Huh, since his soul has traveled back in time, perhaps his cultivation has returned in time too?
Mo Ran started to work his magic and felt the spiritual energy in his body growing. He had plenty of energy, but it was not as strong as it had been. This solved his question; the cultivation prowess of his past had not returned to him.
It’s not a big deal. His talents could reach the Heavens, he was someone blessed with innate talent; he could learn how to cultivate all over again. No matter. This rebirth was a blessing even if there were a few shortcomings, that was only to be expected. Mo Ran thought it through, and quickly swallowed his gloom and unpleasantness, appearing like the fifteen year old he should be, happily preparing for his return to the cultivation world.
It was the middle of the summer. There were horse-drawn carriages speeding past, their wheels rolling up dust, and nobody seemed to pay Mo Ran any attention.
There were only the occasional village women, taking a break from their field labors, who raised their heads, wiping their sweat to stare at the exceptionally handsome youth.
Mo Ran, in return, smiled unstrained and charming, shameless as the women blushed bright red and turned away from his gaze.
Mo Ran came to Wuchang Town just as night was falling. The town was close to Sisheng Peak, outlined by a blood red sun with burning clouds of dusk lining the towering peaks. He felt a little hungry when he touched his stomach, so he entered a restaurant carelessly, looked at the red and black dish sign in front of the cabinet, knocked on the counter, and said quickly: “Shopkeeper, can I have some bonbon chicken? And some sliced beef tripe, two bottles of white wine and a plate of roast beef.”
This area was a popular place for weary travelers and was bustling with activity. There was a storyteller energetically shaking his fan and telling the tales of Sisheng Peak excitedly, with spit flying everywhere.
Mo Ran chose a private seat and listened as he ate.
"As everyone knows, our cultivation world is divided into two areas: upper cultivation and lower cultivation. Today we will talk about the most remarkable sect in the lower cultivation world, the Pinnacle of Life and Death, Sisheng Peak. This is where we are currently. A hundred years ago, Wuchang Town was a desolate and turbulent poor town. Because it was only a bit away from the entrance of the ghost world, the villagers were afraid to go out when it was dark. Travelers who needed to go out would throw fragrant ash paper money, while chanting, ‘People are kept away by mountains, ghosts are kept away by joss papers,’ while passing as quickly as they could. But today, our town is no different from other places, and it all depends Sisheng Peak. This powerful Sect is proud and glorious, built right at the entrance of the ghost gate, lying between the yin and yang realms. Although it was established not too long ago, but..."
This sort of history was something that Mo Ran had listened to so many times that his ears had automatically learned to tune it out, so with a lack of interest, he began to stare out the window. It just so happened that a stall was set up downstairs, and a few foreigners dressed as cultivators were carrying a cage covered with black cloth, and were playing tricks on the street.
This is much more interesting than the old man's storytelling.
Mo Ran’s attention shifted from the tale towards the show.
"Take a look, take a look, this is a cub of the ancient fierce beast, Pixiu, who was captured by me. Now it is as good as a child, and can juggle and do arithmetic! It is not easy to be a chivalrous man, so spare this master some money— if you can’t spare money, then stick around and watch as the pixie perform some mathematics!”
The cultivator priests lifted the black cloth in a rush, revealing inside the cage a few bear bodied monsters with human faces.
Mo Ran: "............"
These were furry, pitiful, ugly looking puppies! How could anyone claim that they are pixiu?
This bull-headed liar really thought that he could get away with this? The only people who would believe it are people who don’t have brains for shit.
But Mo Ran was proven wrong. Twenty or thirty donkey brains gathered around them to watch the show, cheering and applauding from time to time. The lively energy, even the people in the restaurant couldn’t help but look out, making Mr. Storyteller lose his audience.
"Now the lord of Sisheng Peak, this is a prestigious and famous—"
"Okay!!! One more tale!!!”
The storyteller was greatly encouraged and followed the prestige, and saw that the guest was flushed with excitement, but it was obviously not he who had captured the attentions of the travelers.
"Oh, the Pixiu can do mathematics?!”
"Ahhhh, so awesome!"
"Okay! Amazing! Can we see the Pixiu juggling an apple?!”
The people all over the building chuckled and gathered by the windows to watch the excitement below. The storyteller continued pitifully: “What had brought this Lord his acclaim is his fan, he..."
"Ahahaha, that brave pixiu with the lightest coat almost got that apple, you see? It’s still rolling on the ground!"
Mr. Storyteller wiped his face with a sweat towel, his lips trembled with anger.
Mo Ran pursed his lips, smirked and called leisurely behind the bead curtain: "Don't talk about the Pinnacle of Life and Death. Sing some of the "Eighteen Touches", and it will surely pull everyone back."
The storyteller didn't know that the person behind the curtain was a young master of Sisheng Peak himself, and he said with some sense of dignity: "Rough and vulgar words have no place in such a hall.”
Mo Ran only smirked before laughing: “Oh is this supposed to be an elegant hall? What sort of embarrassment are you.”
And then suddenly, there was a great commotion from below.
“What a fast horse!”
“Must be a cultivator from Sisheng Peak!”
There was a lot of discussion, just as a dark steed rushed from the direction of Sisheng Peak, and rushed into the crowds like lightning!
There were two people sitting on the horse. One was wearing a black hat and a black cloak, covered up so one couldn’t tell their age or sex. The other was a woman in her 30s and 40s with rough hands and a weathered face.
The woman cried when she saw those human bears. She scrambled off the horse, stumbled and rushed over, hugged one of the human bears, knelt down, and howled: "My son!!! what--"
The people around were dumbfounded. Someone scratched his head and murmured, "Yeah? Isn't this the cub of the ancient beast Pixiu? How does this woman call it a child?"
“Was this a female Pixiu?”
"Oh, that's so amazing, this mother has grown into a human form!"
The villagers here were ignorant, talking nonsense here and there, but Mo Ran instead pondered.
According to legend, some Taoist priests would go to kidnap children, then pull out the children’s tongue so that they could not speak, then scald the children’s skins with boiling water, and stick the animal skins on them while they were bloody. After the blood coagulated, the fur and the child were glued together, and it looked like a monster. These children can't speak, can't write, and can only be bullied by others. With the performance of the "Pixiu plan" juggling, if they resist, they will be beaten by clubs.
No wonder he couldn't feel the slightest demon spirit near these beasts. These "Pixiu" were not monsters at all, but living people...
While Mo Ran was thinking to himself, the dark cloaked figure said something to the Taoist priests. Hearing this, all the Taoist priests were furious in an instant, yelling, "Apologize? Your grandfather doesn't know how to write that fucking word!” "What's so great about Sisheng Peak?” “I’ll show you what happens to busybodies!” He jumped on to beat the black cloak.
“Aiyooo…”
Seeing the disciple being beaten, Mo Ran only laughed. "So fierce."
He had no intention of helping. In his previous life, he really hated how the Sect seemed to help just about anybody, like righteous idiots who would even rush up to save the kittens of Mrs. Wang who were stuck up a tree. Just about any inconvenience, any signs of trouble, the entire Sect from the Sect Leader to the bondsmen, every single one of them was a righteous idiot.
There are so many unfair things in the world already. Why should you care for anything that wasn’t your business? It was enough to tire anyone to death.
