Chapter 32#

If You See SnowCh32 - Who Took His Yang Essence?#

Regarding the title: Yang essence is a euphemism for male sexual vitality 👁👁

At the entrance to the Infernal Prison stood Xia Jing with his hands tucked into his sleeves, stamping his feet to keep warm. In the freezing weather, a cold wind blew straight into Su Ruhui’s collar, causing him to sneeze. He hurriedly put on his tattered outer robe. Seeing the two emerge, Xia Jing smiled at Su Ruhui and said: “Dear nephew, come with me.”

Su Ruhui understood immediately upon seeing that person. Yes, Xia Jing was the one who had let Su Gou lead them to the ice cellar, so wasn’t Xia Jing the one who manipulated Su Gou? There was undoubtedly someone else behind Xia Jing, and they were going to meet that person now. Su Ruhui already had a plan in mind and could also roughly guess which powerful figure it was. This time, all roads pointed to disaster. He sighed and turned to look at Sang Chiyu.

Sang Chiyu grabbed his sleeve with a cold face: “I will go with you.”

Since they were trapped in enemy territory with nowhere to escape, they might as well stick together. Su Ruhui also put on a fake smile and said to Xia Jing, “Then I’ll bother uncle to lead the way.”

In the wintry snow, the quiet palace was buried beneath a blanket of white. Soldiers stood guard like silent puppets, blades at their sides. They traversed the long snow-covered avenue,  ascending step by step up the endless white marble steps until they reached the grand Beichen Palace. Besides them, many other officials awaiting an audience stood on the steps. Gathered in groups of two to three, the officials murmured among themselves upon seeing their arrival. A small fire in front of the palace crackled and rumbled. Only officials of fifth rank or higher were qualified to have an audience with the Grandmaster. Su Ruhui and Sang Chiyu, dressed in the robes of low-ranking military officers, looked out of place among them.

Fortunately, Su Ruhui was thick-skinned, and Sang Chiyu didn’t care at all. Su Ruhui looked up at the dark Beichen Palace, his heart tinged with melancholy. He knew that the person behind Xia Jing was Dantai Jing; that guy was truly an old monster, nothing could escape his eyes. Su Ruhui had only been revived for a few days and his cover was already blown. Truth be told, he really didn’t want to see his a-jiu. He feared neither heaven nor hell, only his a-jiu.

Xia Jing bowed and said: “Nephew, please wait a moment while I go in and inform him.”

Su Ruhui watched him go inside, then squatted in the snow, drooping his eyes and waiting for his turn. After a while, a man limped over and stopped in front of Su Ruhui. He wore a pair of black leather boots embroidered with gold thread, incomparably luxurious. Su Ruhui followed the legs upward. First came a long robe of black brocade embroidered with golden auspicious clouds, then a stranger’s face—handsome, yet inexplicably tinged with a chill. On his head was a ceremonial cap, with a gold ribbon meticulously tied under his pale chin.

“Jiang Quexie?” He asked.

Su Ruhui looked back and saw many officials pointing and whispering about him. It seemed they didn’t know he was Su Ruhui, otherwise they would have already drawn their sabers and came up to chop at him.

Su Ruhui stood up and smiled: “This dage, you are?”

“Do not casually claim your kinship with me, I am not your dage.” The man scoffed, “I am the crown prince of Youzhou, Yan Jinyu.”

【Yan Jinyu, Zhou Xiaosu’s husband. The people he hates most are you, host, and Sang Chiyu, often calling you two a pair of damn gays. Everyone believes host and Sang Chiyu are old enemies with animosity as deep as the sea, only Yan Jinyu stubbornly insists that you two have a secret relationship.】

So it’s this guy, I almost didn’t recognize him. What a small world! Su Ruhui never expected to see this bastard here.

He held this man in contempt, having warned Zhou Xiaosu countless times not to be blinded by a man’s looks. Just look at Su Ruhui—how strikingly handsome he was, yet he was the most despicable scoundrel under the heavens. Moreover, this fellow had a blood feud with Su Ruhui and Sang Chiyu; it was Su Ruhui who crippled his left leg. However, Zhou Xiaosu was obstinate. When she got married, he was already imprisoned in the Secret Sect, unable to attend the ceremony in Youzhou. He had someone send her a mechanical ring, but he didn’t know if Zhou Xiaosu had ever received it.

