Love from the Male Protagonist's Harem

Danfeng was a very high peak, and Siguo Pavilion was built about halfway up it, encircled by cloud and mist.  Danfeng’s inner disciples could refine Bigu dans or already possessed them, therefore there was little need for food.

And seeing as he was an inner disciple, Ye Ze could also refine Bigu dans.

What a pity Xia Ge never ate them.

What a joke, such a fine thing to eat……

Why use a Bigu dan, an inhuman thing, to curb your appetite for food?

Without desires, how is one still human?

Too illogical!

Thus Xia Ge declared that, as a very logical person, she would not eat a trash substance like Bigu dan.

And if she wouldn’t eat it, why should she refine it?

So Xia Ge would not refine the Bigu dan.

For in the end, desire is the source of progress.

But speaking of Ye Ze refining the Bigu dan……

Xia Ge had read The Boundless Beauty of the Wind and the Moon, and frankly she knew how much of a loser Ye Ze was in the beginning.  She’d just never imagined he’d be that much of a loser slag……

He really had no gift for liandan.

When Xia Ge had first come to Lingxi Sect and become a disciple, she’d taken her copper coins and used them to eat, drink, and be merry the whole day long.  Meanwhile, Ye Ze had desperately saved his money to buy materials, along with spending every day in Danfeng’s library reading 100 Ways to Refine Bigu Dan—

Xia Ge had looked on helplessly as Ye Ze had destroyed countless materials in his efforts to refine a Bigu Dan.  Obviously, now that they were Danfeng disciples, they would no longer have to worry about basic necessities.  So, as a carefree outer disciple, Xia Ge had lived it up.  While Ye Ze had been so poor, he couldn’t even buy a potato pancake.

Xia Ge had been very regretful about all that shining white silver.

Although, at the same time, she’d admired Ye Ze’s great effort.

She knew what he wanted to do and she supported his hard work, but what he was aiming for was not what was important.

The important thing was—this person was striving with all his might to reach his goal.

As a result, despite lacking any real gift, Ye Ze had passed his liandan examination to become an inner disciple on the first try.  The Bigu dan he made with such speed and perfection catapulted him into the position of the most shining first disciple among the entry-level disciples of his generation.

For the first time, Xia Ge found weak Ye Ze to be bright and dazzling.

Not because Ye Ze was the male protagonist, but because anyone who works hard shines brilliantly.

So he went from not having two sticks to rub together to a Danfeng inner disciple.  He became the Ye Ze who could refine the Bigu dan.

While in contrast (groan), the Xia Ge who did nothing but eat, drink, and be merry, was still just a salted fish.

Still……

Hard workers were indeed to be admired.  However Xia Ge wanted to live an easy, relaxed life.

Lazily plucking a blade of dog-tail grass, Xia Ge chewed on it as she strolled to the small village at the bottom of the peaks, the place where outer disciples resided.  The usual work that outer disciples were given was running errands for inner disciples.  Or, keeping the village and its surrounding towns regulated, essentially acting as minor urban management.

The ‘wind and moon’ continent was a magical land and the setting of The Boundless Beauty of the Wind and the Moon.  There was no unifying ‘state’ on the continent, instead it was governed by countless institutions called [Order].  Each sect was analogous to a school, cultivating the most outstanding and powerful disciples, who would then be sent to the local [Order] to guard the common people and keep the peace.

Lingxi Sect was such a school-like place, but only accepted talented disciples.  If you didn’t have skills,—if you didn’t pass the entry examination, you would be an outer disciple of the sect, working like a dog for the inner disciples, while also helping manage the small village.  There would be cleaning and sanitation, and assisting [Order] in keeping nearby villages and towns running smooth.

Mmm…naturally you could also do little things on the side.

Spitting out her blade of grass, Xia Ge scooped out of her pocket two copper coins.  She reached the village with ease, promptly going to the doorway of the shaobing shop: “After earning a living, I need some dinner.  Uncle Xu, do you have any sesame pancakes left?