"It's a fight, it's a fight! Ha! What a powerful punch!”
These people love to watch fights, but Mo Ran didn’t care to watch. He’s seen plenty of bloodshed, and whatever happening right now was nothing more consequential than a fly’s buzz. He lazily dusted the peanut crumbs from his clothes, got up and left.
Downstairs, the cultivators were fighting with the black cloaked figure, the victor was indistinguishable, their sword aura swishing, just as Mo Ran crossed his arms, leaning against the entrance of the wine shop, just glanced at it, and couldn't help but sigh.
For shame.
Everyone from Sisheng Peak was a fierce fighter, each the equal of ten men, so this black clothed person was quite pathetic. Even when he was dragged against his horse, surrounded and kicked, he was still someone holding back his true strength.
This figure only called out, but wouldn’t fight back.
Instead, he shouted weakly: "The gentleman does not speak with his fists but with his words. I am trying to speak the truth to you, so why will you not listen?”
The cultivators：“………………”
Mo Ran：“……………………”
What the hell was this cultivator thinking? He’s already so soundly beaten and yet still preaches this peaceful nonsense? Has his brains been squished like mantou, empty inside?
Though Mo Ran’s face twisted then, his head spinning for a second. He held his breath, his eyes widened with awe — that voice …
“Shi Mei!” Mo Ran yelled before running forward, his heart hammering in his chest. He allowed one of his spiritual attacks to fly, knocking easily away five jianghu cultivator swindlers before kneeling on the ground to help the dark cloaked figure up, noticing that his clothes were covered with muddy boot prints. Mo Ran’s voice couldn’t help but stumble —
“Shi Mei, is that you?!”
——
T/N: Apologies on the delay with this chapter. My computer was broken and it took three weeks for me to be able to get a new one. Thank you for understanding!
“My heart feels like stagnant water though despite the cold nights which felt as if they’ve lasted thirty-nine years, the light of spring still manages to shine through. Could it be that the Heavens are finally pitying this stalk of valley grass, and yet how fearful I am still, of the frost and rain.”¹
He heard a woman yelling in a crisp voice, her voice jingled like jade unpleasantly scratching, giving Mo Ran a splintering headache.
“What is that noise? Who is screaming like a ghost? Come, send me someone to beat this bitch away from the mountain!”
After listening to the angry yelling, Mo Ran was shocked.
…Wasn’t he dead?
Hatred and coldness ached in his chest and Mo Ran opened his eyes quickly.
Just like that, his death and past life scattered as if the wind had blown it away.² He found that he was lying in a bed, not in a coffin. The bed was carved with dragons and painted phoenixes. The fragrant wood was heavily perfumed, and the bedding was a pink so red that it resembled purple, embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water. This was the sort of bed that a prostitute would sleep on!
“...”
Mo Ran stiffened for a second.
He knew where this was.
This was an entertainment hall³ near Sisheng Peak!
This sort of hole-in-the-wall place was a brothel. A type of fly-by-night operation that allowed its inhabitants and their guests to gather quickly and disperse just as quickly.
When Mo Ran was younger, he was very much a slut and slept at a brothel ten out of every fifteen days. However, this brothel went bankrupt when he was in his twenties and later became a wine shop. After his death, he ended up appearing at this brothel that hadn’t existed for quite some time. What was going on?
Could it be that he was so evil in his past life, ruining countless boys and girls, that he was punished by the god of the underworld to stay in hell, picking up customers?
Mo Ran's thoughts were wild, turning and twisting around until unconsciously he rolled over.
Surprisingly, there was a figure beside him that was fast asleep.
“...”
What was this situation?! Why was there a man lying beside him??
And a naked man too!
The man had young but exquisite features. His complexion was a lovely snow-pale, with androgynonous features.
While Mo Ran was expressionless, his heart was turbulent, staring at the pretty little pale face who was still fast asleep and suddenly remembered.
Wasn’t this his childhood paramour named Rong San?
Or was it Rong Jiu?
It didn’t matter whether it’s “San” or “Jiu,” what was important was that this boy died of a venereal disease and his bones should have all rotted away. However, in this moment, he was alive, carefully nestled in his bed, his shoulders and neck exposed by his rich brocade quilt, skin covered in blue and purple bruises, the evidence of prior love making!
Mo Ran’s face colored, lifting the quilt as his eyes roamed down.
“...”
It didn’t matter if it’s “Jiu” or “San,” let’s just call him “Rong Jiu.” The little beauty Rong Jiu was covered with whip marks, his pale, jade-like thigh was bound with several red ropes.
Mo Ran touched his cheek, secretly sighing. Oh, this was fun.
He looked at the exquisite rope art, similar to his own skillful techniques, this sight familiar.
…Wasn't this done by his own actions?!!
He was a cultivator who had some knowledge towards rebirth. At this moment, he couldn’t help but start to doubt that he was actually back.
In order to confirm his thoughts, Mo Ran looked for a nearby mirror. While the bronze mirror was in bad shape, he could still make out his own appearance in its dim yellow haze.
When Mo Ran had died, he could stand on his own already at the age of thirty two.⁴ But at this moment, his reflection’s face was actually quite childish, with his handsome eyebrows, he had the look of a cocksure fifteen or sixteen year old.
There was no one else in this bedroom. And so, the tyrant of the cultivation world, the bully of Shu, the Emperor of the human realm, the young master of Sisheng Peak, the one called Taxian-Jun or the “One Who Stepped Upon Immortals,'' after a long period of silence, honestly expressed his genuine feelings.
“Fuck…”
The statement startled⁵ the sleeping Rong Jiu awake.
The beauty sat up lazily, the thin brocade cloth that had been draped over his body slid down his shoulders, revealing a dazzlingly white expanse of skin. His long, soft curls covered his body as he blinked a pair of sleepy peach-blossom shaped eyes. His eyes, tinged with residual redness, were heavy and unfocused as he yawned.
“Um...Young Master Mo, you woke up so early today.”
Mo Ran could not utter a sound. It was as if he was transported back to ten years ago. He had really liked Rong Jiu, this slight and coquettish, pinnacle of beauty,⁶ but now, the thirty-two year old Taxian-Jun wondered what he was even thinking to have found him attractive.
“Did you not sleep well last night? Did you have a nightmare?”
This Venerable One is dead and you call it a nightmare!
Rong Jiu saw that he hadn't spoken for quite some time, and noticed that he was in a bad mood, so he got up and got out of bed, coming to the carved wooden window before pulling Mo Ran into his embrace.
"Young Master Mo, you pay attention to me; why are you so dazed, ignoring me?"
As he held Mo Ran, Mo Ran's face turned blue and he wanted to tear the flesh from this little seductor’s back immediately, to scratch seventeen or eighteen lines down his cheek, but he held it back.
He felt dizzy, still not understanding the situation.
After all, if he really was born again, if yesterday he had fucked Rong Jiu⁷ but then beat his face swollen, he was the same as before. That kind of behavior would be no different from being mentally fucked up. It was not appropriate, it was very wrong.
Mo Ran sorted out his emotions and asked casually, “What month and day is it?”
Rong Jiu was surprised, but then he smiled and said, “It’s the fourth day of May.”
“The thirty-third year?”
