Distorted World

Love

The world is filled with inescapable love, desire, life, and death. People often create an ideal image of the other, then project their own wishes onto it, giving based on their own fantasies, and demanding or punishing as if crying and fighting against an empty wall. They hope to revert to a carefree child in a relationship, feeling happy and content as if mother and child are one. To satisfy this desire, they impose demands on those around them, or set traps and lay hands on them.

Mingxuan had long observed that the boredom of the human world largely stemmed from the fact that so-called relationships among the masses were no more than this. No matter how intense the pursuit of love and desire, it would ultimately be smoothed over by the iron of time. Those who live and die in a day are tedious, and those who leave delusion for truth are without sorrow or joy.

Only by transcending time and the small self can there be truly pure and eternal love.

Would such a thing fall back into nothingness again? He looked toward the road where Luo Shui had long since departed.

Before leaving, Luo Shui had quietly left behind part of her travel funds and freshly gathered ingredients for stew and vegetables on the table, with a folded map of Liuzhou pressed down by a white stone at the corner.

Mingxuan searched back and forth twice, but Luo Shui had not left any contact information.

At that moment, he did not know that this would become an important subject in his future life as a demon.

After packing his belongings and using a great deal of magic to set a protective barrier around the wooden house, Mingxuan left the next day. He fashioned his own identity card, similar to what travelers used.

Under the name, it clearly read: Bai Changming, styled Yeshah.

And this identity card would accompany him to Xuanxing Pavilion.

This passage captures the depth of Mingxuan's reflections on human relationships and his own journey. It highlights his philosophical outlook and the significance of his parting with Luo Shui, setting the stage for his future endeavors and the enduring impact of their brief but meaningful encounter.

Yang Renzhu.

As the stars shifted and the calendar turned to the Lan Gui season, the traditional spring festival in Liuzhou arrived. The Lan Gui Festival is an annual celebration where the Spring God Goumang is welcomed, and his image, resembling a swallow with willow leaf patterns, is drawn. Families gather with friends and relatives around stoves for festive gatherings. The court grants officials a half-week holiday each year during this time.

Governor Yang Renzhu's parents had both passed away, and his children were far away. As usual, he invited friends and acquaintances to dine at the famous Moonview Tower in Liuzhou. Most of the guests were court officials, and the date was set for the evening of Ren Yin month, Ren Shen day.

The Mu'an Prefecture issued a job assignment document on the afternoon of Ren Yin month, Gui Wei day. The document named Bai Changming and assigned him to Xuanxing Pavilion to handle miscellaneous tasks. At this point, there were only three days left until the gathering.

Bai Changming counted the silver coins in his pocket. He had spent a significant amount of money to get the steward Zheng Guan of the Mu'an Prefecture to handle the paperwork. If not for the large amount of energy he had expended the previous day, rendering him unable to use his magic, he would have forged the document himself and slipped it into Zheng Guan's registry unnoticed.

Xuanxing Pavilion had just been completed, and he was among the first to enter to clean. He deliberately lingered, delaying the closing of the pavilion until all the other staff had left, successfully locking himself inside.

He had heard that Xuanxing Pavilion was built by Yang Renzhu at great expense to fulfill his dream of stargazing.

"What's so interesting about the stars up there?"

"He's the governor, one order from him, and we have to work our hardest to follow. What bad luck we have!"

"Don't talk about us. Look at that Zheng steward, he may look important, but he's just a servant, only a bit higher in rank."

"Shh, say less. This place just opened, and Old Zheng might come for an inspection any day."

Several colleagues whispered among themselves, but Bai Changming remained silent, his movements steady and his expression unchanged.

Finally, when night fell and everyone had left, Xuanxing Pavilion sank into darkness.

Bai Changming emerged from behind an ancient porcelain vase and began to walk around, observing the interior.

As he had expected, Yang Renzhu was passionate about astrology and divination. The pavilion was filled with his books on star charts and rare illustrations. Some of the books were old and worn, older than he was. He went through several bookshelves, selecting works that showed signs of frequent use.

Sure enough, there were notes between the pages. Using his night vision, Bai Changming carefully examined them. He had studied the art of Qi Men Dun Jia for decades in his free time. After a cursory review of a few books, he had a fairly accurate idea of Yang Renzhu's level of expertise based on the dates and notes.

Xuanxing Pavilion was three stories high. The first and second floors were filled with books, paintings, and some jade and precious treasures. Unlike the delicate jewelry favored by women, Yang Renzhu's collection consisted mostly of large, intricately carved objects, though not directly related to the "Xuanxing" theme.

After finishing his inspection, he ascended to the third floor.

Earlier in the day, he had overheard a junior colleague mention that Lord Yang had strictly forbidden anyone from entering the third floor without permission, under penalty of severe punishment.

Could this third floor be his private utopia? Mingxuan wondered, his steps unhurried.

The sky was filled with stars, the Black Tortoise and Vermilion Bird, scattered and overlapping. For a moment, he felt as if he had returned to a summer night in Sahel City, looking up at the distant stars and the vast expanse of the Milky Way.

This passage captures the detailed and methodical approach Bai Changming takes in his exploration of Xuanxing Pavilion, reflecting his intelligence and resourcefulness. It also sets the stage for the deeper mysteries and secrets that lie within the pavilion, particularly on the restricted third floor.