Big thanks and a shout-out to biki for sending me a laptop so that I can translate LWSL more conveniently!
At that time, Wu Ruo’s spirit and Hei Yang were sitting in front of little lake outside of the bedroom and fishing. And Hei Xuanyi and Hei Yin were sitting right at the pavilion watching them.
When the fish caught on the hook, the spirit excitedly lifted up the fishing rod: “There’s a fish on the hook, there’s a fish on the hook!”
Suddenly, with a ‘pa da‘ noise, the fishing rod fell from the spirit’s hands to the ground.
The four of them were stunned. Following after, they saw that the spirit’s corporeal body gradually turned translucent.
Hei Yang hurriedly said: “Furen, quickly return into the room, don’t let the sunlight shine on you.”
“Oh,” the spirit quickly flew back into the room.
Hei Xuanyi also speedily returned to the room, transferring some spiritual energy to the spirit.
The spirit recovered its corporeal body and immediately hugged Hei Xuanyi: “Xuanyi, why is my body turning translucent again so quickly?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll think of a solution.” Hei Xuanyi helped the spirit to tuck a loose strand of hair behind its ear: “Your hair got messy, let me help you style it again from scratch.”
“Is it messy?” The spirit touched its own hair.
Hei Xuanyi sat it down in front of the dressing table, taking off its faguan1The hairpiece used to hold an updo together, usually made of jade or some kind of metal., beautiful shiny black tresses fell down in an instance, and he picked up a comb to slowly begin combing the hair.
The spirit picked up the copper mirror, but could only see Hei Xuanyi. The mirror couldn’t reflect its silhouette, it said unhappily: “I can’t even see myself.”
Hei Xuanyi’s hand paused.
Soon after, the spirit said happily again: “Although it can’t reflect me, but it can reflect you. Hn, my man looks really handsome. He’s the most good-looking man in this entire world.”
Hei Xuanyi said hoarsely: “In my eyes, you’re the one who is the most good-looking person.”
The spirit asked, smiling: “Would I still be good-looking if I was a big fatty?”
“You would.”
The spirit watched the person inside the copper and asked: “Really?”
Hei Xuanyi closed his eyes and softly answered: “Hn.”
“I believe you. At that time, I indeed never saw you showing any hint of disgust toward me.” The spirit turned around and grabbed onto his sleeves, lifting its head and showing a blissful smile: “Xuanyi, at that time, it was really great that I was able to marry you, and I also thank you for marrying me2This sentence is a lot prettier in the original Chinese, where the author is using the different terms for ‘marry’ here. Spirit-Wu Ruo thinks that it was great that he was able to marry/嫁给 (jia gei) Hei Xuanyi, which we’ve seen in earlier chapters is the term used for women marrying into their husband’s family. He’s grateful that Hei Xuanyi married/娶 (qu) him, which is the term for men when they bring their wife into their family..”
It turned back around, a little embarrassed: “Let’s always be together in the future.”
Hei Xuanyi clenched onto the comb in his hand tightly, lightly hummed in agreement, and as he was combing the spirit’s hair, suddenly, he stopped and said: “I’ll step outside for a bit.”
The spirit frowned. It seemed to have heard a hard to detect choked sob trapped in Hei Xuanyi’s voice.
It hurriedly stood up and walked towards the door, and saw Hei Xuanyi standing all by his lonesome next to the little lake. Its heart felt an indescribable sense of pain, and it wanted to go over to accompany him. However, it was blocked by Hei Yang and Hei Yin.
The spirit’s frown deepened: “What’s wrong with Xuanyi?”
Hei Yin said3In the current edition of the text I’m referring to, it actually says Hei **, but I’m assuming it’s been censored because the word ‘yin’ can also be used to refer to things with a sexual connotation when coupled with some other characters. I’ve concluded that the author is referring to Hei Yin here because the next line is said by Hei Yang. Thankfully there aren’t too many people in this scene. Not 100% sure what verb for ‘said’ the author might have used to cause the phrase to be censored though.: “Master is deep in thought.”