“Jiang Quexie, why are you here?” Yan Jinyu squinted at him, his face full of contempt. “Not only did Sang Chiyu betray the Secret Sect, but you also became his discarded wife. As a man, to be married off to someone else is disgraceful enough to warrant killing yourself to preserve your honor. Having been cast aside, you still dare show your face in public? Even if you didn’t commit suicide, you should be ashamed to see anyone, stay at home, and recite scriptures to reflect on your actions. Or is it that you’re the son of a concubine, neglected in your upbringing? Did your mother never teach you these things?”

Su Ruhui was brought to laughter upon hearing this: “What brings the crown prince to Beichen Palace today?”

Yan Jinyu straightened his sleeves and said slowly: “As I have just been appointed as the heir apparent, according to the etiquette of aristocratic families, I await the Grandmaster’s summons to bestow upon me the imperial seal.”

Su Ruhui responded with an “oh,” and said, “I’m just here for a stroll.”

“A stroll?” Yan Jinyu sneered, “The Secret Sect’s imperial grounds, how could it host a commoner like you?”

Su Ruhui caught sight of the ring on his hand. The ring looked ordinary, but Su Ruhui recognized it at a glance. Wasn’t this the very same mechanical ring he had crafted himself? He pursed his lips and remarked: “Your Highness, this ring of yours looks quite unique.”

Yan Jinyu revealed a smug look, and said with his hands behind his back, “You illegitimate son do have some discerning eyes. Back then, when I fought Su Ruhui, I defeated him in three moves. He knelt under my sword and begged for mercy, offering this ring as an apology for his offense. I intended to end his life, but seeing this ring was quite interesting, I spared him. Had I known he would later bring calamity upon the world, I should have struck him down with my sword then and there.”

Su Ruhui was struggling between laughter and tears. After a while, he started feeling bad for Zhou Xiaosu. What kind of thing did she marry herself to?

“Unparalled in bravery, unparalleled in bravery.” Su Ruhui repeatedly praised him, “Don’t even mention Su Ruhui, I’m ashamed I myself cannot compare.”

The Sang Chiyu behind him flashed him a side-eye, but said nothing.

Yan Jinyu sneered contemptuously: “Study for a few more years, then. The Secret Sect’s imperial grounds don’t allow idlers to wander unbridled. How about you hurry and leave?”

“I’m leaving, I’m leaving.” Su Ruhui made a perfunctory remark. Spotting Xia Jing emerging from the Beichen Palace, he casually said, “Hey, isn’t that Commander Xia? Your Highness, he’s probably summoning you to the palace. You should get ready quickly.”

Yan Jinyu hurriedly adjusted his attire in the sunlight, smoothing the sash across his chest as he awaited Xia Jing’s summons. As Xia Jing approached, Yan Jinyu prepared to step forward and bow, only to see Xia Jing nod to him before walking straight past him toward Su Ruhui.

“Dear nephew, the Grandmaster has summoned you. Go in and give him your report.”

“Oh? Summoned me?” Su Ruhui feigned surprise, smiling as he patted Yan Jinyu’s shoulder. “Who’d have thought the Grandmaster would have time to see a nobody like me? Your Highness is a busy man, I shan’t keep you. I’ll head in first.”

Yan Jinyu couldn’t believe it. He pulled back Su Ruhui and questioned Xia Jing: “He is but a mere low-rank officer, and a disgraced and discarded male wife. Why would the Grandmaster wish to see him?”

“Yeah yeah, I’m also confused. The Grandmaster summoned me, does he want to discuss the Three Obediences and Four Virtues with me?” Su Ruhui said to Yan Jinyu, “Why don’t we go in together, and you can ask the Grandmaster?”

Even if Yan Jinyu were as slow-witted as could be, he could tell Su Ruhui was messing with him. Yan Jinyu’s face turned ashen: “Jiang Quexie, are you mocking me?”

Not only am I mocking you, I also want to beat you up. Ultimately, to save face for Zhou Xiaosu, Su Ruhui said no more, shook his head with a smile, and started walking toward Beichen Palace.