“That was last year, this year is the thirty-fourth year. Young Master Mo really is a forgetful nobleman; the more powerful he becomes, the more he forgets.”⁸
Thirty-fourth year...
Mo Ran’s eyes grew dark as his thoughts raced.
During the thirty-fourth year, and himself still at fifteen years old, he had just been recognized by the Lord of Sisheng Peak as a long-lost nephew, rising from a mangy dog who was easily bulliable to a phoenix of a noble house.⁹
So, he was truly reborn then?
Or was this just an empty dream after his death?
Rong Jiu smiled and said, “Young Master Mo, I see that your hunger has made you dizzy to the point that you can’t even remember what day it is. You sit for a while, I’ll go to the kitchen and bring you some food. How does that sound?”
Mo Ran, newly reborn and still unable to really deal with the implications of everything, remembered what he used to do. He was always charming and romantic, and so enduring his nausea, he grinned and pinched Rong Jiu’s leg.
“Very well. I want a bowl of porridge, and I want you to feed me when you return.”
Rong Jiu put on his clothes and left. After a while, he came back with a wooden tray with a bowl of pumpkin porridge, two youtiao,¹⁰ and a plate of side dishes.
Mo Ran was just a little hungry, so he grabbed at one of the pieces of bread to enjoy, however, Rong Jiu suddenly pulled his hand away and said, “I’ll feed you so just enjoy.”
“...”
Rong Jiu picked up a piece of the fried cake and sat on Mo Ran’s leg. He wore a thin robe and wasn’t wearing anything underneath. His pale, slender thighs straddled Mo Ran and brushed against Mo Ran’s skin, grinding temptingly in a way that left no room for ambiguity about the purpose of his actions.
Mo Ran stared at Rong Jiu’s face for a little while.
Rong Jiu probably assumed that he was horny again. “Why are you staring at me? The food is going to get cold.”
Mo Ran remained silent. Thinking of the pleasurable things that they had done together during his past life, he slowly rubbed the corners of his mouth with a sweetly charming smile.
He had done a lot of disgusting things in his life. If he really wanted to, he could do anything, no matter how disgusting. At this moment, he was merely putting on an act, a child’s trick like this comparatively was nothing.
Mo Ran carelessly leaned back against the chair, smiling. “Sit.”
“I...I am sitting here.”
“You know where I’m telling you to sit.”
Rong Jiu’s face flushed. “So anxious! How about when the Young Master finishes ea— ah!”
But before he could finish speaking, he was dragged up by Mo Ran who slammed him forward and pressed him down. Rong Jiu’s hands were shaking as the porridge bowl fell to the ground. He stuttered, “Young Master Mo, the bowl…”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“But you should eat...nn...ah!”
“Am I not eating right now?” Mo Ran’s grip tightened upon his waist, the sight of Rong Jiu’s lovely neck and pretty appearance reflected in his pitch black eyes.
During his last lifetime, he had loved kissing those captivating red lips during intimacy. After all, Rong Jiu was lovely and could say all the right things to turn him on. It wouldn’t have been a lie to say that Mo Ran cared for him.
But now, knowing what dirty things that Rong Jiu’s lips had done to him behind his back, Mo Ran felt that instead, his mouth was foul and disgusting and he definitely didn’t want to kiss him.
The thirty-two year old Mo Ran was different from the sixteen year old Mo Ran.
For example, the sixteen year old knew how to be gentle, how to love and be intimate. However, the thirty-two year old only had desolation in his heart.
Afterwards, gazing at Rong Jiu who had passed out after having the life fucked out of him, the turmoil lifted from Mo Ran’s half-closed eyes, now even shining with some hidden joy. He was very attractive when he smiled, his eyes were a deep, rich black rimmed with a ring of arrogant violet that shined at certain angles. Pulling Rong Jiu onto the bed by his hair, he casually picked up a shard of broken pottery from the ground, brushing it against Rong Jiu’s sleeping face.
He was someone who always paid back his grievances;¹¹ today was no different.
Thinking about how he had financially provided for Rong Jiu, how he had even thought about purchasing his freedom, and then how Rong Jiu had schemed against him to pay back his kindness, his eyes squinted as his lips curled into a smirk, pressing the shard of broken pottery against Rong Jiu’s cheek.
In the flesh trade, if he didn’t have a pretty face, he would have nothing.
This vulgar man would have to live on the streets like a dog, crawling on the ground only to be kicked by boots and abused... just thinking about it made him so happy that the nausea from fucking him dispersed.¹²
Mo Ran’s smirk grew even lovelier.
With just some applied pressure, a thread of blood, gloriously red in color, trickled out.
Though he was unconscious, Rong Jiu must have felt the pain and whimpered softly with a hoarse voice, looking pitiful with tears clinging to his lashes.
Mo Ran stopped.
He remembered a friend of his.
“....”
He realized what he was doing. It took him a few seconds to come back to himself as he slowly, carefully lowered his hand.
He was such an evil person that it had become his personality. He only just remembered that he was reborn.
Right now, nothing had happened yet, that incident hadn’t even happened yet, that person… hadn’t even died yet. Why did he need to walk the same cruel path when he could simply do it over?
He sat down with his feet dangling by the side of the bed and casually played with the shard of pottery in his hand. Seeing the greasy pastries still on the table, he took them over, peeled away the greasy paper and took a large mouthful and then another mouthful, face almost shiny with grease.
This pastry was the main dish of this entertainment house. It was really not so delicious and, compared with the delicacies upon delicacies that he had tasted later, it felt like he was chewing wax, but after this entertainment house closed, he had never tasted it again. At this moment, the familiar taste of the pancakes brought him back to reality, the taste of reality on his tongue.
Every time he swallowed, he became more convinced that he was truly reborn.
After the entire pastry was finished, he finally recovered from his confusion.
He really was born again.
All the evil things that he had done in his life, all the irrevocable things haven’t even happened yet.
He did not kill his martial family, did not massacre the seventy-two fortresses of Rufeng, did not trick his teachers and destroy his ancestors, he did not get married, he did not…
No one was dead yet.
He smacked his mouth, licking around his white teeth. He felt a tiny ray of joy in his chest, expanding rapidly with the same enthusiasm as an ocean torrent.¹³ He had been a man known all over the world during his lifetime¹⁴ due to his knowledge of the three forbidden arts. He had been proficient in the first two; they were all cultivation techniques. Only the last one, “reincarnation,” was something that he couldn’t manage, despite his intelligence.
Unexpectedly, what he couldn’t have achieved in his last lifetime had come true after death.
After all the pain, his hatred, the desolation and loneliness, his ambivalence from his previous life rumbled in his chest, the sight of the army marching upon Sisheng Peak, their overwhelming force.
He didn’t want to live like that anymore. Everyone said that he was born under a vicious star,¹⁵ that he was fated to die alone. Everyone had eventually turned their backs on him. In the end, even he had felt like he was already dead, unable to communicate and so, so lonely.
He didn’t know what went wrong for a heinous person like him to deserve a second chance.
Why did he want to destroy Rong Jiu’s face from such a small grudge that happened so long ago?
Rong Jiu’s favorite thing was money. This time, he wouldn’t pay him for his services, and would also skim a little money from the top just to teach him a lesson. He didn’t want to be responsible for the other’s life, at least not now.