Hei Yang said: “Master is thinking of what hairstyle he should do for furen.”
The spirit: “…”
It felt that the reality wasn’t like what they were saying.
Hei Yang pushed the spirit back into the room: “Furen, just wait inside the room. Master will be done thinking very soon.”
The spirit asked: “All of you really aren’t hiding anything from me?”
Hei Yang asked in response: “What do you think we could be hiding from you?”
The spirit thought about it, but it really couldn’t think of anything that they would need to hide from it, so it could only sit back in its spot and wait for Hei Xuanyi to return.
Hei Yang, who was standing behind the spirit, pointed at the ends of its hair, mouthing towards Hei Yin soundlessly4Just to be clear, they’re not talking out loud to each other, nor projecting the words into each other’s heads or anything. They’re shaping the words with their mouths and lip reading each other. and asking: “Did you see that?”
The ends of the spirit’s hair was currently turning translucent bit by bit.
Hei Yin nodded, and replied, also soundlessly: “I saw that Master’s eyes were red just now.”
Hei Yang: “…”
Not long after, Hei Xuanyi came back while holding onto the comb.
The spirit looked at him and asked curiously: “What were you doing just now standing by the lake?”
Hei Xuanyi said: “I was thinking of what hairstyle I should do for you.”
The spirit: “…”
He was really thinking of hairstyles?!
After Hei Xuanyi finished combing its hair for it, he bent down and wrapped his arms around its neck: “Do you have anywhere you want to go or anything that you want today?”
The spirit turned around and hugged him: “There is something.”
“What is it?”
The spirit leaned close to his ear and said, abashed: “I want to make love with you.”
Hei Xuanyi’s breath instantly grew heavy, and he kissed the spirit’s lips: “We will have a chance.”
“You have a solution5Reminder that although spirit-Wu Ruo currently has a corporeal body and can do some things that human bodies are able to do, like touching objects and going out in the sun, there are still limitations. It doesn’t need to eat or sleep, and it’s unlikely for it to be able to orgasm from having sex with Hei Xuanyi, which seems to be what they’re referring to when the author says ‘making love’ (A.K.A both of them orgasm and there’s penetration involved).?” The spirit’s eyes brightened.
“Hn.” Hei Xuanyi hugged it and picked it up, letting it sit onto his forearms6Imagine the way adults carry toddlers or babies, with the child’s bum resting on the adult’s arms.: “Other than this, is there anything else?”
The spirit thought about it and shook its head no: “As long as it’s with you, that’s good enough.”
“Then today, I won’t go anywhere else, I’ll just accompany you.” Hei Xuanyi carried the spirit out of the room: “We’ve been here for so long, but I still haven’t accompanied you to take a stroll around the entire Hei Manor.”
“Then let’s take a stroll around right now!” The spirit pointed at the adjacent courtyard and said: “Let’s start from the adjacent courtyard. When I came here, I already took a look around the adjacent courtyard to see what it’s like, or if there was anyone living in there.”
“No one lives there.” Hei Xuanyi carried him to the adjacent courtyard. Although no one lived there, but it was still kept clean and tidy by the corpse servants.
The spirit said: “Then our future kids will stay here!”
Hei Xuanyi raised an eyebrow: “Where will the kids come from?”
The spirit touched its own abdomen: “I won’t be able to give birth anymore, but, let’s see if any families have a kid that they don’t want, we can take them home or buy them over. Or else, one of your brothers can let us adopt one of their children7过继 (guo ji): this is the practice of adopting a child from a relative. This is done in Chinese culture in certain situations. For example, if a couple can’t have children on their own like spirit-Wu Ruo and this Hei Xuanyi, they might adopt a child from a family member (usually a male relative so that the blood line is technically still the same). Otherwise, if a couple has too many children and are unable to raise those children themselves (whether for financial reasons, or if the child was born out of wedlock, etc.), a relative with better circumstances might adopt their child to relieve the burden. I don’t think it’s super commonly done anymore since China had the One Child Policy, but it’s not unheard of. As a matter of fact, some of my uncles and aunts are half-siblings where they have the same mother, but their fathers are brothers. One of my granduncles passed away and his brother remarried the deceased granduncle’s wife, took in my deceased granduncle’s kids and raised them alongside his own..”
