Chapter 10: extra 10

[Zhongli] «Different Paths» 02 - Peddling JunEr1 Shares

Ye Jun was an expert at reading people’s hearts, and the odds of him guessing wrong are slim, but on that day when he first met his Master, he guessed wrong once.


It was the 17th year of Tao Guang, and that year’s Nightrunner evaluation competition was held in winter.

Ye Jun was absolutely confident he would get the title of “Ye Jun the Imperial Servant”, so when he received the tablet on the Qiankun Stage, it came as no surprise to anyone that he was immediately taken away. Nowadays, the Sects in the Jianghu with financial resources and ambition were not many, and the ones that came would not be more than those few. He guessed he was probably being brought into the Wangsheng Palace, he also felt that the tempers of the Ten Yama Halls were not much different from one another, so his employer would either be Chu Jiangjun or Bian Chengjun.

He selfishly hoped it was Chu Jiangjun, because Chu Jiangjun’s chess skills were pretty good, and he usually sat quietly, so he wouldn’t need to constantly switch to different places.

Ye Jun followed the person in charge into the main Eastern pavilion and climbed up the stairs, looking out to see six black-armoured horsemen silently waiting outside amidst the blizzard whipped up by the cold Northern wind.

But he realised his guess had been wrong as soon as he entered, his Master was not someone from Wangsheng Palace at all.


There were seven people in the room, six were knife-wielding guards arranged on both sides, with the Wangsheng Palace’s distinctive blood bone pattern embroidered on the corner of their clothes. In the centre sat a person whose age was unclear, he was trying his best to sit up straight, but his body couldn’t help but slant a little.

This person looked withered and on the verge of collapse. His hair was dull and streaked with grey, as though he was approaching old age, his eyes were a turbid yellow and white colour, and it was unknown if he could see things. His complexion was half blue and half white, and a row of long and narrow knife scars trailed along his cheeks, as if someone had cut his face off. The blue veins on his exposed neck and arms were bulging, and there seemed to be something faintly squirming about within them.

Neither human nor ghost2, his appearance was hideous, both gods and demons would detest it3.


The person in charge handed him over and urged him, then turned around and left the building.

“The one who purchased you was my Wangsheng Palace’s Tenth Hall Master, the Zhuanlun Wang4, in the future you will listen to Zhuanlun Jun’s orders.” That person’s voice was hoarse and dry, and he seemed to be in pain.

Ye Jun knelt upright in front of him, then leaned over and bowed, lowering his forehead until it touched the cold hardwood floor, and seriously spoke: “Master.”

That person’s throat bobbed as he was about to say something, but Ye Jun suddenly opened his mouth again: “Do you want to take a look at my sword?”

However, Ye Jun didn’t wait for his answer, Qingfeng was suddenly unsheathed and cold light filled the dusky room, and in an instant he had already beheaded the six surrounding guards with his sword.

But he didn’t stop, he flipped around and from the window stepped out into the endless wind and snow, and a short time later returned with his blood-drenched sword and tossed the two corpses he was dragging along by his side, then knelt back down on the ground.

That person was shocked: “What are you doing?!”

Ye Jun raised his eyes and innocently looked at him: “It was your orders.”

That person frowned: “I didn’t say anything.”

Ye Jun responded: “You clearly had murderous intent towards them, and meant to make a move soon, however it would be inconvenient to just say so directly, so you must have been struggling to find a way of conveying your orders to me while avoiding the eyes and ears of the watchers.”

His master was very suspicious, coldly looking at him: “Was it that obvious?”

Ye Jun’s brows curved into a smile: “No, you hid it very well. Except for me, others wouldn’t be able to tell.”

“Can you read minds?” His gaze trembled, and his vigilance rose.

Ye Jun smiled lightly and shook his head: “I wouldn’t go that far, at most I’m a bit more sensitive than ordinary people and can sniff out truth and feelings.”


That person did not say a word, sitting stiffly where he was.

Ye Jun saw his expression and smiled knowingly, moving his hand to untie his sword and putting it down by his side, then retreating a few steps and returning to his original position, lifting his hand to touch a few major acupoints on his own chest.

He said: “I have sealed the inner power in my body, and won’t be able to move for a sichen. Master, since you suspect me, you can just end me here.”