“This is me going easy on you, Rong Jiu,”¹⁶ Mo Ran said with a smile, tossing the piece of porcelain out the window.
Then, he ransacked Rong Jiu’s jewels and valuables before stuffing it all into his own bag. He took his time dressing before jauntily strolling out of the entertainment house.
Uncle, Aunt, Cousin Xue Meng, Shizun, and…
Mo Ran’s eyes softened at the thought of that person.
Shige, I’m coming…
——
Footnotes:
1. Okay so this line has some what similarities to Hong Yingming’s “Cai Gen Tan” with some lines directly and poetically taken from there. There are definitely some Heaven's Light vibes from the Hunchback of Notre Dame so I’m translating this a little bit more literally so that readers can appreciate Meatbun’s prose. The direct Mandarin is “我本已心如死水万念灰，却不料三九寒夜透春光，莫不是天意偏怜幽谷草，怕只怕世态炎凉多风霜” and according to Weibo, this line is considered one of Meatbun’s best lines.
2. 风吹雪散 directly translates to “the wind blows at the snow and scatters the clouds”
3. The phrase is “瓦子” which conveys something small and shoddy, very much a “fly by night” sort of operation. According to my research on Beidu, these operations were quite common during the Northern Song Dynasty, and referenced in Wu Zimu's "Menglianglu" with the line “来时瓦合，去时瓦解'' translated to “to build with you come, to collapse when you go,” a very shaky enterprise.
4. 立之年 or “the year of standing.” A Confucian statement which means “at the age of [30] a man can fully stand on his own, is self sufficient.” 飞扬跋扈 means “the arrogance of youths” so given that it’s Mo Ran, I wanted to translate as “cocksureness” but you can also go with “youthful arrogance.”
5. So here’s a really funny play on words because 操 in 操醒了 is the same 操 as “fuck.”
6. 千娇百媚 is an idiom meaning “the height of beauty,” It originates from Chen Xuling’s “Miscellaneous” poem from the line “绿黛红颜两相发，千娇百态情无歇,” as well as Tang Zhang Wencheng’s “Youth in the Caves of Immortals” line “千娇百媚，造次无可比方；弱体轻身，谈之不能备尽.”
7. 颠鸳倒凤 is a colloquialism for having sex in more classic novels from Yuan Wang’s “West Chamber.” It means for the young luan (a mythical beast) to turn the phoenix.
8. 贵人多忘事 is translated to "noblemen really have short memories;" it's an idiom that was used to criticize how high-ranking officials were arrogant and didn't 'remember' to take care of their old friends, used as an insult. Here, Rong Jiu is saying as Mo Ran gets stronger, the less he values Rong Jiu.
9. 枝头的凤凰 is an idiom that means “your value is determined by your family.”
10. Fried pieces of dough. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youtiao
11. 睚眦必报 — This chengyu originates from Sima Qian’s “Records of the Grand Historian: Biography of Fan Ju and Cai Ze” in the Western Han Dynasty. It’s used to mean “even the smallest resentment must be revenged” and is a derogatory idiom.
12. 消云散了 is a chengyu meaning “vanished like smoke” and originates from Xu Fanting’s “Three Years of Unspoken Words.” Mo Ran’s nausea over fucking Rong Jiu “disappears like smoke.”
13. 惊涛骇浪 or “ocean current” is particularly a great current full of terrifying turbulence. It comes from Tang Tian Ying’s “The Collected Works of Yushan Hall: The Story of Haiyunlou.” In this instance, this ocean current is a metaphor to express Mo Ran’s exuberant happiness at his realization that no one has died yet, he's so adorable! He's excited like a puppy!
14. In the next sentence, 叱咤风云 “globally renown” is from “Liang Shu Yuandi Ji,” describing a sensational, prestigious general. Essentially meaning omnipotent.
15. 命主孤煞 is a chengyu meaning “born under a vicious star.” (https://www.yamab2b.com/zhouyi/MzNiZjg=.html here’s a source you can translate to read more)
16. 便宜你了 — I’ve translated it here as “I’ve let you off easy.” Essentially, it means to take advantage of or profit from someone else’s expense.
Before Mo Ran became the Emperor, there were always people calling him a dog.
The shopkeepers used to rebuke him as the “son of a dog,” the customers called him a “puppy,” his cousin would swear he was a “piece-of-shit mutt,” and most important of all, his own mother claimed he was “raised by a bitch¹.”
Of course, not all of the dog comparisons were quite so bad. For example, he had the stamina of a dog in a rut. His paramours² always grumbled about that in moments of feigned anger; though his honeyed voice could ensnare the soul, the deadly weapon below his belt was not nearly so sweet, and could steal away one’s very life. But despite their complaints, thinking themselves incredibly clever,³ they would turn around and brag to others afterwards, to the point that the entire district knew that the man named Mo Weiyu’s handsome looks hid a sexual energy that was not so easily quenched. Those who had slept with him were very satisfied, and those who hadn’t wished to be overwhelmed too!⁴
In all honesty, the people who called him a dog were not entirely incorrect. Mo Ran was indeed like a dumb dog thoughtlessly wagging its tail.
It wasn't until he became the Emperor of the Cultivation World that these names truly disappeared.
One day, a smaller Sect⁵ from very far away gifted him a puppy.
The dog was gray and white, with three marks like licks of flame, three spots of reddish fur⁶ upon its forehead, almost like a wolf. But it was only about as large as a melon, and was just as round and fat⁷ as one besides; and it thought itself very fearsome indeed as it dashed about the great hall with wild, reckless abandon. Sometimes it tried to climb the high steps to try to see the lord seated upon the throne, but because its legs were just too short, every attempt ended in failure.
Mo Ran had stared for a while at that energetic, witless little furball, before bursting into laughter. Through his guffaws, he couldn’t help but call it a stupid mutt.
This little puppy swiftly grew to become a large dog; then that large dog became an old dog; and finally, that old dog became a dead dog.
Mo Ran’s eyes fell shut and then he opened them once again. His life had been filled with endless ups and downs, so much so that he stopped caring what people thought of him.⁸ And just like that, thirty-two years had passed.
He was tired of all the games, the boredom, the loneliness. As the years passed, fewer and fewer familiar people remained by his side. Even the three flames had been snuffed out. bereft of purpose, his will to achieve great tasks or to prove anything to anyone had gone with it.⁹ And he thought, it’s about time to bring all of this to a close.
He picked up a crystalline, plump, expensive looking grape and slowly peeled away its purple skin.
Like the King of Qing peeling off the Orchid Consort’s robes, his movements were deliberate yet pensive; there was a slowness to it, a creeping exhaustion. The grape was biyingying,¹⁰ so delectable and soft in his hands; its juices spilled out, purple and delicate like the wild geese flowing from the Danxia region, like the haitang blossoms fluttering asleep in the spring.
Like dirty blood.
He swallowed the sweet nectar while examining his fingertips before blinking lazily.
He thought that the shichen was almost up.
It was time for him to go to Hell.
Mo Ran, Mo Weiyu.
The Cultivation World’s First King.
It was not comfortable sitting in such a position. What one needs is not just extraordinary cultivation skill, but also a thick skinned cheekiness.
