Chapter 91: Trial and Selection

The Biyniao wiped clean the golden chair in the main hall, and respectfully invited the god to take a seat.

Shenjun glanced at it in disgust, and shook his head lightly. He raised his hand and burned this seat that had been touched by filth. He then called up several red vines, and together with the Nirvana butterflies, they wove a gorgeous blazing throne. He slowly sat down.

Most of the cultivators in the Golden Phoenix Manor with any sense of self-respect were already dead. All that were left were slaves and servants who had luckily escaped the catastrophe, as well as the odd, comparatively lucky cultivators who had managed to remain alive.

Shenjun conveniently killed the remaining cultivators. Only one cultivator, surnamed Ma, escaped the massacre. He was taken to the dungeons together with his wife and children, saying that he would be released from the Golden Phoenix Manor after the entire matter was over.

Cultivator Ma was a mere Foundation Building cultivator. He was short in stature and slight in build, with ugly features. He worked as a cook in the Golden Phoenix Manor. He liked to drink and would often shoot off his mouth when he’s had too much. He behaved immoderately and occasionally took advantage of his colleagues. He would borrow spirit stones and drag on the repayment until he simply didn’t pay them back..So, everyone didn’t like him. It was just that a few of the spirit beast dishes he made won Jin Feiren’s heart and thus, he was tolerated. His wife was a shrew, bitter and mean. She quarreled with foul words, and even mortal peasant women would bow to her superiority..

They were nobodies with no use or value.

Let alone Bai Zihao and the yao cultivators of the Inextinguishable Peak, even Cultivator Ma himself didn’t understand why the god would leave this wrongdoer a way out. He thanked him profusely and took his wife and children out of the main hall.

Shenjun glanced at the remaining hundred or so slaves, and stretched out countless threads formed from his spiritual thoughts. These threads plunged into their sea of ??consciousness. Then, one after another, slaves dropped silently to the ground, strangled by spiritual thoughts within their sea of ??consciousness. About 30 or so slaves were all that remained. They woke up and saw the tragic situation, their minds were thrown into confusion. They all went limp on the ground, and even forgot to cry.

“Death-seekers can go.”

“Evildoers can be killed.”

“The innocent can be forgiven.”

Shenjun finished passing his judgement. He then looked at Bai Zihao, and asked coldly, “What about you?”

“Me?” Bai Zihao looked blankly at the slaves lying paralyzed on the ground around him. He found that the new slaves accounted for nearly half of them. He understood a bit why some of the slaves were killed. Being small and weak didn’t signify innocence. In the Golden Phoenix Manor, the slaves were divided into several classes. Someone like him, who was the exclusive domain of the Manor Lord had it best and he lived in luxury. Apart from asking for Jin Feiren’s favor, life was almost the same as that of a noble son’s. Or you could become a managing steward in each of the courtyards. Not only could you discipline the ordinary slaves, but you also had the opportunity to become a major steward to train new slaves when you turn old. There were many levels of such differences. And there were stories of slaves, occasionally being lucky enough to meet a good guest and get out of slavery, reaching heaven in a single bound.

The slaves were trapped in animal cages and would fight and frame each other to get the more meaty scraps. When Bai Zihao first came to the Golden Phoenix Manor, he didn’t understand these tricks. They succeeded several times, creating ill-feelings between him and Jin Feiren. He suffered a lot of grievances. Fortunately, in the end he was washed clean of all unjust treatment.

However, there were some who disdained association with filthy things, and would rather plunge into the trap and be ruined to the bitter end..

For some reason, that proud red silhouette appeared in Bai Zihao’s mind. Back then, the Medicine King Xianzun suddenly went into closed door cultivation, and Yue Wuhuan disappeared without a trace. Without telling Jin Feiren, he secretly inquired with the Night Rain Pavilion. The Night Rain Pavilion said that someone had seen Yue Wuhuan with a head of white hair, bloodstained and on the verge of death. They expect that he must already be dead.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

The bird that leaves the cage will not survive, after all..

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Shenjun looked at him solemnly, as if considering something.

Bai Zihao asked again, “Daoist companions are?birds of the same forest. My husband is dead, and I too am tired..”

He hoped he would be given a swift death.

Shenjun said slowly, “Jin Feiren is not yet dead. I will lock him in the dungeon of the Inextinguishable Peak.”

Bai Zihao looked up in amazement. He couldn’t believe his ears, and didn’t know whether to be alarmed or happy.

