Well, a new chapter has arrived to meet everyone. Before we begin, please do not mind Tanuki’s abruptness as I insert a news update regarding our student Leng Jing before continuing the story. Though I call it news, it actually took place half a month ago.
At that time, the utterly bored Leng Jing happened to enter the Spirit-Link Gate—an organization specializing in disseminating Jianghu news and trading martial arts merchandise. Student Leng Jing repeatedly emphasized that his entry was entirely accidental. One of this sect’s primary services was "Jianghu Consultation," which involved tailoring an image for newcomers about to enter the martial world—including attire, weapons, suitable martial arts manuals, and an appropriate background record.
In modern terms, they are a PR and talent-packaging firm.
Then, under the guise of "not knowing the full truth," Leng Jing "reluctantly" paid ten thousand taels of silver to have a specialized Spirit-Link Envoy create a one-on-one, tailor-made martial arts persona for him. The following is an excerpt from the conversation between the Spirit-Link Envoy and Young Master Leng Jing:
Location: The Spirit-Link Gate’s luxurious and private VIP chamber.
Spirit-Link Envoy: "Young Master, let me repeat your requirements to see if anything has been missed. If everything is in order, we will proceed to craft your entire outfit according to these specifications, and we will personally handle the rumors circulating about you in the Jianghu."
Leng Jing nodded.
Spirit-Link Envoy: "Leng Jing. Male. Twenty-two years old. Born of a noble and aristocratic family. Possesses an elegant character but is physically frail and plagued by illness. He carries the weight of the world in his heart and enters the martial forest out of a sense of compassion. Note: The client requested the addition of appropriate 'angst elements.' Does this meet your approval?"
"Quite so," Leng Jing agreed.
Spirit-Link Envoy: "Very well. In half a month, your reputation will begin to spread across the Jianghu. At that time, we will arrange several events to make a name for you. Please keep an eye out for our notifications and act according to our instructions. Of course, do not forget your hundred-thousand-tael deposit. Finally, our slogan is: 'For just a hundred thousand taels, we craft your Jianghu dream.'"
The martial world of today is truly advanced! It really cannot be compared to the straightforward martial world of five thousand years ago, Leng Jing thought with a sigh. He then paid an initial deposit of fifty thousand taels.
Later, because nothing happened for half a month, Leng Jing gradually forgot about the matter.
However, today happened to be the day the Spirit-Link Gate sent their notification.
Having just returned from the Dragon Palace, Leng Jing tossed the Medical Dragon and Gu Fengchen into a room at the inn. Only then did he release the seal on the Medical Dragon’s speech. The Medical Dragon stretched a bit and began his trademark cold and elegant sneer. "Hmph, I truly did not misjudge you, Dragon Lord. You indeed possess extraordinary qualities. Even with my slander and facing an army of a million, you were able to handle it with ease. However, though you possess peerless power and are a favored child of heaven, do you understand such a thing as 'feelings'?"
"Ugh..." Just as Leng Jing was about to gag him again, the sound of rolling wheels came from outside. It was the Divine Doctor Xie Ting, who had gone out to buy breakfast.
As a disabled person, it was no easy feat for him to go downstairs for breakfast so early in the morning. Leng Qingqing was about to express his gratitude, but the Divine Doctor rolled his wheelchair over to Leng Jing and the Medical Dragon, speaking with great earnestness: "Feelings are not as simple as you claim. It is true that those who have never experienced them have no way of knowing them, but once experienced, the feeling is etched into one's very bones..."
And so, the Divine Doctor began to discuss the philosophy of emotions with the Medical Dragon.
"You are both... speaking... too narrowly... Feelings are... the greatest feeling is... giving everything without regard for the cost..." Gu Fengchen woke up faintly, struggling to part his lips as he breathlessly joined the grand discussion on emotions.
What kind of situation was this? Was the ability to talk about feelings now the mark of a mature man? Was emotional discussion trending? The Leng family trio stood in silent deadpan.
The three men were discussing so passionately that the trio could not get a word in edgewise. Thus, the Leng family simply walked out, closed the door, and went to eat their own meal.
After eating, Leng Jing lay down on the daybed in the outer room to catch up on sleep. However, the three in the inner room were simply too noisy. Leng Jing couldn't help but roar, "What are you blathering about?! Can't you keep it down? Are you going to let people rest? Do you have any civic-mindedness?"
