsbefore?”“I have.” Hua Cheng said.“Even the Green Ghost Qi Rong?”“You mean that lowly, vulgar trash?”‘Well what do I say to that?’ Xie Lian thought, but thankfully he needn’t say anything asHua Cheng continued, “I greeted him and he ran away.”Instincts told Xie Lianthis ‘greeting’ couldn’t be your regular kind of greeting, and sureenough, Hua Cheng said casually, “And then I received the title ‘Crimson Rain SoughtFlower’.”“...”So when he mentioned wiping out the nest of another ghost, he was talking about theGreen Ghost Qi Rong, and this ‘greeting’ was annihilation. What an extraordinarygreeting, Xie Lian thought. He rubbed his chin and asked, “Do you have somethingagainst the Green Ghost Qi Rong?”“Yea.” Hua Cheng replied.“What’s that?”“Can’t stand his face.”Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, thinking did Hua Cheng challenge thosethirty three heavenly officials also because he didn’t like their faces? “The heavens allcall him vulgar, and even the ghost realm rejects him. Is that true?”“It’s true. Even Black Water is disgusted with him.” Hua Cheng replied.“Who’s Black Water?” Xie Lian asked, then recalled, “Oh, is that the one called‘Ship-Sinking Black Water’?”“That’s right. He’s also known as the Black Water Demon Xuan.”Xie Lian remembered that this Black Water Demon Xuan was also a ‘Supreme’, but theGreen Ghost Qi Rong was only almost a ‘Supreme’. He asked, interested, “Are youclose with this Demon Xuan?”“No.” Hua Cheng replied lazily, “There aren’t many in the ghost realm I’m close with.”Now Xie Lian was curious, “Is that so? I thought you’d have many subordinates. Maybeour definition of ‘close’ is different?”Hua Cheng raised his brows, “Yea. In the ghost realm, those lower than ‘Supreme’ haveno right to speak to me.”It was an exceedingly arrogant statement, but Hua Cheng made it sound soindisputable and self-evident. Xie Lian smiled softly, “Even though you’re not close youstill know about them. You have it pretty good in the ghost realm, there’s only so manybig names, not like the heavens. There’s already so many officials to remember in theupper court, and more waiting to ascend in the middle court; they’re like an ocean ofnames.”“What good is it to remember their names? Don’t bother. It’s a waste of your brains.”Hua Cheng said.“Haha, it’s kind of offensive if you can’t remember their names.” The heavenly officialsloved their faces. Hua Cheng clicked his tongue, “If they can be offended by such asmall thing, then they’re nothing but narrow minded trash.”After chatting for a while, Xie Lian didn’t want to dig too deeply into the subject lest theytouch on something sensitive, so he changed the topic away from the differencebetween the two realms. He glanced at the closed wooden door and wondered, “BanYue, that child, I wonder when she’ll come back in.”The bold words “I want to save the world” returned and reverberated in his head,pouring a million chaotic images in his mind, and Xie Lian had to forcibly push themdown. Just then, Hua Cheng spoke up, “Those were good words.”“Which ones?” Xie Lian asked.“‘I want to save the world, the common people’.” Hua Cheng replied leisurely.“...”Xie Lian was thunderstruck.He flipped around and curled into a shrimp, wishing for another pair of arms so he couldcover both his face and his ears, and groaned, “...San Lang...”Hua Cheng seemed to have nudged closer, and said in a serious tone right behind him,“Hm? What’s wrong with those words?”Hua Cheng wouldn’t back down and Xie Lian couldn’t win against him so he flippedback over and said helplessly, “It’s silly.”“What’s there to be afraid of?” Hua Cheng said, “To dare speak of the world, whether tosave or to destroy is admirable. The former is harder than the latter, so it’s even morerespectable.”Xie Lian puffed a laugh and shook his head, “To dare speak you have to be able tofollow through, and you have to actually achieve it.”He laid an arm over his eyes, “Oh, alright. I suppose that’s nothing. What Ban Yue saidwas already pretty good. I’ve said sillier things when I was even younger.”Hua Cheng laughed, “Oh? Like what? Let’s hear it.”Xie Lian was pensive for a moment, and smiled softly as he chased his memories,“Many, many years ago, there was someone who told me they couldn’t live on anymore.They asked me for what they were alive, and what was the meaning of their life.”He glanced at Hua Cheng, “Do you know how I answered?”It might just be Xie Lian’s imagination, but there seemed to be light in Hua Cheng’seyes. He asked gently, “How did you answer?”Xie Lian said, “I told them: ‘If you don’t know how to live on anymore, then live for me!’“‘If you don’t know the meaning to your life, then make me that meaning, and use me asthe reason to live’.”“Ha ha ha....”As Xie Lian spoke, he couldn’t help but let out a small laugh and shook his head, “Evennow I don’t understand what I was thinking back then. How did I ever have the courageto tell someone to make me the meaning of their life?”Hua Cheng was silent and Xie Lian continued. “It really was something that could onlybe said back then. Long ago, I really thought I was invincible and fearless. If you ask meto say the same words now, there is no way they will ever leave my lips again.”Xie Lian continued slowly, “I don’t know what happened to that person after. But tobecome someone’s reason to live was already a heavy responsibility, how dare I speakof the world?”Silence blanketed inside Puqi shrineAfter a while, San Lang said softly, “Something like saving the world, it really doesn’tmatter how you do it. But, although brave, it’s foolish.”“Yea.” Xie Lian agreed.Hua Cheng continued, “Although foolish, it’s brave.”Xie Lian grinned, “Thanks.”“You’re welcome.” Hua Cheng said.The two stared at the holey ceiling of Puqi shrine in amiable silence, and Hua Chengspoke up again. “You know, we’ve only known each other for so many days. Is it alrightfor you to say so much to me?”Xie Lian puffed again and waved his hand, “What’s the problem? Whatever. Those whohave known each other for decades can become strangers in a day. We’ve met bychance, and we may part by chance. If we like each other then we shall continue tomeet; if we don’t then we shall part. There’s no banquet in the world that doesn’t cometo an end, so I’ll say what I want to say.”Hua Cheng seemed to have chuckled, then suddenly said, “If,”Xie Lian turned his head to face him, “If?”Hua Cheng didn’t turn around, but continued to look at the dilapidated ceiling of theshrine, and Xie Lian observed the left side face of the handsome young man.Hua Cheng said softly, “If I was ugly,”“Huh?” Xie Lian gaped.Hua Cheng finally turned his head slightly, “If my real face is ugly, would you still want tosee it?”Xie Lian was taken aback, “Is it? Although there’s no real reason, but I think your realface mustn’t be that bad.”“Who knows,” Hua Cheng said half jokingly, “What if I’m discoloured, disfigured, ugly,monstrous and horrible, what will you do?”At first Xie Lian thought this line of inquiry was rather f