Ye Jun looked calm, without a hint of fear or intention of retreating.


He was deadlocked for a moment, then declined: “It’s fine. There’s never been a precedent of those holding the title of Ye Jun lying to their master, so I’ll believe you.”

Ye Jun smiled broadly: “Then, can you tell me your real name?”

His master’s expression, which had just softened, became stiff again: “Didn’t I just say it.”

Ye Jun: “That was a lie, right? I heard your breath change slightly when you said those words.”

That person hesitated: “…..Indeed, when I bought you, the name I left was not Zhuanlun Jun.”

Ye Jun spoke again: “Whichever name is recorded in the Nightrunner’s file is of no concern to me. You have accepted the master-servant relationship, so you are my only Master.”

That person was absent-minded for an instant, a hundred thousand thoughts turning over in his mind, and when he came back to his senses, he answered:

“…..Zhongli Zixi.”

When he heard the words were true, Ye Jun’s smile became even stronger, and he tilted his head to think for a moment. This surname wasn’t common, and he’d never heard it before, so he must be from a small family in a small place. But since he didn’t know how it had shown up in this sensitive and critical situation, could it still end up being described as such?

Zhongli Zixi was like a nocked arrow, too busy to attend to him as he got up and urged: “Let’s go, I have urgent matters to catch up on.”

Ye Jun innocently said: “But I can’t move, little Young Master, I sealed myself just now. Will you carry me onto the horse?”

Zhongli Zixi looked at him coldly: “Say that again.”

Ye Jun hurriedly said: “Ai, no, helping me open my acupoints will do. I have to trouble Young Master.”

Zhongli Zixi struggled to stand, supporting himself on the chair as he crouched in front of him and opened his acupoint. Ye Jun only felt that the place in his chest touched by him was ice-cold, so he reflexively grabbed his Master’s wrist: “Is there cold poison in your body? It’s not light, how many years has it been? …….Seven years? No, eight years?”

“Let go.” Zhongli Zixi forcefully suppressed an angry shout, “It’s none of your business.”

Ye Jun was also angry: “You are my Master, how could it have nothing to do with me? If you want to stab me to death that much you should hurry, don’t you have something to catch up with?”

Zhongli Zixi was unexpectedly choked off by his words.

He had been tormented in the Wangsheng Palace for ten years, suffering from all kinds of cold treatment and humiliation, growing weary from mixing between the Halls, crawling from the lowest rung of being a medicine boy to the high position he held today, only being able to come out to handle affairs after gaining the trust of the Tenth Hall’s Zhuanlun Jun through deception.

He had been drinking ice for ten years5, and now he wasn’t used to having someone by his side who really cared about him——regardless of their reasons.

Ye Jun looked at the person that had been stunned by his scolding, and stole a brief laugh from the bottom of his heart, but his face acted the part of frantic remorse as he apologised: “This subordinate overstepped, I request punishment from the Young Master.”

“…..It doesn’t matter.” Zhongli Zixi helplessly waved his hand, “Dispose of these corpses first, we must get going at once.”


Ye Jun buried the bodies according to his orders. The six armoured horsemen outside had also been dismissed, leaving only one horse behind, and in order to avoid drawing attention, he switched the black armour for an ordinary saddle. He naturally took Zhongli Zixi into his arms as though he weighed nothing, then turned and spurred the horse forward.

Zhongli Zixi was firmly seated before he felt something was wrong: “Aren’t shadow guards meant to stay hidden? What are you doing riding with me.”

Ye Jun circled his arms around him, one hand on the reigns, and one hand pressing against his waist as he passed some inner breath into him: “Your body has been affected by cold poison for a long time, and such a cold winter is surely hard to bear, so I’m naturally helping you withstand some of it.”

These past few years, Zhongli Zixi had been taken away by Qin Guangjun to refine poison, and the pain of several gu in his body was unbearable, so this slight cold was really not worth mentioning. At this point, Ye Jun’s inner strength was like a clay ox entering the sea6 and had little effect, but for some reason he didn’t stop.


Ye Jun asked again: “What does the Young Master need me to do when we arrive at Wangsheng Palace?”