“I only want a child who is yours and mine8Biologically theirs, he means..”
“But I can’t give birth.”
Hei Xuanyi thought about it: “We’ll have one.”
The spirit hugged his head: “You have a solution?”
“Hn.”
“That’s great!” The spirit happily lowered its head and kissed the top of Hei Xuanyi’s head: “Then I want a child who looks as good as you do.”
“But I want a child that looks like you.”
“Right now, I have the most authority, you have to listen to me.”
Hei Xuanyi: “…”
“Don’t worry. Even if we have a child, you’ll still be number one in my heart.” The spirit pointed to the massive tree at the center: “We’ll need to build a swing there for the child to play with, we also need to build a lawn for the child to play cuju9蹴鞠 (cu ju): refers to a sport played with a rattan ball that looks like this. I’m not very sure about the rules of the game, only that it’s a foot sport similar to football and there are goalposts., and…”
Hei Xuanyi quietly committed the spirit’s words to his heart, then they strolled through the afternoon till it was time for dinner.
After dinner, Hei Xuanyi personally helped the spirit to wash up and change. Then, he meticulously helped the spirit to trim its nails and put on its shoes. When zishi1011pm to 1am. arrived, he held hands with the spirit and walked out of the room: “Let me take you somewhere.”
“Where are we going?” the spirit asked curiously.
“You’ll know when we get there.”
The spirit said excitedly: “Are you giving me a surprise?”
Hei Xuanyi closed his eyes: “Hn.”
“Then let’s walk faster.” The spirit tugged on Hei Xuanyi and ran towards the outdoors.
Hei Xuanyi held onto its hand tightly, with no intention of walking faster.
The spirit was unable to make him move faster, so it could only walk side by side with him.
“Xiao-Ruo.” Hei Xuanyi walked for a stretch with it, when as they were almost about to enter the front courtyard, he pulled the spirit into his arms: “If I wanted to send you away, what would you do?”
“Away?” The spirit’s eyes flashed with confusion: “Why would I need to go away?”
“Would you be willing to go?”
The spirit’s expression darkened: “I’m not willing.”
Hei Xuanyi held onto the spirit tightly for a bout, then let go of it and tugged the spirit towards the front courtyard.
The spirit saw that the candle lights were brightly lit ahead. In an instance, it felt an ominous premonition in its heart, and couldn’t help but slow down its footsteps.
It was as if Hei Xuanyi didn’t detect its strangeness, and continued tugging the spirit into the front courtyard.
The spirit saw the mysterious person and there was a massive, complicated array set up beneath him. Under the illumination of the candle lights, golden lights glimmered, with one look, it was clear that it was no ordinary array.
It fiercely pulled its hand away and couldn’t help taking a few steps back, it said, disbelieving: “Y-you won’t really send me away, would you?”
“Xiao-Ruo.” Hei Xuanyi wanted to go forward and grab a hold of the spirit.
“Don’t come close!” The spirit said angrily: “Why! Why do you want to send me away? Where do you want to send me to? The underworld11地府 (di fu): literally ‘ground manor’. If you’ve ever seen a depiction of hell/the underworld in guzhuang, it’s basically the same as the human realm but it’s occupied by the dead. It’s not quite the Western depiction of burning fires and the Armageddon and the end of times, or some kind of torturous wasteland. As extra information, plenty of xianxia/xuanhuan/wuxia depictions of the underworld also contain a bureaucratic system.? Or somewhere else? Or do you despise me for holding you back? So you don’t want me anymore?”