Before he had unified the realms, the Ten Great Sects fought each other as fiercely as tigers and dragons over divided territories. Since the sects were all constrained by one another, it was impossible for one sect to rise above the rest. Moreover, the Sect Leaders were all holier-than-thou nerds who spent too much time reading the classics! Even if any of them considered messing around with titles, they would have been too wary of how history would perceive them in the future, too afraid of being remembered in infamy.¹¹
But Mo Ran was different.
Mo Ran was a liumang, a hooligan.
What others feared to do, he did it all. He drank the most fragrant wine in the world, married the most beautiful woman in the world. First he had become the leader of the unified Cultivation realm—the One Who Stepped Upon Immortals, Taxian-Jun¹²—and only then did he grant himself the title of Emperor.
All surrendered to him.
All those who did not wish to surrender were driven to absolute extermination.¹³ His tyrannical reign over the Cultivation realm could be described as bloody and sorrowful.¹⁴ Numerous cultivators fought and lost; the Rufeng Sect from the Ten Great Sects was even destroyed completely.
Even Mo Ran’s esteemed master was unable to escape from his demonic grasp. Having lost to Mo Ran in a duel, the esteemed master was taken and imprisoned in the palace by his beloved disciple, never to be heard from again.
The once-clear waters of the Yellow River are now misty; the once-peaceful seas had become utterly chaotic.¹⁵
The Dog Emperor wasn’t one to spend his days reading and he was a man without any taboos,¹⁶ so during his reign, many ridiculous and absurd actions were taken. For example, just look at the dynastic names of his reign:
For the first three years of his rule, the Era Name he selected was “Wang Ba,” or “Pimp Bastard”,¹⁷ which he had thought of as he was sitting by his pond and feeding fish.
For the second three years, his Era Name was “Qua,” or “Croaker,” which was divinely inspired by the calls of the frogs in his courtyard during the summertime; surely, this would not disappoint the gods.
The literati¹⁸ thought there could be nothing worse than “Pimp Bastard” or “Croaker” for an Era Name, but they really didn’t know Mo Weiyu at all!
During the third Era, dissenters started crawling from their holes to move against him.¹⁹ Whether they were Buddhists, Taoists, or spiritual Cultivators, those who could no longer stand Mo Ran’s tyranny began to rise up against him, one right after another.
In response, Mo Ran thought about it for a long time; and after countless revisions, his Earth-Shattering Majesty, feared by both ghosts and immortals alike, chose the new Era Name of “Jiba,” or “Peacemaker.”
So the implied meaning wasn’t bad: the words the Emperor had thought up were taken from the spirit of the statement, “Stop the War, Cease the Troops;”¹⁹ however, the literate few seemed… just a little embarrassed by speaking the name.
Those who were illiterate felt the title to be even more awkward…
Spoken aloud, the “The First Year of the Peacemaker” sounded… well… like the Reign of “Cock and Balls.”²¹
The second year sounded like “the Second Year of the Cock.”
The word Cock was used for the third year too.
People started cursing his name behind locked doors. “Ridiculous! Why don’t we just call it the Century of the Dick to complete this circle? Going forward, if you ask a man, no need to ask for their age. Just ask how old their dick is! You can call a hundred year old master, A Hundred Year Old Dick!”
Finally, these three difficult years passed too and it was time to replace the long-suffering title “Peacemaker.”
People from all over the world waited fearfully²² to see what the Emperor would come up with for his fourth Era Name, but this time Mo Ran no longer had the possibility to even consider one because in this year, the turmoil in his realm finally exploded. The heroes who had swallowed complaints and endured hardships for ten years finally united together to form a vast army, millions strong, ready to attack the palace of the Emperor Mo Weiyu.²³
The Cultivation world did not need an Emperor.
Especially since this one was such a tyrant!
After months of bloody persistence, the rebels finally came to the foot of Sisheng mountain. This steep mountain in the Kingdom of Shu²⁴ was surrounded by clouds and mist year-round, with Mo Ran’s palace standing majestically upon its apex.
The arrows were already notched;²⁵ they were already so close to overthrowing this tyrant. And yet, this blow was also the most difficult. Though the hopes of victory were already in the eyes of the men, these strangers who had gathered to fight the same enemy, they also began to harbor doubt and fear. If the old emperor was destroyed, then who was to say that there wouldn’t be some new order? Nobody wanted to take the first step and take the lead in attacking the mountain.
They were also afraid that this tyrant would secretly mount a surprise attack,²⁶ baring his beastly teeth and destroying all those who dared to attack his palace, shredding them into so much trash.
Someone said darkly, “Mo Weiyu still has high spiritual powers and is still dangerous. We need to be cautious and not fall for his ways.”
The generals all agreed.
At that moment, a young man with an extraordinarily beautiful countenance came forth. He wore light silver-blue armor and a belt with a lion’s head in silver clinched at his waist; his ponytail was high and fastened by a silver hair piece.
This young man’s expression was ugly. “We’re all at the foot of the mountain and you’re still hesitating and complaining, not wanting to go up! Do you want to wait for Mo Weiyu to climb down himself? What a timid, useless group of garbage!”
As he said this, the surrounding people became enraged. “How can Master Xue even talk? What is wrong with being cautious? All soldiers need to be cautious. If we’re all irresponsible and reckless like you then who will be responsible when something goes wrong?”
Immediately, someone else taunted: “Hehe, Master Xue is the Pride of the Heavens.²⁷ We are just ordinary men. Since the Pride of the Heavens can’t wait to brawl with the Emperor of the Human World, then why don’t you just go up the mountain first? Let’s have wine and snacks at the bottom of the mountain and wait for you to knock Mo Weiyu’s head off, would that be good?”
These remarks were a bit aggressive. An old Buddhist monk stilled a young man who was about to attack, then turned towards the young man named Xue, expression full of sympathetic kindness. “Master Xue, please listen to what this old man says. This old monk knows that you and Mo Weiyu have a deep personal grudge against one another, however the palace invasion is far more important. You ought to think of others.”
This important person²⁸ called Master Xue was named Xue Meng. More than ten years ago, he had been a promising young leader, a pride of the Heavens.
Yet much time had passed and—as powerful people who lose their power are commonly degraded—he now had to endure the ridicule and harassment of these people just to face Mo Ran again.
Xue Meng’s face twisted. He tried his best to hide his shaking lips when he asked, “So then, how long will you wait?”
“At least until the timing is right.”
“But what if Mo Weiyu has laid out an ambush?”
The older monk who had spoken earlier tried to persuade him again, “Master Xue, do not worry. We’re already at the foot of the mountain and it’s better to be responsible. Mo Weiyu is now trapped in his palace and cannot come down from his mountain. He has already extended himself to his limits.²⁹ There are so many impressive and wealthy nobles here. What will happen if we all lose our lives?”
Xue Meng suddenly became furious. “Responsible? Then let me ask you, who is responsible for my Shizun’s life? Mo Ran has entrapped my Shizun for ten years! For ten years! Right now, my master is on that mountain! How can you make me wait?”
When people heard him mentioning his Shizun, their expressions twisted with guilt.
Some people looked ashamed while others looked to the left and then to the right, muttering discontentedly.
