Leng Jing had soared into the sky with the drunken Great White Snake in tow, reaching a territory at the very edge of the Heaven Realm. By a stroke of luck—or perhaps misfortune—they were intercepted and led away by a group of men in black.
As dusk approached, the setting sun painted the woods in shades of molten gold. Leng Qingqing carried Leng Jing on his back, his feet treading upon the soft carpet of fallen leaves. Suddenly, a wave of déjà vu washed over him. This feeling only intensified when they were herded toward a small lakeside, where a dense crowd of various demons and spirits already stood.
It wasn't just Leng Qingqing; even the "ugly little snake" was startled when he lifted his head to survey the surroundings.
Gasps of surprise erupted from the gathered demons.
A rabbit hopped over, its eyes brimming with tears as it scrutinized Leng Jing for a long moment. Then, with overwhelming excitement, it shrieked, "It’s Young Master Leng! The streaking Young Master Leng has returned!"
"Whoa—!" The demons broke into cheers. It turned out that these spirits were the collective group of "country bumpkins" who had migrated here from the Blue Sea Vast Wave Valley.
"It’s the old neighbors!" Leng Jing hopped down from Leng Qingqing’s back. A group of rustic demons immediately crowded around to enthusiastically reminisce, leaving Leng Qingqing standing there in a daze, utterly bewildered.
"How did Leng Qingqing end up like this? Has he gone senile after being away for a few years?" many old neighbors remarked, patting Leng Qingqing on the shoulder.
"Probably drank too much and developed elderly dementia," a flower demon surmised.
As it happened, after the rustic demons of the Blue Sea Vast Wave Valley left their home, they had been bullied and mistreated in the outside world. Eventually, they banded together to find a secluded, peaceful place to continue their quiet lives, eventually settling in this Forest of Heaven at the edge of the realm. Perhaps because they were used to the high-gravity environment of the Vast Wave Valley, or perhaps simply because they were such simple-minded rustics, they proved to be exceptionally long-lived. Five thousand years had passed without a single sign of aging; they continued to live their self-sufficient, prosperous lives.
Leng Qingqing stared blankly at the crowd of familiar old neighbors. After a long silence, tears suddenly sprayed from his eyes, and he let out an ecstatic roar:
"Ahhh! I remember now! It’s everyone! Ahhh! Everyone! I missed you guys to death!"
Leng Jing suddenly felt a wave of mental collapse. Was that *Manual for Preventing Jing* actually a lie?! It turned out that all it took for Leng Qingqing to recover his memories was seeing his fellow villagers! You seventy-thousand-year-old Old Leng Jing, you basically just existed to satisfy Leng Qingqing’s obsession with village reunions, didn't you?!
The world turned grey before Leng Jing's eyes.
"But... who exactly are you?" Leng Qingqing suddenly turned his head, looking at Leng Jing with a wooden expression.
*Snap.*
It was only when the white dragon’s massive maw practically swallowed Leng Qingqing’s head whole that Leng Qingqing managed to mumble, "Just kidding... Xiao Jing... don't get excited..."
Blood trickled down his forehead, covering his face.
It was a terrifying sight: a creature with a dragon's head using its fang-filled mouth to clamp down on Leng Qingqing’s skull.
All the demons watched with deadpan expressions (= =|||). *As expected, this father and son haven't changed a bit.*
And so, what was supposed to be a forced assembly of demons turned into a raucous village reunion. Having finally regained his memories, Leng Qingqing was dancing with joy. He led everyone in a rendition of the "Blue Sea Vast Wave Valley Anthem." To liven up the atmosphere, at Leng Qingqing’s request, the little snake summoned the White Marten, who was currently crouching piteously on a street corner in the capital tens of thousands of miles away, striking a flint.
Speaking of the White Marten... well, he should be called the White Marten of the Flints.
Because of Leng Jing’s draconic aura and his struggle with Leng Qingqing, the atmospheric currents over the capital had shifted. Although it was late autumn, a heavy snow began to fall that night, the flakes as large as goose feathers.
The capital had just been ravaged by a monster disaster and was a mess. Soon, the snow piled up thick. On a deserted street, the White Marten shivered as he huddled on the steps of a house. He carried a small bundle containing a piece of dry steamed bun and a small flint.
The White Marten crouched there all alone; he had been abandoned again.
No one in the world needed him. He had nothing—he was cold and hungry. Sniffling with teary eyes, the bored White Marten struck the flint.
A tiny spark flickered, transforming into a beautiful illusion before his eyes. He seemed to see the days when he was with Leng Jing and the others, feasting every day on delicacies from the mountains and seas. Drooling, the marten reached out a paw to grab the food, but he caught nothing but snowflakes.
The spark soon died out, leaving the disappointed marten dripping with both drool and tears.
The White Marten wiped his mouth and struck the flint again. The beautiful illusion reappeared. He saw a warm bed and endless gourmet food. The table full of food emitted an enticing aroma—there were even the noodles Leng Qingqing used to make, topped with plenty of crab roe, shredded chicken, and braised pork, steaming hot. Then, the Young Master stood by the table, personally pouring wine for him like a servant...
With stars in his eyes, the marten lunged forward, only to end up face-planting into a snowdrift.
Finally, the White Marten struck his last remaining flint. In the warm glow, the valiant figure of a "Dragon Ferrari" seemed to descend from the sky. The White Marten wailed and cried out, "Young Master! Please take me away! I know that once the fire goes out, you’ll disappear, just like the warm bed and the fragrant food!" The marten frantically struck the flint to keep it bright, desperately wanting the Young Master to stay. The flint emitted a powerful light, brighter than day. The Young Master had never looked so wise and divine. The White Marten leaped onto the dragon’s back, and the two of them flew up into light and happiness. They flew higher and higher, to a paradise where there was no cold and no hunger.