“It’s not any of that.” Hei Xuanyi took a step forward and hugged the spirit: “Xiao-Ruo, listen to me explain…”
“I won’t listen!” The spirit embraced him sorrowfully: “Xuanyi, I don’t want to go. Can you not send me away? I don’t want to go anywhere, I just want to stay by your side. You’ve forgotten, I still haven’t earned money to buy you a gift, and I still haven’t cooked a meal for you yet. And today, didn’t we say we were going to have children? I still haven’t met our children yet, I don’t want to go!”
Hei Xuanyi said hoarsely: “I don’t want you to go either.”
“Then why are you sending me away?”
“Because you must go.” The mysterious person walked forth and said: “If you don’t go, in a little while, your soul will disintegrate and scatter into nothingness12魂飞魄散 (hun fei po san): the original idiom means ‘to be scared out of one’s wits’ but it’s usually used more literally in xuanhuan context. As mentioned, a person’s soul is made up of 3 ethereal souls and 7 physical souls, so the literal translation means that the ethereal souls will fly away and the physical souls will scatter. It usually means that the person will not be able to reincarnate into their next life anymore, and will cease to exist in any meaningful manner in any of the three realms.. You won’t be able to stay by his side all the same.”
The spirit looked at Hei Xuanyi with an expression of thunderous shock: “Is what he said true?”
Hei Xuanyi nodded with much difficulty.
“Then where will you send me to?”
The mysterious person said: “We intend to send you back into the past, which is to say the time when you hadn’t died yet, so that you can change your own destiny.”
The spirit looked at him in disbelief: “The both of you are trying to defy the heavens and change destinies, you’ll incur heaven’s wrath! No, I can’t drag the two of you into this, I won’t go!”
Hei Xuanyi hardened his resolve and threw the spirit right into the array, activating the array to trap it inside.
As long as the spirit neared the perimeter of the array, it would be rebounded backward. It tried many times, but it was unable to rush its way out of the array. It fell to its knees helplessly, wailing: “Hei Xuanyi! Did you know that defying the heavens to change destinies isn’t guaranteed to succeed? Even if I can successfully return to the past, I might cleanly forget all of the hatred, I might even forget you, and our relationship will return to how it used to be! No, I don’t want to be strangers with you again, I’m already used to you treating me well!”
Hei Xuanyi mimed touching the spirit’s head through the barrier of the array13隔空 (ge kong): normally in xuanhuan this means to do something telekinetically. In this context, it just means ‘from a distance’. I edited it as ‘through the barrier of the array’ for clarity.: “If you don’t want to forget the little details about us, then before you return to the past, firmly memorize our relationship in your heart. Sooner or later, one day, you will remember everything.”
The spirit stood up and rushed toward Hei Xuanyi: “So what if I remember you? That version of you doesn’t like me! He won’t treat me well like you do!”
“He will14不会的 (bu hui de): actually means ‘it won’t be (that way)’. I usually try to stick as close to a direct translation as possible while retaining the intention of the text, but in this case, it was better to modify the phrasing a little bit since it’s an emotionally charged scene and I want the translation to run a little smoother rather than being as technically correct as possible..” Hei Xuanyi’s eyes turned hot: “He will like you, he will treat you even better. Trust me.”
“Then what about you? What will happen to you?” The spirit sobbed and said: “What will you do without me? Can you bear to send me away?”
“So what if I can’t bear it? It’s still better than letting you disappear from this world.” Hei Xuanyi turned around, his back facing the spirit. “Senior, let’s begin.”
“No, I won’t go!” The spirit wanted to hold him back, but it was rebounded away by the array again.
The mysterious person said: “Wu Ruo, if you really keep focusing on wanting to stay, then when you return to the past, you really will forget all about him.”
The spirit’s cries paused: “But, I really don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave you, Hei Xuanyi, I don’t want to leave you!”
Hei Xuanyi tightened his hands into fists, with a swing of his robes, he left the front courtyard without turning back.
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