“I will let him stay alive for ten years.” Shenjun walked down from the throne and changed into a pair of clean gloves. He watched with interest as Bai Zihao’s expressions changed. He then let out a mocking chuckle, “You could be good and wait for him, and not do stupid things. Ten years after, I hope you can bring me the real answer..”

Bai Zihao didn’t understand the meaning of this sentence. He had many questions, but he was weighed down by the powerful aura of the god, so he didn’t dare ask.

While he was hesitating, a blood-red vine stretched out. He felt something prick the back of his neck, and then he fainted.

....

Bai Zihao slept for many days. He would occasionally open his eyes in a daze, feeling his surroundings rocking. The scenery and light were all different. It seemed he was on the move. He didn’t have the energy to think more, and soon went back to continue sleeping.

The sound of a rooster’s crowing awakened him from his deep sleep.

He found himself lying in a crude and simple brick house. The blue quilt covering his body wasn’t heavily perfumed. It only had the faint smell of sunshine. He was wearing the most ordinary blue robes. All the valuable jewelry on his body had been removed. There was a blue cloth bundle on the table. There were a few dozen spirit stones and several hundred taels of silver in it. It was not enough for a single meal in the Golden Phoenix Manor, but it was enough to live a relatively comfortable ordinary life in the mortal world. It seemed to have been set aside for his living expenses?

A hubbub of noise came from outside the window. There was the sound of early-rising farmers driving their farm cattle, heading to the fields. There was the sound of villagers carrying their loads on shoulder poles, heading to the morning market. There was the sound of the neighbor’s wife knocking on the pot calling the chickens to feed. There was the sound of a naughty child, crying after taking a tumble. Amidst the chaotic sounds came the familiar smell of human world cooking..

Just what did shenjun want him to do?

Bai Zihao was terrified. He quietly opened the window and looked through the gap. He found that it was a small lively village with yards paved with brick and tile everywhere. Peach, pear and apricot trees were planted in the yard. There were willows hanging down along the river. Ducks and white geese were swimming, and the delicious smell of baking buns came from next door. Everywhere was coziness and peace..

He vaguely remembered that before he’d been sold to the Golden Phoenix Manor, he had lived in a village such as this with his mother, tending to a few mu of fields.? His mother wove cloth and raised chickens. She taught him to read and to reason. They were poor, but their days were very happy. Later, life took a turn for the worse. The village was ransacked by bandits, and his mother was killed. While he was crying by the roadside, he met Xie Que. Xie Que killed the bandits and he was so grateful that he voluntarily returned to the immortal realm with Xie Que and became his disciple. Unexpectedly, after being briefly taught for a few days, he was sold to the Golden Phoenix Manor.

Many years later, he learned from Jin Feiren that it was Xie Que who,? interested in his appearance and aptitude, deliberately attracted the bandits to their village..

Xie Que was already dead at that time, and he didn’t even have the strength to resent him anymore.

Bai Zihao hid under the quilt and cried quietly. He understood the god’s warning and didn’t dare attempt suicide. He had to hold out for ten years.

But, he was so scared. He didn’t dare leave this house, let alone come into contact with the outside world. What should he do?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and there came a crisp voice asking, “Do you have scissors in your house? Let me use them.”

Bai Zihao secretly looked through the crack of the door, and found that it was a little girl of about twelve years old. She was very beautiful, wearing a floral skirt, with two long braids, and a single pink begonia flower tucked into her hair. She was a youthful spirit brimming with vitality.

Seeing that there was no response from inside, the girl knocked again, “New neighbor, are you at home?”

Bai Zihao immediately withdrew, and then touched the Daoist companion seal branded on his collarbone. He was alarmed and flustered. He didn’t know quite what to do.

He was a man with a husband. He must abide by etiquette. Without the company of an attendant, he cannot casually meet with outsiders, especially one who was such a cute girl.. He was once asked by a girl for help with something and he lent a hand. The girl then sent a purse embroidered with a mandarin duck. Jin Feiren was very upset when he saw it. He scolded him, accusing him of having no sense of shame, of indiscriminately casting amorous glances, of daring to have a face that seduced women when he had a body that cried out so cheaply and wantonly under a man..

He was scolded until he couldn’t lift his head. He obediently knelt down and admitted his mistake.

After such things happened several times, he learned his place. He stayed obediently by Jin Feiren’s side, being a beautiful puppet. He refused to look sideways, and did not carelessly speak so as? not to attract bees and butterflies and being about unnecessary trouble.. ..

Now, should he open the door or shouldn’t he open the door?

Bai Zihao hesitated for a long time.

The girl outside the door knocked for a long time, but when she saw there was no response, she left.

