Chapter 126
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Woof woof…
In the dead of night, a dog’s barking rang out from somewhere within the city. In a certain house, the sleeping commoners were suddenly roused by a clatter upon the eaves. One of them pushed open a window and looked outside.
“Who’s throwing stones in the middle of the night!?”
A shadow flickered into the distance, darting along the courtyard wall. With a leap, a foot landed lightly on a tree branch. The bough bent under the weight and then rebounded, rustling softly as it sprang back.
Through the open window on the second floor of an inn, Lu Liangsheng flipped inside. He gave his robe a shake, sending a few leaves fluttering out the window.
“Master, have those people left?”
“They’re gone.”
From beneath the bed, Toad Daoist yawned and wobbled out, kicked his little legs, and hopped onto the edge of the bed. He slowly crawled up and lay down against the wooden pillow.
“You’ve repaid that eight-wen favor?”
“Naturally, it’s been repaid.”
Lu Liangsheng waved his hand, and the Veiled Moon Sword was flung toward the bookshelf with a soft clang, slotting neatly into the gap. He walked to the washstand, cleaned his hands, and wiped them dry with a towel.
“It was nothing more than a malevolent ghost. Its cultivation wasn’t even as high as Honglian’s. It used a painted skin to disguise itself as a beautiful woman, seducing lustful men and draining their Yang energy.”
As he spoke, Nie Honglian floated in, holding something in her hand and lifting it slightly.
“Why did you bring that thing back?”
Lu Liangsheng’s gaze fell on the object in her hand—it was the skin sack that once belonged to the painted-skin ghost. The young scholar frowned. With Honglian’s temperament, she would never have brought it back unless it served a purpose.
“Let me take a look.”
With a soft word, even Toad Daoist glanced over. From his spot on the bed, the toad waved lazily, opened one eyelid, and then closed it again.
“What’s so rare about it? Just a petty trinket.”
Over on the other side, Honglian reluctantly unfolded the painted skin mid-air and silently laid it across the table. Lu Liangsheng raised the oil lamp to inspect it, his fingertip brushing across the surface. It was soft and smooth, like real human skin—even the pores were clearly visible. It even had hands and feet.
Only the face…
Lu Liangsheng picked up a towel, soaked it in water, and scrubbed the skin hard. After a moment, it turned smooth and glossy, the facial features gone. The entire human skin now looked disturbingly strange.
“This isn’t real human skin. No matter how one peels a person’s face, the contours wouldn’t change like this.”
But Honglian didn’t care. She lovingly picked it back up.
“Young Master, draw my face on it.”
“What are you doing, asking for that out of nowhere? You already…” At this point, Lu Liangsheng’s words trailed off. A sudden thought struck him—if that ghost had been wandering freely, it likely didn’t only appear at night. Passing through major cities, it should’ve been caught by the City God’s underworld emissaries, unless it could also move about during the day. In that case, this skin might allow ghosts to walk in daylight.
…No wonder Honglian was so fond of it.
Lu Liangsheng looked at the woman clutching the painted skin and smiled as he went to fetch a writing brush. Honglian immediately set the skin down and obediently floated over to the bookshelf to bring him ink, inkstone, and paper.
“Let me grind the ink for you, Young Master.”
The bright moon slipped behind a cloud. The sound of the night watch beating the gong echoed down the street, prompting a few distant barks.
By the lit window, Honglian lightly adjusted the wick, making the candlelight burn brighter.
The brush in Lu Liangsheng’s hand emitted a faint glow. With it, he outlined delicate brows, then traced eyes with joy hidden in their depths. The contours of her cheeks were full and even. With a final stroke, the tip of the brush curved to form lips that hinted at a smile.
The warm yellow candlelight occasionally flickered gently.
A crimson sleeve brushed past. Honglian gazed at the side profile of the scholar lit by lamplight, utterly focused, and then looked toward the face gradually forming beneath his brush.
She lowered her head in quiet delight, lost in some thought. The corners of her lips curled into a faint smile, revealing a lovely pair of dimples.
“It’s almost done. Honglian, what do you think?”
Just as the female ghost was smiling to herself, the scholar who had been drawing turned his face toward her, brush lifted. Nie Honglian looked up, studying it carefully. The face on the painted skin truly resembled her.
“Many thanks, Young Master.”
“Then keep it safe. Try it out when you get the chance.”
Lu Liangsheng set the brush down, visibly weary. He had been on the road for a long while without sleeping properly. Shedding his outer blue robe, he pulled the blanket over himself, using the wooden pillow, and drifted off.
The flame on the table flickered softly. Crimson lips approached and blew a gentle breath—puff—and the candle was extinguished.
In the darkness, faint rustling sounds stirred. The moonlight broke through the clouds and slipped through the window lattice. Bare feet, light yet with a presence, stepped across the cold silver frost. A red robe draped her form as she sat on the bedside. Her lashes fluttered gently as she gazed upon the sleeping face on the bed.
Unable to resist, she reached out and softly stroked the back of his hand.
“This feeling is so nice… just like… I’m still alive… Thank you, Young Master.”
The figure on the bed stirred slightly, and in his sleep, it seemed he murmured a soft “Mm…”
……..
Coo—coo… crow—crowww…
In the backyard of the inn, the rooster stretched its neck and let out a long cry toward the gradually brightening eastern sky. It startled the old donkey in the livestock pen, which poked its head out restlessly.
Upstairs, the window lattice creaked open as Lu Liangsheng stretched lazily.
“Master, it’s time to be on our way!”
Before long, the rear gate connected to the inn opened. A shop attendant helped carry the bookshelf out to the livestock pen.
“Much obliged.”