Zhongli Zixi said: “I need you to throw away your life.”

Ye Jun lowered his head and looked into his eyes, as if he was inquiring, and Zhongli Zixi explained: “I won’t keep anything from you, so I will be straightforward with you. The Ten Yama Halls of Wangsheng Palace may seem united on the surface but they are divided at heart, competing against each other. I have already buried many foreshadowing leads during these past few years to make them suspicious of each other. This time, I want you to assassinate the Tenth Hall’s Zhuanlun Jun and leave behind evidence implicating the Fifth Hall’s Yama Lord, then pretend to be defeated under everyone’s eyes and escape back to the Yama Lord’s residence, and sink to the bottom of the Youming lake when no one is around. The Yama Lord has always been unyielding and ruthless, and will not feel like justifying himself after being wronged again. The First Hall’s Qin Guangjun and him are like fire and water, so when the time comes and his patrol returns with nothing from his residence, there will certainly be a war. I’ve already taken care of the other minor details, you just need to do this well.”

Ye Jun finished listening and considered it for a moment, wondering: “Young Master, whose side are you actually on? Since you work for Zhuanlun Jun, if something happens to him, as an outsider you will certainly draw suspicion. Won’t this be inviting trouble?”

Zhongli Zixi shook his head: “I was originally under the First Hall’s Qin Guangjun’s control, but now I am the Third Hall’s Song Dijun’s subordinate, however, Zhuanlun Jun and Bian Chengjun have both secretly been in contact with me, and they each think I am a spy on their side.”

Ye Jun thought: What a mess.


Ye Jun went through it a few times in his head, getting a general understanding of the situation, and asked again: “Young Master, must I die?”

Zhongli Zixi laughed coldly: “Are you unwilling?”

“Perhaps I can complete the mission and escape.” Ye Jun said, “If you wish to silence me forever to keep your secret, then that’s a different thing. But if you still need me in the future, I won’t die at the hands of the enemy.”

Zhongli Zixi was sceptical: “When the time comes for you to draw people’s attention, you wouldn’t be able to escape even if you grew wings, so how would you possibly get away?”

“This is a trivial matter, don’t worry. Except for you, there is no one in the world who can kill me.” Ye Jun watched him sincerely, softly saying: “Give me the order, my Master.”

“…..Fine.” Zhongli Zixi spoke in a low voice, “Ye Jun, come back alive.”


Ye Jun completed the assassination mission as appointed, returning without having harmed a single hair on his head.

His method was very simple, he waited until enough people had gathered to watch and escaped into the Yama’s residence, then changed his appearance into that of the main steward of the Yama Lord’s residence, swaggered outside, and traded insults with Qin Guangjun, who came to capture him, for half a sichen.

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He came from the Nightrunner, where these methods for disguising and concealing were the most fundamental compulsory courses.

Zhongli Zixi was stunned: “What about the Yama Lord’s real steward?”

Ye Jun: “I hung him from the top of a tree in Qin Guangjun’s residence before I assassinated Zhuanlun Jun, and used ice to fix him in place, so he would be hung to death when it melted. Considering the time, he should have just died and his body should not be cold yet.”

Zhongli Zixi sincerely praised him: “Wise move.”


The year that Zhongli Zixi first met Ye Jun, he felt the heavy burden on his body become considerably lighter in a short time.

He was clever and strong, decent and meticulous. He didn’t have to ask for anything, and everything was done satisfactorily.

Who would have thought that, many years later, Ye Jun himself would become the thing that caused him the most headaches.

He was often choked with anger by Ye Jun on insignificant trifles and had no way of venting: “Do you really think I wouldn’t dare kill you?”

“Of course not, but I think that if you really doubted me a bit, it would be better to be straightforward.” Ye Jun spoke indifferently, “When you stand on the tip of a knife for a long time, you’re indifferent to both life and death. It’s like a person who hates eating preserved eggs, but when everyone around them eats preserved eggs, stuffing down a few is no big deal.”

Zhongli Zixi frowned: “…..What kind of metaphor is that.”

Ye Jun spoke solemnly: “The metaphor of a person who hates preserved eggs.”


That evening, the vicious Second Young Master ordered someone to send Ye Jun preserved eggs.