“Ten years ago, Mo Ran became the immortal monarch and planned to slaughter the seventy two cities of the Rufeng Sect as well as wipe out the remaining nine martial Sects. Later, he claimed himself Emperor and desired to drive you all into extinction. Who finally stopped him from causing these two catastrophes? If it wasn’t for my master fighting to the death, would you all still be alive? Can you stand here and speak to me with a clear conscience?”
Eventually someone coughed and spoke gently, “Master Xue, don’t be angry. We feel guilt and gratitude towards Master Chu’s actions. But, as you said, he’s been under house arrest for ten years. If something had already happened…well, it happened a long time ago. We’ve all been waiting ten years and there really isn’t any hurry, right?”
“Fuck you! Just go fuck off!”³⁰
The man’s eyes widened. “How can you say such things?”
“Why can’t I say this? My Shizun…he stayed and fought to the death to save people like you…these people like you…”
He couldn’t speak anymore, choking out, “I am unworthy of him.”
At the end, Xue Meng turned his head forward, his shoulders trembling as he held back tears.
“We didn’t say that we weren’t going to save Master Chu!”
“That’s right! We all know of Master Chu’s goodness, we won’t forget about him. When you say something like this Master Xue, you’re acting very ungrateful, calling us faithless! Some of us really can’t stand for it.”
“That being said, isn’t Mo Ran one of Master Chu’s disciples?” Someone else added softly, “I want to say that if the apprentice is up to no good then the Master should also be held responsible. After all, ‘it’s the father’s fault if the son is lazy; it’s the teacher’s fault if the student is poorly educated.’³¹ It’s just the nature of the world. There’s nothing to complain about.”
That was needlessly cruel, and some immediately stopped drinking. “What nonsense! Watch what you say.”
The man then turned his head to persuade Xue Meng with a consoling expression.
“Master Xue, don’t worry.”
Xue Meng viciously interrupted the conversation, his expression full of pain. “How can I not be in a hurry? You speak without heartbreak, but that’s my Shizun! Mine! I haven’t seen him for so many years! I don’t know if he is dead or alive, I don’t know how he is doing, why else do you think that I am standing here?”
He panted, his eyes red-rimmed. “Do you think that if you wait like this, Mo Weiyu will come down from his mountain by himself, to prostrate himself before you and beg for mercy?”
“Master Xue…”
“Except for Shizun, I don’t have anyone else important in the world.” Xue Meng broke away from the old monk who was gripping his clothes and hoarsely spoke, “If you don’t go, then I will just go by myself.”
Having given his speech, he went up the mountain alone, with only his sword.
The cold, damp wind carried a thousand leaves; in the cool fog, it felt as though they were countless ghosts whispering and rustling in the mountains and forests, seemingly expressing their own grievances.³²
Xue Meng walked alone to the top of the mountain where Mo Ran’s majestic palace awaited him, lit with peaceful candlelight against the night sky. Right next to Tongtian Pagoda, he suddenly noticed three graves. As he approached, he saw that the first grave was covered in grass, with eight crooked and ugly characters declaring: “The Tomb of the ‘Nobly Chaste’ Empress Chu.”
Opposite the tomb of the “Steamed” Consort³³ was another tomb, freshly covered with soil and chiseled with the title, “The Oil-Fried Empress of the Song Family.”³⁴
“…”
If this was something that happened ten years ago, Xue Meng would have laughed at such an absurd sight.
Back then, he served the same master as Mo Ran. Mo Ran was the type of apprentice who would always play tricks and tell jokes. Even though Xue Meng had not particularly liked him, he would still have been amused by him half the time.
This Steamed Empress, this Oil-Fried Empress…he didn’t know whose ghosts these were! These were probably the tombstones set by the “Talented” Mo Ran for his two wives. They were not dissimilar to his “Pimp Bastard,” “Croaker,” and “Peacemaker” titles. But why would he give such titles to his queens? It was unknown.
Xue Meng looked at the third grave. There was a bottle of White Pear Blossom wine in front of the grave, a bowl of cold red oil and a few spicy dishes—all of which had been Mo Ran’s favorite foods.
Xue Meng stared at it blankly, shocking himself. Could it be that Mo Weiyu didn’t even want to resist? Had he already dug his own grave and resolved to die in it?
A cold sweat overcame him.
He couldn’t believe it. Mo Ran was always someone who will fight until the end, never knowing the meaning of exhaustion; he’s never been one to give up and would rather fight to the death with the rebels. How could he…
During the last ten years, Mo Ran was at the apex of his power. What did he see? What happened?
Nobody knew.
Xue Meng turned toward the brightly lit Wushan Temple.
Inside the Wushan Temple, Mo Ran’s eyes were closed and his complexion was pallid.
Xue Meng was correct — he had planned to die. Outside, the third grave was one that he had dug for himself. A shichen ago, he had dismissed all his servants via teleportation and poisoned himself. Given that his own Cultivation level is high, the poison’s properties spread particularly slowly through his body. Therefore, his suffering was prolonged and the destruction of his internal organs was far more agonizing.
Creak. The door of the palace opened.
Mo Ran, without raising his head, only hoarsely asked, “Xue Meng. It’s you…are you here?”
Above the golden bricks in this hall, Xue Meng stood alone, his ponytail mussed, his golden armor reflecting the borrowed light.
Brothers meeting again under the same roof! Mo Ran was emotionless, sitting on his side with his slender and thick eyelashes curling in front of his eyes.
Though everyone called him a demon with formidable abilities,³⁶ he was actually a very beautiful person. The curve of his nose was well proportioned; his lip color was pleasant. His entire physical appearance conveyed one of gentleness and sweetness. Judging by appearance alone, one might think that this was a good, skilled, and desirable person.
When Xue Meng saw his face however, he knew that he had indeed poisoned himself. Xue Meng didn’t know anything else, but he stopped talking, squeezing his hands into fists. “Where is our Master?”
“…what?”
Xue Meng loudly explained: “I ask you, where is Shizun? Yours, mine, our master?!”
“Oh.” Mo Ran snorted quietly before opening his violet irises, diluted to blackness. He appeared to be far away, distant, as though he and Xue Meng were mountains and valleys apart.³⁷
“Oh, you and Shizun have not seen each other for five years, since that farewell at the Snow Palace in the Kunlun mountains.”
Mo Ran smiled slightly.
“Xue Meng, do you miss him?”
“Stop being ridiculous! Give him back to me!”
Mo Ran only glanced at him calmly, showing no discomfort from the pain in his stomach as his mouth twisted mockingly before leaning back upon his Emperor’s seat.
Vision darkening, he could feel it clearly as his insides twisted and dissolved, turning into foul blood.
But Mo Ran only drawled, “Give him back to you? Stupid. You didn’t even think at all. How could I allow our Master to live in this world when I hated him so deeply?”
“You!” Xue Meng’s entire face complexion turned bloodless, eyes widening as he stepped back. “You cannot…you wouldn’t…!”
“I don’t know…what can’t I do?” Mo Ran replied gently. “You just talked about it, so why can’t I do it?”
Xue Meng trembled. “But he is your…he is your Shizun. How could you do something like this?”
He looked up at Mo Ran sitting on his throne high above. As Fuxi dwelt in the Heavens and Yama in the Underworld, so was Mo Weiyu on Earth.³⁸
But Xue Meng thought, even if Mo Ran became the Emperor of the Human World… even still, he shouldn’t be like this!