A moment later, having arrived in the Forest of Rustics, the White Marten still hadn't snapped out of it.
Looking at the crowd of partying rustic demons, the White Marten suddenly had a realization.
"I am the smartest demon here! Tra-la-la-la! The good days are finally here! From now on, you all have to listen to me!" The White Marten raised a paw and shouted, only to be stepped on and flattened by Leng Jing’s claw.
"Waaaaah!" The marten wailed as he was bullied once again, but no one paid him any mind.
Just as the rustic demons were about to hold their grand village celebration under the enthusiastic call of the blood-covered Leng Qingqing, the men in black suddenly began lashing the demons on the periphery with whips. They snarled, "Do you lot want to rebel?! Hurry up and gather! Move to King Nu’s palace immediately!"
A cloud of gloom once again descended upon the rustics. Leng Qingqing wiped the blood from his face, wanting to ask what was going on, but he didn't dare speak up once he saw Leng Jing’s terrifying expression.
Though his memories had returned, he didn't dare think about what had happened during the time he had lost his memory and acted as the "Peerless Elegance." Leng Jing’s gaze looked frighteningly stern. Had he done something treasonous or unfilial?
*Could 'Peerless Elegance' really do anything treasonous? I was just... a little bit too elegant...* Leng Qingqing twiddled his thumbs.
"Who is this King Nu?" Leng Jing asked. He and the other demons followed the large procession up the high mountain. He noticed that many local spirits had also been driven from their homes, all heading toward the palace atop the peak.
A Black Bear Spirit explained, "Young Master Leng, you wouldn't know. Not long after we settled here, another king with great magical power arrived. He’s called King Nu. His subordinates are very fierce and demand tribute from us. But this is the first time he’s gathered all the nearby demons like this."
They had only exchanged a few words before the black-clad guards warned them to be silent, so they were forced to shut their mouths.
On the mountain path that pierced the clouds, the massive procession of torches wound like a long snake—a truly spectacular sight. It turned out that besides the rustics from the Blue Sea Valley, many other minor spirits and sprites lived here. These people had never been valued by the Central Heaven Realm; living in this remote western border, they were known as the "Border People."
After a long trek, they finally arrived at King Nu’s palace.
King Nu’s palace was different from the style of the Celestial Palace. It was a white castle with an exotic flair, featuring pillars carved with delicate flowers and smooth floors that reflected one's image. Everywhere displayed a style of foreign opulence. The rustic demons, seeing such a beautiful and luxurious place for the first time, were all stunned.
Finally, the rustics were herded into a spacious courtyard within the castle to await their fate.
"All of you, shut up!" one of King Nu’s subordinates stood on a high platform, shouting at the demons. This subordinate’s appearance was also quite different from the people of the Central Heaven Realm; he had golden hair, blue eyes, and a pair of white wings on his back.
"Listen up! Father God is going to grant you a blessing! You weren't called here today for anything else but to select the Spirit King of the New Heaven! All of you will participate in the exam honestly! Anyone caught cheating will be executed without mercy!" The white-winged commander cracked his whip.
It turned out that King Nu’s true name was "Father God"; that was what his subordinates called him. The rustics called him King Nu because he was frequently angry (*nu*), so they gave him the nickname "Angry King." Over time, even the lower-level subordinates started calling him that.
The high-ranking subordinates, however, called themselves "Messengers of God," or "Divine Messengers" for short.
*What’s the point?* The rustic demons were all confused. They were living perfectly fine lives; why would they want to be some "Spirit King"?
An oblivious Sea Otter Spirit in the front row picked his nose and asked foolishly, "Does being the Spirit King come with a salary? If there’s a salary, I’ll bring my whole family to be Spirit Kings. We can use some of that 'Seaweed-ism' the mortals talk about, hehe!"
"It’s 'Nepotism,'" his sea otter wife corrected him.
"Papa, when I grow up, I want to take over your job and be a Spirit King through Seaweed-ism too," the little sea otter said, his nose running with clear snot.
The result was the sea otter family getting whipped by a Divine Messenger.
The true goal of this "Father God" was to break away from the Central Heaven Realm and establish his own sect. He had brought his followers to this extreme western land, intending to use the local demons to construct his own divine hierarchy and ultimately complete his "Plan of Creation."
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 天之林 | Forest of Heaven | A location at the edge of the Heaven Realm. |
| 《防净手册》 | Manual for Preventing Jing | A manual mentioned by Leng Jing, likely intended to keep Leng Qingqing's memories suppressed or manage him. |
| 龙形法拉利 | Dragon Ferrari | A humorous, modern metaphor used to describe Leng Jing's dragon form. |
| 父神 | Father God | The true name/title of the leader of the new faction. |
| 怒王 | King Nu / Angry King | A nickname for Father God, based on his temper. |
| 神使 | Divine Messenger / God's Envoy | The high-ranking subordinates of Father God. |
| 精灵王 | Spirit King / Elf King | A title Father God intends to bestow upon a chosen demon; "Elf King" fits the Western/angelic aesthetic of his followers. |
| 海带关系 | Seaweed-ism | A pun/malapropism by the Sea Otter Spirit for "Nepotism" (裙带关系 - Petticoat/Skirt relations). |
| 边民 | Border People | Spirits and demons living in the remote western borders of the Heaven Realm. |
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