“Smelly bastard!  You’re here just in time!” Uncle Xu had a beard growing across his whole face, his arms were bare, and his thick hair was tied back by a clay-colored band.  Adeptly wrapping a cake in oil-paper, he mischievously smiled: “The pancakes are just done—-the sun has almost set, why are you here so late?  Why didn’t Ye Ze come down with you?”

“He…oh!…Isn’t out of class yet.”

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Tossing the wrapped cake from hand to hand because it was so hot, Xia Ge finally grabbed the corner of the oil paper, clutched it firmly, and sighed: “Day after day, people work too hard.”

Uncle Xu laughed openly: “You don’t work, I hope you’re not including yourself?  Really, smelly bastard, you live free and easy, right?  Young people should work hard like that Ye Ze boy does.”

“Uncle, you don’t understand.”  Touching the pancake wrapper, Xia Ge found it was no longer too hot and released a deep, meaningful breath: “Great efforts don’t necessarily lead to success, but not striving will always lead to a very relaxed life.”

Uncle Xu: “You certainly know how to be lazy!”

“Don’t scold me, Uncle.  I’m about to return and study diligently.”  Xia Ge peeled back the oil paper with a grin, taking a bite out of the crisp pancake.  Saying her goodbyes to Uncle Xu, she then leisurely kept walking.

Study diligently?  Does not exist.

When she was done eating, she’d happily lay down in her small room all night.  Tomorrow she’d get some money and go drinking!

What?  Senior Sister wanted her to go the river to learn liandan?

Does not exist.jpg

Walking along the flagstone-paved road, dogs roamed and chickens clucked.  Occasionally, Xia Ge would meet someone she knew and greet them.  Otherwise, after taking one more bite of her sesame pancake, her eyes were narrowed in good spirits.

The beautiful simple life had only just began.  She was about to be well-off, with meat and wine before her.  Why should she waste the good days staring at a boring Danshu copper furnace?

Her past life was already over.  Who knew when the few more days given her would run out?

The small village was relatively peaceful, comprised mostly of Lingxi Sect outer disciples.  They had grown too old for the age requirement of an inner disciple, but didn’t want to leave.  So they settled at the foot of the mountain and made a living, going on happily day by day.

In short, it was quite stable and suitable for a retirement community……

“Aaaaaah—-”

Suddenly a woman’s jarring shriek pierced the vast sky!

The peaceful village quickly became clamorous.

“Aaaahhh! Puppets have appeared!  Quickly, someone notify the peak!!”

Xia Ge: “……”

Alright……so sometimes there were little twists and turns that broke the tranquility.

Protecting her pancake against her chest, Xia Ge waited for the panic to subside.  The villagers were mostly outer disciples and immediately organized themselves.  It wouldn’t be the first time they’d assisted [Order] in subduing puppets, and those from the peak with real combat experience should be along shortly.

No matter if it was noisy. Any kind of real trouble was unlikely.  Xia Ge had no reason to stop being a salted fish.

Rounding the corner in a low-key manner, holding her precious pancake that she’d only taken two bites of, Xia Ge was now facing her room and nonchalantly walked towards it.

Yet she only made it a few steps, head tucked down, before her shoulder was abruptly grasped tight: “Boy, don’t go in that direction!”

Xia Ge didn’t have time to raise her head and say anything—-

[Blue Warning!  C-Level Puppet Roaming Nearby.  Asking Host To Select Dodging Speed!]

C-level puppet?!

“Wha—–”

The sound of a child weeping shook the earth!

Not knowing who had grabbed her shoulder, Xia Ge turned around to see a puppet not far off, dressed in black, wearing a tusked mask, and holding an immense sickle.  It was hurrying towards a child who’d fallen down in front of it.  Xia Ge’s pupils precipitously contracted.

Demonic C-level puppet……

A fallen child!

—–Oh shit!

烧饼[shāo bing]

sesame seed cake

炼丹[liàn dān]

(try to) make pills of immortality (as a Taoist practice)