Xue Meng started trembling all over, his tears rolling with his hate. ‘Mo Weiyu…are you still human?! He used to…”
Mo Ran raised his eyes then. “What did he used to do…?”
Xue Meng trembled. “How he used to treat you, you should know…”
Mo Ran smiled suddenly. “So you want to remind me of how he used to beat every inch of my body until it was black and blue?³⁹ How he made me kneel down in front of everyone important and confess my sins? Or do you want to remind me how he used to stand in front of you and all those other nobodies, hiding all my good deeds and showcasing all my crimes?”
Xue Meng shook his head in pain: "..."
No, Mo Ran!
Please just think about it, let go of your horrible hate. Look back.
He once took you in to practice martial arts and protected you well.
He once taught you how to read so that you could read books, understand poetry, and paint.
He learned how to cook for you, and hurt his own hands from clumsiness.
He even used to…he used to wait for you to come home day and night, awake and alone from dark until dawn…
There were too many words in his throat so in the end, Xue Meng only choked and said:
"He… he has a terrible temper and his words are always awkward, but even I know he treated you so well, why are you… how can your heart bear such a thing…!”
Xue Meng raised his head; he still had many tears to cry, but his throat was blocked and he could not continue.
After a long pause, a soft sigh was the only sound amidst the dark halls. “Yes.”
“But Xue Meng… don’t you know?” Mo Ran’s voice was tired. “He killed the only person I loved dearly. The only one.”
A dead silence filled the room then.
Mo Ran’s stomach felt inflamed, his flesh and bone torn into a thousand pieces.
“Well, for better or for worse, he is still my teacher, and I am still his apprentice. His corpse is in the Red Lotus Water Pavilion in Lanfeng. Lying amidst the lotuses, it’s well preserved enough; one could pretend he is merely sleeping.” Mo Ran calmed down as he said this, face expressionless, fingers resting upon the long red sandalwood case. His knuckles were already the pale blue of sickness.
“His corpse’s state depends upon my spiritual abilities to keep it from rotting. So if you miss him, don’t bother with me here. Go to him while I am not yet dead.”
With the sweet taste of phlegm in his throat, Mo Ran coughed a few times. When he finally spoke again, there was blood glistening between his lips and teeth, yet his eyes were relaxed and calm.
He said hoarsely, “Go! Go see him. If I am dead and my spiritual powers can no longer support him, his body will turn to ashes.”
And just like that, Mo Ran closed his eyes sullenly, feeling that poison attacking his heart, his entire body tormented by flame.
The pain was so all-consuming, even Xue Meng’s mourning cries felt remote, as though the noise came from across a vast ocean.
Blood continued to gush from his mouth, his muscles cramping.
Once he blindly opened his eyes again, Xue Meng had already run away. That brat’s abilities weren’t bad; it wouldn’t take too long for him to run to Nanfeng.
Xue Meng really should be the last one to see Shizun’s visage.
Mo Ran stood up weakly, his body swaying. His bloodstained fingers created a seal which he used to teleport himself to Sisheng Peak’s Tongtian Tower.
At this time, it was late autumn, when the haitang tree blossomed.
He didn’t know why he chose to end his sinful life here, but perhaps since the flowers blossomed so splendidly, it was quite a fragrant place to die.
He laid in the open coffin and gazed upon the blossoming flowers at night, petals streaming down around him.
One petal settled upon the coffin; another settled upon his cheek. One after another, and just like that, the past melted away.
In this life, he had gone from being an illegitimate child with nothing,⁴⁰ to having lived several lifetimes, to becoming the only Emperor of the world.
He was an extremely guilty man; his hands were covered in the blood of those he loved, those he hated, those he wanted, those he despised. Still, in the end, nothing was left.
Ultimately, he did not write anything glorious upon his own tomb. Not the shamelessly proud “Emperor of All Time,” nor even anything as absurd as “Oil-Splattered” or “Steamed;” not a single word. In the end, there was not one sentiment left for the tomb of the first Emperor of the Cultivation world.
A stupid show, a farce that had lasted for ten long years had finally come to an end.
Several shichen later, when everyone finally rushed in with torches, leading a trail of light into the Imperial Palace, what waited for them was the empty Wushan Temple, the empty Sisheng Peak, the Red Lotus Water Pavilion… And there was the desolate Xue Meng, surrounded by ashes, crying numbly to himself.
In front of the Tongtian Pagoda, Mo Weiyu’s corpse had already gone cold.
-------
Footnotes:
1. ‘狗娘养’ is slang for ‘son of a bitch’ for example, “狗娘养的!… 我正赶过去” is “Son of a bitch…I’m coming over.”
2. “露水情缘” refers to a temporary love, a short lived love
3. the exact phrase is ‘卿卿性命’, a line is from Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin. In the story, the antagonist Wang Xifeng has many power plays, exploits, connections, and riches; however, she dies of depression and essentially gets “cancelled” due to her many schemes. So this chengyu is sometimes used to mock and ridicule those who become victims of their own cunning plots. I think this passage is best interpreted as “his lovers didn’t like him and spread rumors about his monstrously Big Dick Energy, but it had the opposite effect from what was intended.” If any Mando speakers have greater insights, I’d love to hear it!
4. “心弛神摇” means to be overwhelmed, to be swept away (which given the context and Mo Weiyu’s character appears quite sexual.) This historical line comes from Ming Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng's "Jin Ping Mei Ci Hua.” I feel as though this passage may have been translated by me a lot more suggestively than the original text may have done given the various connotations, so take it with a grain of salt.
5. Xiaoxianmen or 小仙门 is just a little sect. Baby sect do-do-do-dodododo
6. 三簇火 isn’t something that I’ve personally heard before and my Weibo buddies were asleep but the Machine Translation claims to to be “three slashes of flame upon its forehead” which I think sounds a bit preposterous. So I’m translating it rather as “three spots of red.”
7. This is one CHONKY ASS DOGGO 滚胖浑圆 is legitimately my favorite phrase of all time. I am using it to describe all chonkybois! This dog is legitimately my favorite character so far, forget Mo Ran! Forget Chu Wanning!
8. So this line was also a bit tricky given Chinese structure. There is a possible translation of his life as having ups and downs, prestige and sorrows but the exact chengyu ‘宠辱跌宕’ comes from the ‘Story of Yueyang Tower’ where the protagonist claims that being happy means to enjoy a good wine in the breeze and to forget disgrace, fame and misfortune. It’s quite a poetic line and one of the favored lines that my own beloved laoye used to quote to me.
9. “连三把火都狗命归天,” literally “even the three flames are dead,” references both the death of the dog and “新官上任三把火,” “three fires for new officials,” meaning that new people need to do a few great things to prove themselves and their capabilities. From the Romance of Three Kingdoms, when the newly appointed strategist-general Zhuge Jiang burned the anti-villain Caocao’s forces three times to achieve glory & solidify his status as a government official. In this case, the death of the dog, Mo Ran’s last loyal companion, symbolizes the death of Mo Ran’s desire to continue serving as emperor.