"Apologies, we shall lower our voices." Gu Fengchen poked his deathly pale face through the crack of the door to apologize, then immediately returned to his selfless and hearty chat with the other two. As the conversation deepened, one of the three even grew teary-eyed and began to sob softly.
"Sigh," the White Mink sprawled on the table, saying weakly, "Back when I was just an ordinary white mink, the quality of what we minks called 'feelings' was judged only by a few metrics."
"What metrics?" asked Leng Qingqing, who was fanning Leng Jing.
"The frequency, intensity, and duration of mating," the White Mink chewed on some melon seeds and continued. "When a male no longer has the physical strength or the youth for it, no female mink will like him. I see that mortals and beasts are actually much the same—"
"Shut up. Don't let those three hear you, or they'll blather for another half a day." The napping Leng Jing timely stopped the White Mink from starting a new topic. "Some harsh truths are for you and me to know; there's no need to say them all out loud."
Thus, Leng Jing continued to sleep and lounge in bed, Leng Qingqing tinkered with a new flavor of noodles, and the White Mink had nothing to do.
At noon, the White Mink brought three portions of food into the inner room on a tray, as if delivering prison rations.
Supposedly, the three inside were not only discussing emotional issues but also exchanging medical expertise. Their various pains and ailments had actually been alleviated quite a bit because of this. It seemed the discussion did have some positive effects.
***
In the afternoon, the Little Ugly Snake used water vapor to condense many ice blocks and placed them around the room, bringing the indoor temperature down. Then, he comfortably tucked himself into the quilt to read miscellaneous books, drinking watermelon juice that Leng Qingqing had specially pressed and chilled among the ice, while the White Mink gave him a massage. Outside, it was still the sweltering heat of midsummer, but inside, it was as cool as winter. To use a southern phrase, the Little Ugly Snake was "simply too comfortable!"
While the landlord-like Little Ugly Snake was lounging decadently in his quilt, the envoy from the Spirit-Link Gate followed the address Leng Jing had left and came knocking.
The Spirit-Link envoy was a short, stout middle-aged man. When Leng Qingqing opened the door, the man was drenched in sweat, but as soon as he entered, a wave of cool air hit him, making him let out a massive sneeze. Rubbing his nose, the Spirit-Link envoy handed over a large crate of goods for Leng Jing to sign for. Leng Jing hurriedly jumped off the bed to inspect them.
The goods included an "Identity Guide," five sets of young master's attire, a zither and a flute, several medicinal pouches, an incense burner, and various ornamental props. The Spirit-Link envoy told Leng Jing that as long as he followed the daily schedule written in the guide, his image would gradually be established. However, if the client failed to keep appointments, the deposit would not be refunded, so the client should try his best to follow the guide. Also, most importantly, the contents of the guide must never be leaked.
"Do you also require specially trained pageboys, disciples, stewards, or perhaps an adopted son or relative? Our Spirit-Link Gate can arrange for personnel. Each additional person is only two thousand taels and can help you easily handle various social engagements."
"Then I'll order one professional pageboy!" Leng Jing said.
"Very well, the pageboy will arrive this afternoon. Please sign to settle the account, Young Master!" the Spirit-Link envoy said.
"Uh..." Having to pay fifty thousand taels, Leng Jing said, "Wait a moment," and went into the inner room to rummage through his things.
In the inner room, the trio of divine doctors were taking each other's pulses while discussing the "Sutra of Love." Leng Jing suddenly burst in, opened the chest under the bed, took out fifty thousand taels' worth of pure gold, and said, "Without money, neither men nor women will live their lives with you."
The trio of doctors collectively twitched at Leng Jing's heartless words. They then proceeded to launch into a grand discussion regarding the relationship between love and money.
Leng Jing, meanwhile, paid the deposit and began to study his guide.
The thick guide was written in a flamboyant style, detailing the background of the fake identity Leng Jing had requested:
It was said that Young Master Leng Jing was a scion of a noble aristocratic family from Jiangnan. He had been well-read in poetry and prose since childhood and was proficient in astronomy and geography, standing as the head of the Four Great Scholars of Jiangnan. He favored white clothing, possessed peerless beauty, and had a pure nature. He had performed countless deeds for the benefit of the people and was hailed as the "Young Master Pure Jade."
However, Young Master Leng Jing's entire family was slaughtered by enemies. He was severely injured and became a wanderer in the Jianghu, where he was caught by the demoness Purple Heart Orchid. She abducted the Young Master and subjected him to all manner of torture.