Bai Zihao breathed a sigh of relief, and then discovered a more difficult matter. His cultivation base had yet to reach Core Formation, and he could not fast all the time. He usually took fasting pills and Spirit Valley Immortal Fruits.. Now, shenjun naturally wouldn’t prepare anything good for a prisoner like him. He had to cook for himself, but the kitchen was in the yard. The firewood and food were also in the yard. If he doesn’t leave the house, he would go hungry..

He rummaged in the room for a long time, and finally found in the cabinet a box of sweet-scented osmanthus cakes of unknown origin. After smelling it, it seemed very fresh.

The sweet-scented osmanthus cakes were beautifully made, and dyed colorfully. It was carved with exquisite patterns and looked very appetizing. But it tasted weird, the taste was difficult to describe..

Bai Zihao cried while eating. His tears mixed with the unpalatable sweet-scented osmanthus cake, making it even more unpalatable..

The sound of children reading aloud came from outside the window. It was a school. Five or six children followed a white-haired, white-beared old man and they very seriously read the Book of Dao. Bai Zihao leaned against the window and listened for a long time. Gradually, his tears stopped.

At dusk, the schoolchildren were let out of class. It once again became noisy outside his window. The neighbor’s husband seemed to be back.? His wife welcomed him and they chatted. In the middle of their conversation, there would be neighbors dropping in. Everyone’s voice was very loud, penetrating the walls and directly pouring into Bai Zihao’s ears. Bai Zihao really had nothing to do. After listening for a while, he more or less understood that there were two siblings living next door. The brother and his wife were both taciturn and honest people. Their family was quite well-off, with dozens of mu’s of land. The brother regularly went to the city to trade. His wife was seven months pregnant. She had a gentle personality and rarely went out. The sister was the little girl who came to borrow scissors yesterday. She had a lively personality and loved to gossip. She chattered constantly and about everything — like about how the crab-apple tree in the yard had began to bloom, about how the gold silk cloth in the embroiderer’s village was very beautiful, about how the Wu Family’s dog had given birth to puppies, about how the Chen Family’s chickens hadn’t laid eggs....

The ordinary and trivial farm life reminded Bai Zihao of his most carefree childhood.

At night, the cool evening breeze blew in through the crack in the window, bringing in the scent of pear blossoms.? Frogs croaked incessantly by the river. Bai Zihao tried opening the window, and he saw a sky full of stars, more beautiful than any Night-luminescent pearl..

Bai Zihao lay on the windowsill and looked at the stars for a long time. He then went out to fix the firewood and water tank. He put the kitchen in order, and made some simple dishes. When he was about to go back into the house, he suddenly heard someone calling him from up a tree.

He looked back and found that it was the little girl from the house next door, sitting atop the pear tree. She had her hair in simple double buns, wearing a five-colored embroidered skirt. With a smiling expression, she held her cheeks on her palms and had her feet turned upwards. She very adorably waved at him. ” Hey–“

Bai Zihao thought for a while. He thought he was ridiculous. This wasn’t the Golden Phoenix Manor. There weren’t any of those messy matters here. Little girls were sensitive creatures and it would be rude to always refuse. What’s more, she was young and innocent. It was because his thinking was wrong that he thought things that he shouldn’t.

And so, he plucked up his courage and politely returned her wave.

The girl immediately jumped off the tree with a smile and asked, already familiar from the get go, “My name is Kong Muhua, you can call me Hua’er. Beautiful big brother, what is your name?”

Bai Zihao politely gave her his name.

Kong Muhua’s eyes curved with his smie. “I’ll call you Zihao Gege.”

Bai Zihao didn’t know how to refuse such enthusiasm.

“We’re neighbors, we must help each other,” Kong Muhua presumed his tacit approval. She appealed, “Zihao Gege, can I often play with you? Everyone thinks I’m weird. They think I’m pretentious. They’re jealous of my beauty. They all ignore me and bully me. I’m so lonely. Zihao Gege, can you be friends with me? If there’s anything you need, I can help you..”

When?he?said that he was disdained by others, his expression was very pitiful; as though he would cry if he were rejected.

Bai Zihao’s heart went soft upon seeing it. He couldn’t resist his plea and bafflingly agreed.

Under the light of the night sky, Kong Muhua smiled very happily.? His beautiful skirt shook and swayed, like a little peacock who wanted to fan open his tail and spin around a couple of times.

Many years later..Bai Zihao was lying down on the bed, his body aching all over as he recalled their first encounter that night.

He wanted to give himself a couple of slaps! How could he have been so soft on that impudent guy?!