10. I felt that translating it did a disservice, the term ‘碧莹莹’ refers to something truly delicious! As delicious as how jade looks. This entire passage is SUPER purple prose-y and really speaks to Mo Weiyu’s ideas of beauty
11. 龙盘虎踞 is “to fight like dragons and tigers do” and 相互掣肘 means “to fetter” from the one of the Histories of the Spring and Autumn Period. I’m pretty sure both these lines were derived from the same classic Chinese work but I can’t find it atm. “更何况诸位掌门都是饱读经典的翘楚，即使想封自己个头衔玩玩，也会顾忌史官之笔，怕背上千秋骂名” okay so this line is actually really interesting, and since we’re all in a gray area with translation anyways, I might as well provide this line especially if anyone has a different interpretation. But for me it’s very much “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nmqQlW-sMo”. Mo Ran is essentially calling them “fucking nerds.”
12. Taixian-Jun, hello babe.
13. 赶尽杀绝 is from Ming Xu Zhonglin's "The Romance of the Gods".
14. 哀鸿遍布 literally translates to “a screaming wild goose” and typically is used to describe people who are suffering from thirst and hunger. It’s VERY telling that Roubao used this line to describe it because typically it’s used to describe mostly man-made calamities. But the actual idiom or hongyan yufei comes from the Book of Songs or Shi Jin and the swan goose or hongyan is a rare goose found in Inner Mongolia and close to Russia, symbolizing winters. (http://www.xueshucn.com/p/1290.html here is a source you can T-Translate to learn more about this phrase)
15. 河清海晏 “river clear, ocean peaceful” is directly translated in the text and is typically an analogy for a peaceful world, having come from Tang Zheng Xi's "There are Prince Fu in Japan.” Followed by the second chengyu “乌烟瘴气” “black smoke, foul atmosphere” means pandemonium. “The entire order has been upended!” is the essential meaning by pairing these two chengyu together. Bad times all around, folks.
16. 百无禁忌 or there is no taboo, which means nothing is taboo. From Qing Fan Yin "Yue Proverbs, Famous Objects and Customs".
17. “王八” is a homonym for “forgetting the eight [righteous traits] which include filial piety, loyalty, loyalty, trustworthiness, etiquette, righteousness, integrity, and shame. it’s actually quite clever of Mo Weiyu to have such a play on words, as “王八” also means “turtle.” So Mo Weiyu was fishing, saw a turtle and immediately made this play on words. Finally, “王八” is also slang in more modern Chinese for “pimp” which I felt could be added given Taixian-Jun’s massive Big Dick Energy but you can just use “Bastard” or “Son of a Bitch” too.
A bit of a cultural note but essentially every three years Mo Weiyu picks up a new era name. Here’s a good resource for you if you want to learn more but essentially the “Era Name” is sort of describing your hopes for this reign. Other countries do it too, for example in Japan it’s currently the Reiwa Era, which started in 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_era_name
On that note, the name ‘呱’ comes from the sound that frogs made, but could also be used to describe someone super whiny.
18. Literati — well-educated people who are interested in literature
19. 蠢蠢欲动 which I wanted to point out that the more direct translation is “stupidly crawling like a worm.” This line generally has a lot more connotations of villainous/coward/idiot people conspiring to make trouble.
20. 罢兵休戈 or “Truce and Strike” and while it might be more aptly translated as “The Man To End Wars” given the English fandom, I felt that Peacemaker was a little bit more elegant.
21. This is actually quite clever again, if very vulgar. essentially 戟罢元年 or The First Year of the Peacemaker is a homonym for 鸡巴圆年 or “Cock and Balls.” Put these two words in Google Translator or a Chinese reading app and you’ll hear the slight similarities though the tonal sounds are different. The pinyin for those who are interested in reading: jǐbàyuánnián (The Peacemaker’s First Year) vs jībāyuánnián (Dick and Balls)and the messages below further stretches the wordplay essentially culminating in the line “You can just ask how old his dick is!”
22. 胆战心惊
23. So “浩浩汤汤” is another one of my favorite descriptions. From Song Fan Zhongyan "Yueyang Tower" it just means teeming with people, vast magnitudes of people.
24. The Kingdom of Shu stood in the present day Sichuan Province.
25. “箭在弦上” so this chengyu essentially refers to being forced to take an action as the response to another’s action. There’s a difference between this and the more familiar adage “the die is cast,” as “the arrow upon the string” actually means that due to whatever external REASON you HAVE to take this action. There's a really interesting story involving Cao Cao that you can find by searching this up on Baidu.
26. “从天而降” or “mounting a surprise attack, an unexpected coming” is directly translated as “coming from the skies.” This I believe comes from Journey to the West’s Chapter 31 whereas one of the characters had explained “Brother you are unexpectedly here to rescue me from most dire straits!” The term ‘埋伏’ means ‘traps/ambush’ and shows up later.
27. I believe that the fandom term for “天之骄子” is the Darling of the Heavens but it’s a semantic difference. I’ll translate it as the Pride of the Heavens given the fact that it comes from the Emperor being referred to as ‘Son of the Heavens’ and means people with talents, wealth and connections. It also has somewhat “Young Master” energy to it too where someone would call people who are young, arrogant and think of themselves as hot shit back in the 1980s-1990s. My uncle still gets called this by his friends after going to Beida. The word “骄” means pride/arrogance and has somewhat more negative connotations.
28. “众矢之的” means important/revered and 虎落平阳 comes from a Chinese proverb “龙游浅水遭虾戏 虎落平阳被犬欺” whose literal translation “people who are powerful or powerful lose their power or advantage and will be devalued and harassed.”
29. 强弩之末 which means that the bow and arrow fired by the strong crossbow has reached the farthest point of its range, which is a metaphor for the exhaustion of a powerful force. From "Historical Records · Han Anguo Biography".
30. 去你妈的 basically means “f*** off.” It literally translates as “go to your mother.” The exact line is “对？去你妈的对!” where he used the “Right?” To essentially tell them to go fuck off/go run towards your mother. To piggyback on this, the next two lines are super tragic too “居然是为了救你们这种……这种……” and his line “I am unworthy is “我替他不值” goodness poor Xue Meng.
31. “所谓子不教父之过，教不严师之惰” is the exact line, I’ve paraphrased it as best I could in English.
32. Okay so this line is HELLA poetic taken from “I Don’t Know the Distance of My Lord” by Ouyang Xin from the Song Dynasty. The most poetic lines are “I don’t know how far away you are after your departure, how desolate you have made me! In the middle of the night, the wind and bamboo speaks of the rhythms of autumn, the thousands of leaves are full of grievances. To even dream of you upon my single pillow, only to find that the dream has burned out like a candle wick!”
33. Okay so this is kinda interesting. Because the term “卿贞” or nobly chaste is a homonym for “清蒸” steamed.
34. Yeah…
35. 昔日同门再聚首 comes from the line “昔日同门再聚首，就算立场不同，兄弟永远是兄弟”
36. 三头六臂 describes a formidable person
37. 隔着层峦叠嶂的岁月 is how I’m translating it given the context of this line.
38. Fuxi is the Creation God in Chinese legend, the creator of humanity. Yama is the god of the Underworld.
39. 体无完肤 means there is no good skin on the whole body. Describes the whole body is hurt. It is also a metaphor for all of someone’s explanations being refuted, or being criticized or scolded severely. From Jin·Chen Shou "Three Kingdoms·Weizhi·Deng Ai Biography".