Later, the Young Master, carrying his broken and sickly body, intervened in the martial world to save all living beings.
Attached was a specific report of his "angst-ridden" physical condition: Congenital heart disease; severe lung injury resulting in chronic pulmonary issues; a cold affliction and paralysis brought on by being cast into the snow; shattered shinbones from torture; a severe head injury causing chronic vertigo; meridians that were severed and then reconnected, making it impossible to practice martial arts for life; a chronic condition of coughing up blood; a fever every two days; a severe spinal injury making it impossible to sit, stand, or lie down for long periods; severed tendons in both hands, making it impossible to lift anything heavier than a brush; eyes damaged by toxic smoke, causing frequent blurred vision; a weak stomach where even a small amount of food causes vomiting and the spitting of blood...
Leng Jing wiped his sweat after reading, feeling that this might be somewhat difficult. Looking further down, he saw that the first thing the guide required him to do was to go to the summit of Mount Zhongnan to attend a meeting of the Martial Alliance to resolve a dispute between the Demon Cult and the Righteous Sects. At that time, he was to pretend to block a palm strike from the Demon Cult Leader to complete his glorious image—no need to worry, the Demon Cult Leader also had an agreement with the Spirit-Link Gate and would not strike heavily.
"This Spirit-Link Gate organization is quite sinister! If things go on like this, won't the Jianghu be manipulated by them? Everything everyone does is just acting!" Leng Jing muttered to himself while looking at the guide.
"Mortals just love putting on an act. Young Master, it's better if you don't mingle with mortals too much," the White Mink said.
"...I've decided to make a trip to Mount Zhongnan." Leng Jing began to try on the clothes that had been delivered.
"I'll help too." Leng Qingqing put down the dough in his hands and, along with the White Mink, began to groom and dress Leng Jing.
Sure enough, the feeling of formal, elegant young master's attire was entirely different from Leng Jing's usual casual wear. After following the guide to do his hair, dress, apply powder to make his face look pale, and trim his sharp eyebrows, Leng Jing looked like a completely different person. If someone said he was an elegant, otherworldly Orchid Immortal, people would believe it.
"The Young Boss truly has such 'flavor'! If we bring out the wheelchair, he'll look even more like a sickly, beautiful young master!" the White Mink suggested.
"I'll go get it." Leng Jing, feeling encouraged, entered the inner room again, lifted Xie Ting onto the bed, and moved his white jade wheelchair over.
***
Leng Jing held an orchid folding fan and sat in the wheelchair. Just as he was about to get into character, a "thump-thump" knocking sounded at the door. The professional pageboy had arrived.
This pageboy was handsome and looked incredibly sharp. As soon as he entered, he bowed to Leng Jing and the others, then glanced sideways at Leng Jing. "You're the one who requested me to be your pageboy?"
Leng Jing lowered his eyes and said, "It is indeed I. Please, have a seat, Pageboy."
The pageboy sighed and said, "There are so many people with nothing better to do these days. You're a scholar with poor health; why come out to meddle in the Jianghu? Do you have so much money at home that you can't spend it all? I reckon you'll kick the bucket before you're even carried to Mount Zhongnan. Scholar, I advise you to think clearly. Don't go wading into these muddy waters. With a hundred thousand taels, you'd be better off finding a good girl to marry so you have someone to serve you for the rest of your life."
"I like doing this; what's it to you?" Leng Jing stood up from the wheelchair, washed the powder off his face, and asked, "What is your name?"
"So you were faking it! You've really gone off the deep end," the pageboy said, caught between laughter and tears. He could only say, "My name is Xiao Gua."
"My name is Leng Jing. From today on, I am your temporary master. You must listen to what I say," Leng Jing said with his hands behind his back.
"Aiya, customer, I am only responsible for keeping up appearances for you in front of others. As for my private affairs, you have no right to interfere!" Xiao Gua retorted.
Suddenly.
"Baby!" Gu Fengchen poked his head out from the inner room. "Baby, we've had a very congenial chat. We've decided to go and hold a consultation for Divine Doctor Xie's wife. Baby, will you be okay staying home alone?"
"...Just get lost," Leng Jing said.
And so, Divine Doctor Xie was carried away on the backs of the Medical Dragon and Gu Fengchen. It was rare that the three of them could get along so well.