“You illegitimate son of Jiang, dare mock I!?”

Yan Jinyu gritted his teeth and unconsciously touched his mechanical ring. Hidden within were three poisoned needles, not enough to kill, but enough to cause temporary discomfort.

The moment he touched the ring, Sang Chiyu suddenly kicked him, sending him tumbling down the white marble steps. He rolled down like a ball, right before everyone’s eyes.

Yan Jinyu’s attendants chased after him, crying out: “Your Highness! Your Highness!”

The crowd in front of the palace all gathered round to oggle like a pot exploding on the ground of snow. Sang Chiyu stood atop the high steps with a detached expression, as if what he kicked was a rubber ball and not the crown prince of Youzhou. This unremarkable little military officer possessed an air of pride as upright as a snow-covered pine tree among the crowd. Even Su Ruhui hadn’t expected Sang Chiyu to dare kick someone like that, and stared dumbfounded as Yan Jinyu disappeared into the distance.

“Do you normally kick people like this whenever you don’t like them?” Su Ruhui asked.

No wonder you’re not popular ah, dage.

Sang Chiyu calmly replied: “If he dies, it’s on me.”

Xia Jing stroked his beard and said: “Xiao Su, the crown prince of Youzhou is notoriously stingy. You’ll be in big trouble.”

In truth, while Su Ruhui could afford to kick Yan Jinyu, Su Yu absolutely could not. Su Ruhui was trapped in the Secret Sect and was already at a dead end, and a barefooted man did not fear those with shoes. Kicking Yan Jinyu wouldn’t be any greater offense than his past transgressions. Su Yu, on the other hand, was a young boy from a poor background. Having just entered the Secret Sect and offended a powerful family, he would likely face many troubles in the future.

Su Ruhui originally planned to leave Su Yu at the palace entrance. If Su Ruhui entered the Beichen Palace and couldn’t come out, the Secret Sect wouldn’t trouble a child like Su Yu. But now the situation was different. Leaving Su Yu at the palace entrance was no better than bringing him along to venture into the lion’s den.

“Oh you, such a cause for worry.” Su Ruhui said.

Sang Chiyu walked towards Beichen Palace, ”No need to fear.”

Su Ruhui caught up with him, “Yan Jinyu is Zhou Xiaosu’s husband, and Zhou Xiaosu is my shimei. I have to give her face.”

“She may not appreciate it.”

Su Ruhui was instantly at a loss for words.

The kid’s right, Su Ruhui thought despondently. This shixiong and shimei had long since become strangers to each other. When Zhou Xiaosu got married, he didn’t even receive an invitation. If she had sent him one, Dantai Jing might have let him go take a look.

Su Ruhui suddenly ran back to the white marble steps.

Xia Jing asked in surprise: “Where are you going!”

Su Ruhui yelled back: “I’m going to give him another kick!”

The three entered the hall together. On the high platform, a majestic man in black knelt with his eyes closed, his long, silver hair draped on his knees. His mien bearing both the dignity of a king and the pressure of Mount Tai made one instinctively want to kneel before him. The doors closed behind Su Ruhui and the others, leaving only the soft, yellow glow of the ever-burning candles within. In the candlelight, Dantai Jing appeared like an exquisitely carved statue.

He opened his eyes, his gray irises lowered, brows furrowed, radiating a buddha-like compassion.

【Dantai Jing, Grandmaster of the Kunlun Secret Sect, an old virgin of the Chaosheng level. One month ago, Dantai Jing suffered the loss of his virginity, maintaining his record as a virgin until the age of one hundred—outlasting all male organisms across the forty-eight provinces of the Great Jing.】

Su Ruhui: “…”

He was stunned, unable to recover his soul for a long time.

The author has something to say: IGr4Pg

Some readers seem to have misunderstood the identities between the characters, so I’ll explain them here.

Su Gou = fake Jiang Xueya = centipede Yao

The real Su Gou has long been crushed into powder and impersonated by the centipede Yao. The real Jiang Xueya was imprisoned in the Secret Sect and her whereabouts are currently unknown.

TL corner:  nG87b0

Sang Chiyu: I can’t let him attack my wife. Kick

Su Ruhui: No wonder no one likes him.