Lu Liangsheng cupped his hands in thanks, pulling out his last eight copper coins to give the attendant as a tip. The attendant worked quickly, leading the old donkey out while securing the bookshelf onto it.
“If you pass through Shunyuan again, remember to stay at our inn!”
“I will! Absolutely!”
Bidding the attendant farewell, Lu Liangsheng led the old donkey out of the backyard. Today, he planned to pass through Tai’en Prefecture and continue toward Ningzhou, drawing ever closer to the Qi Mountain that his master had spoken of.
As he exited the alley beside the inn, a carriage rolled down the street from the far end. At first he thought it would pass by, but it stopped right in front of the inn, the driver pulling the reins to halt the horses.
Four figures stepped down from the carriage. Seeing Lu Liangsheng leading his donkey away, they quickly ran over.
“Wait, Young Master Lu!”
It was the same four scholars from the night before. As soon as they approached, they cupped their hands in unison and bowed deeply.
“Wang Feng, Ma Liu, Zhang Ti, and Zhao Tang thank Young Master Lu for saving our lives.”
“There’s no need for thanks. If fate allows, just treat me to some wine in the future.”
Lu Liangsheng had indeed saved the four of them. Back at the Mountain God Temple, had he not stopped those two fox demons, these four scholars would likely have already had their Yang energy drained and died.
The old donkey snorted heavily and pushed its way forward.
Seeing that Lu Liangsheng was about to leave, the four scholars lifted their robes and quickly caught up. “Young Master Lu, there’s one more person who wishes to thank you in person. But he’s bedridden and unable to get up…”
At this, the short scholar named Zhao Tang cupped his hands and said:
“Young Master Lu, Brother Chongwen truly is a good man. Please, help him if you can.”
Lu Liangsheng chuckled.
“The Brother Chongwen you speak of has only had a bit of his yang energy drained. He’ll recover soon enough… Sigh, I just worry you’ll end up trying desperate remedies for a serious illness. Let’s go, I’ll take a look.”
“Then please, Young Master Lu, take the carriage.”
“No need for that. My old donkey can keep up just fine.”
Lu Liangsheng patted the donkey’s neck, sat cross-legged atop it, and waved to the four of them. “Lead the way.”
The carriage turned around at the fork in the road. Wang Feng lifted the curtain and, upon seeing the donkey steadily following behind, finally relaxed.
The morning light was gentle and warm.
The carriage and the donkey moved through the streets, crossing a stone bridge. This corner of the city was tranquil and secluded, with a small grove of trees nearby. As Lu Liangsheng approached, the wind stirred across the wooded expanse, causing the leaves to rustle softly.
“I couldn’t see clearly last night, but in daylight, the feng shui and scenery here are quite pleasant.”
Ahead, the carriage had already stopped at the gate of a courtyard. Upon spotting Lu Liangsheng approaching, the scholars urged the driver to move the carriage aside.
“Take good care of Young Master Lu’s donkey!”
“Please, Young Master Lu, this way!”
Such enthusiasm… Lu Liangsheng handed the reins to the driver and followed the four scholars into the courtyard. On both sides were potted plants and small trees, and the central path was paved with square stone tiles. The place couldn’t compare to the grandeur of Minister Min’s residence, nor to the ancient elegance of Zhou Zhen’s estate, but it had its own quiet charm and refined tranquility.
They say a person’s handwriting reflects their character, but that’s not always accurate. Yet to judge a person by their home—now that, more often than not, reveals something true.
For example, if a house is tidy and bright, its resident is surely someone who values cleanliness and pays attention to detail. If the house is grand and luxurious, that speaks for itself.
Following the four into the main room of the rear residence, they saw a dignified woman sitting by the bedside, clutching a silk handkerchief and weeping. A maid beside her tried to console her. Hearing footsteps approach from outside, the maid softly said:
“Madam, someone’s arrived.”
The woman rose just as the four scholars stepped into the room.
“Sister-in-law, we’ve brought him!” “This is Young Master Lu.”
Even before entering, Lu Liangsheng had already gathered a few details about Wang Chongwen’s household. With due courtesy, he cupped his hands in greeting.
“Lu Liangsheng, from Mount Qixia.”
Madam Wang returned the gesture, then glanced at her slumbering husband on the bed. Turning back, she dropped into a deep bow.
“I implore you, Young Master Lu, please save my husband…”
Before she could kneel fully, Lu Liangsheng swept his wide sleeve, and without touching her, lifted her back upright with a wave of force. She had barely registered what happened when he was already seated at the bedside.
The maid standing by widened her eyes at the scene, mouth agape, frozen in astonishment.
“It’s nothing serious. Your husband has merely lost a bit of Yang energy. He’ll recover in a month or two. Just—absolutely avoid bedroom matters in the meantime.”
Lu Liangsheng withdrew his hand from under the covers and turned to advise Madam Wang.
“I wouldn’t have come, truly. But I feared you all might panic and seek the wrong treatment. Then what isn’t an illness could become one—and that would be trouble.”
He rose as he spoke, his gaze falling on a bookshelf in the room. He couldn’t help but look it over more closely.
“…No need for heavy tonics. Simple soups and light nourishment will do.”
His words trailed off as a book on the shelf caught his eye—[Classic of Mountains and Seas].
“Your husband enjoys reading books like this too?”
He picked it up, flipping casually through the pages with a smile—until that smile slowly faded.
The content was not the same as the copy he owned.
“There’s more than one version of The Classic of Mountains and Seas?”
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Orluros’s Vault of Secrets: If you liked the chapter feel free to donate 🙂 and if you find any errors in the translation please mention them in the comments here or in discord
