World of Honor

Late at night, on the silent and deserted official road, a carriage was still speeding along.

Sitting in front of the carriage, holding the whip, was Su Baiyi. After discussing with the others, they decided that since Su Baiyi did not need to sleep at night, it would be better to let Feng Zuojun drive the carriage during the day and switch to Su Baiyi at night. Su Baiyi’s meditative rest would be moved to the daytime. This way, they could travel day and night without stopping, and they would be able to reach Tianxiao Yunjing in no time.

This idea was certainly good, but there was a hidden danger. The three people in the carriage were too tired to think of that when they fell asleep. Su Baiyi did not have the heart to say it.

“I have a poor sense of direction.” Su Baiyi touched the horse’s buttocks and whispered this little secret. He took out the map drawn by Feng Zuojun from his sleeves. It was scribbled and only three parts of the road were drawn on it. The other seven parts had to be imagined by himself. He was helpless.

Anyway, just go west. Tianxiao Yunjing was in the west, and going west was always right. Su Baiyi nodded to himself for his cleverness, and then he resolutely chose the western road at every fork.

Thirty miles away, at the entrance of Fengdu Town.

A man stuck his long sword in the ground, stretched his waist and yawned, “Why haven’t they come yet? I’m sleepy.”

“A disciple of Thousand Inventions Courtyard sent a message that they are heading to Tianxiao Yunjing this time. They left Eight Directions City before sunset. They should have arrived here an hour ago. To go to Tianxiao Yunjing, this is the only official road.” Another man leaped up and jumped onto the roof of the nearby post station, looking into the distance. “Why is there still no trace?”

“Could it be that they knew we were waiting for them here? And changed their route?” The man who yawned earlier turned his head. “Boss, what do you think? Should I go ahead and take a look?”

No one answered him. He turned his head and saw his boss lying on a pile of straw, sleeping soundly.

“Boss!”

“They’re here!” The man who was sleeping soundly suddenly opened his eyes. The long spear next to him instantly fell back into his hand. He stomped his feet and the crows that were sleeping on the trees around him all flew away. The killing intent that rose in an instant made even his two companions shiver. But when he looked closely, he found that the official road in front of him was empty. He put away his long spear and cursed, “What are you shouting for?”

“Boss, from Eight Directions City to here, even if they walked, they should have arrived before sunset. Could it be that they ran away?” The man on the roof said.

“Ask the people from the Thousand Inventions Courtyard. They were the ones who followed their tracks. We only have to kill them.” The man threw his long spear aside and lay back on the straw pile. “Chi Wu, if you shout again, I won’t be polite to you.”

The man who had woken up the leader smiled awkwardly, “Boss, if they don’t come, do we just keep waiting like this?”

“Let the Thousand Inventions Courtyard find them. We’ll wait here for news.” The leader closed his eyes.

The man on the roof nodded and shot a firework into the air.

“Somebody is setting off fireworks at night?” Su Baiyi saw a flash of fire in the eastern sky and said curiously, “If we weren’t in a hurry, I really want to go and see. Alas, why are there other people traveling at night besides us?”

He saw a person walking quickly towards their carriage. Su Baiyi was a bit alert and pulled the reins, slowing down the speed. He looked at the person ahead. It was a monk wearing a white robe. He looked no more than twenty years old, quite handsome, bathed in the white moonlight, he had the demeanor of a Buddhist master.

Su Baiyi showed respect and clasped his hands together, chanting a Buddhist name, “Amitabha.”

The young monk was stunned at first, then smiled and chanted a Buddhist name back, “Amitabha.”

The two passed by each other.

Su Baiyi continued to whip the reins and sped up. The young monk walked a few steps and his smile gradually disappeared from his face. He stopped and took out a portrait from his arms. He looked at it and laughed again. “Is this fate?”

TN: Dear readers, I hope you are enjoying this translation. If you are reading this on any other website than the translator’s website (dwarflib.online), I kindly ask you to visit the original source. I often update and revise the chapters I have already translated, so you might be missing out on some important changes or corrections. Thank you for your understanding.

Su Baiyi sat on the carriage and thought about the monk he had just met. Why was he traveling alone at night? Could it be that he was undergoing some kind of cultivation? Seeing that he had nothing on him, he should have given him some dry food. As he was thinking this, he suddenly felt a breeze blowing from the side. He turned his head and found that the young monk had already sat next to him.

“Ghost… ghost.” Su Baiyi exclaimed.

“A human, a human, a destined one.” The young monk was very calm, holding a portrait in his hand. He looked at the portrait and then at Su Baiyi, looked at the portrait and then at Su Baiyi, and finally nodded, asking, “Young master, are you Su Baiyi?”

Su Baiyi swallowed, “Master, how do you know?”

“Buddhist fate, Buddhist fate.” The young monk could not control his inner joy and laughed loudly. “I thought that our meeting would be even later.”

The curtain of the carriage suddenly rolled up at this time.

Su Baiyi pulled the reins hard and stopped the carriage. He turned his head and saw that the young monk was no longer next to him.

“Amitabha, so there is a real master in the carriage.” The young monk smiled.

Nangong Xi’er lifted the curtain of the carriage and came out. She looked at the monk in front of her, “You have good martial arts. Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“Jie Qing Bu Jie Se. A monk, beautiful as a flower, abstaining from emotion but not from lust.” The young monk lifted his finger lightly, making a gesture of picking a flower. “I came here to take away this little donor Su Baiyi.”

TN: I used the word “donor” to translate the term “小施主” in Chinese, which literally means “little giver” or “little benefactor”. It is a respectful way of addressing someone who practices the virtue of generosity or dana in Buddhism. Dana is any form of giving or offering to others without expecting anything in return.

“Your Buddhist name is a bit silly.” Nangong Xi’er said coldly.

“Don’t you think it’s very unique?” The young monk asked back.

“Very uniquely silly.” Su Baiyi made this conclusion and ended this conversation.

Jie Qing Bu Jie Se laughed loudly, “Not bad, not bad. I’m more sure now that you are the Su Baiyi I’m looking for. You speak with the same tone as that guy.”

“That guy?” Su Baiyi asked in confusion.

“Your Buddhist name is Jie, you are from the Courtyard of Punishment and Law.” Nangong Xi’er said. “The head of the Courtyard of Punishment and Law, Jie Kong, has a little junior brother who was able to defeat the elders of the Courtyard of Punishment and Law when he was ten years old. Later he was expelled from Shanglin Tiangong for breaking the rules. I remember his Buddhist name was Jie Se, that’s you, right?”

Jie Qing Bu Jie Se clasped his hands together and smiled, “There was no breaking of rules. I just cursed Ning Qingcheng a few times and then peed at his courtyard door.”

“Ning Qingcheng?” Su Baiyi recalled this name. It seemed that Xie Kanhua had mentioned it. “Isn’t he the current grand palace master of Shanglin Tiangong?”

“That bastard.” Jie Qing Bu Jie Se cursed.