***
Xiao Gua thus settled into the inn. Adhering to professional ethics, he did not pry into the client's secrets. Even though he saw the White Mink talking and eating, and Leng Jing and Leng Qingqing addressing each other as father and son, he did not say a word.
On the contrary, Leng Jing was quite interested in the Spirit-Link Gate and would ask a few questions from time to time. To these, Xiao Gua only gave vague answers. It was clear that Xiao Gua was someone who knew many inside secrets.
Thus, Leng Jing intentionally said, "Xiao Gua, you've served many customers, so you must have heard of the organization called the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion, right?"
Xiao Gua's face instantly turned pale. It took him a long time to say, "I... I don't know very clearly. I only know it's a relatively secret medical sect with very high medical skills."
"What are you afraid of? This isn't a secret of the Spirit-Link Gate. Just tell me a bit more as a chat; it won't count as breaking the rules," Leng Jing said. "Why did you become so flustered upon hearing this name?"
"I'm not, I'm not! How am I flustered?" Xiao Gua waved his hands repeatedly. "It's getting late. Young Master, your health is poor; you should rest early. Xiao Gua will serve you in changing your clothes." He diverted the topic.
Leng Jing and Leng Qingqing exchanged a look. Leng Qingqing walked forward with a smile and said, "Little fellow, look into my eyes!"
"Don't think you can use charm arts to get words out of me! I've been trained!" Xiao Gua covered his face.
"It's not a charm art," Leng Qingqing pried his fingers apart. "Just take one look!"
"Turn around, quick!" The White Mink and Leng Jing hurriedly turned their backs. They heard Xiao Gua let out a miserable shriek. When they turned back, Leng Qingqing had already reverted to his human form, looking as if nothing had happened. Xiao Gua, however, was stunned senseless.
"Now is the best time to use the truth-telling spell." Leng Qingqing took a deep breath with a sense of accomplishment and smiled triumphantly at Leng Jing—Daddy also knows very powerful spells!
Under the influence of the spell, Xiao Gua began to answer their questions in a daze: "The Spirit-Link Gate only started its business in the Jianghu in recent years... but business is very good... They've created many fake identities and manipulated nearly half of the martial world... But, actually, the Spirit-Link Gate has a big secret... one I discovered myself... but I don't dare say it... Some customers who received the guides, their guides will definitely... at the end, require them to... intervene in a matter related to the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion... When they follow the guide's instructions and enter the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion... they never come out again... Afterward, the Spirit-Link Gate erases all records of these people, as if they got bored and voluntarily retired from the Jianghu... In truth, they... disappeared... Several of my customers were like that..."
"How mysterious," Leng Jing and Leng Qingqing said in unison. Leng Jing hurriedly flipped through his own guide. It did not require him to enter the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion. It seemed he had not yet been chosen by the Spirit-Link Gate.
"Then what kind of person receives the notification to enter the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion?" Leng Jing pressed.
"They are all... physically strong... with first-rate martial arts... customers..." Xiao Gua said as if talking in his sleep.
"Where is the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion?" Leng Jing continued to ask.
"In... the southeast... in a southeastern province... It's strange there, I can't say exactly why... but... but every time I accompany a customer there, I feel my hair stand on end... That place is... the Land of Twilight..." Xiao Gua shook his head violently. It seemed his heart was strongly resisting speaking of this matter.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 灵通门 / 神通门 | Spirit-Link Gate / Omniscience Gate | A PR/information agency in the Jianghu. The text uses both names; "Spirit-Link" fits the information theme. |
| 灵通使者 | Spirit-Link Envoy | An agent of the Spirit-Link Gate. |
| 净玉公子 | Young Master Pure Jade | Leng Jing's "packaged" Jianghu persona. |
| 虐要素 | Angst elements | Tragic tropes or "torture" elements used in storytelling/roleplay. |
| 万象楼 | Myriad Phenomena Pavilion | A mysterious medical sect/location mentioned in the secret guides. |
| 小瓜 | Xiao Gua (Little Melon) | The professional pageboy/attendant sent by the Spirit-Link Gate. |
| 黄昏之乡 | Land of Twilight | A mysterious location associated with the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion. |
| 终南山 | Mount Zhongnan | A famous mountain in China, often a setting for martial arts gatherings. |
| 紫心兰 | Purple Heart Orchid | The fictional demoness in Leng Jing's fake backstory. |
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