A short time later, the person returned to report in a panic: “It’s not good, Ye Jun hung himself and even tied a bow, but I couldn’t undo it to save him even though it’s clearly just a bow.”

The Second Young Master grabbed someone to cut down the white silk in a flurry, helping him down and pinching the acupoint in his philtrum to wake him up: “Who allowed you to kill yourself!”

Ye Jun spoke coldly: “What’s the difference between this and being ordered to die? If the lord wants this servant dead, then this servant has no choice but to die.”

The Second Young Master: “You don’t mean…..”

Ye Jun: “Will you try giving me preserved eggs again??”

The Second Young Master: “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”


Zhongli Zixi hid in the vicinity of the Wangsheng Palace for over three months, personally watching as the Ten Halls of the Yama collapsed and fell apart, and were defeated one by one by the Jianghu Sects that came to seek revenge. He only got on a horse once he was sure there would be no future troubles, and slowly made his way back.

When he came out, he didn’t have a single penny, and had to rely on Ye Jun’s swindling and stealing to maintain their livelihood all along the way, so they never suffered any shortages.


When he returned to Zhongli Court, a frightened look appeared on his father’s face at the sight of his strange appearance, and his face was very unsightly. Zhongli Zixi sneered in his heart, finding an excuse to order Ye Jun to take his father away into house arrest and not let him step a single foot outside until his death.

Several months prior, the Eldest Young Master Zhongli Zixu heard that an unforeseen event had occurred at Wangsheng Palace, so he had gotten on a horse and gone to visit despite his family’s obstructions. The two people had just missed each other on the road, one coming and one going. When his heard his Second Brother had already returned home safe and sound, he rushed back in a haste.


When the Eldest Young Master returned, he directly hurried into the inner courtyard to find him, still covered in dust from the road, but at that time Zhongli Zixi had shut himself in a darkened hidden room, and was scooping out the gu from his arms and forcing their poison out.

Ye Jun didn’t understand why he was in such a hurry. If he wanted to expel the gu, there were plenty of gentle, incremental ways to do it, there was no need for him to use such an extreme and painful method.

Zhongli Zixu had not seen his younger brother for ten years, so he was exceptionally happy, and a banging sound echoed through the doors and windows.

Zhongli Zixi looked at his own shockingly ugly appearance on the mirror. He was silent for a long time, before speaking in a low voice: “Turn him down, I won’t see him.”

Ye Jun listened to the voice from the void and agreed, taking away the noisy person outside.

After Ye Jun returned, he still hid in the shadows and watched his pale-faced Master peel off and discard the gu insects from his body, then laughed softly: “It turns out, it was for him.”


Zixi knew all too well that his appearance was almost monstrous, far from that of an ordinary person. His own father couldn’t hide his rejection and fear, and he couldn’t even be sure he wouldn’t scare his dearest brother.

There was no need for him to insist on testing the other person.

He clenched his teeth and endured the pain as he finished scraping off the gu insects, throwing away the dagger and slumping back against the back of the chair. He hadn’t even instructed Ye Jun when he leapt in front of him, half kneeling on the ground as he bandaged him.

Zhongli Zixi looked at Ye Jun’s tender gaze towards his own fierce-looking wounds, and couldn’t detect the slightest difference, so he suddenly asked: “Ye Jun, you don’t fear me?”

“You might have heard the saying before, that one who has crossed the vast ocean will no longer be impressed by other waters, and that no other clouds can compare having seen the view from Wushan7.” Ye Jun spoke regretfully, “For the most part, no one in this world is as good-looking as me. Since everyone is ugly, what’s the difference in the end?”

Zhongli Zixi: “……”

Even though he wanted to kill him, he was actually left speechless. Even though he was speechless, he still really wanted to kill him.


Zhongli Zixi shut himself away in the inner courtyard for half a year, not seeing anyone.

He had been gone from home for many years and had never returned, he didn’t have a single confidant, and apart from Ye Jun, he didn’t trust anyone.

His body had many kinds of insect poison, and completely removing it would be impossible, but after half a year of recuperation, he was already much better than he was at the beginning. Even though his appearance was different from that of ordinary people, it was also not entirely frightening.

After the gu insects in his veins were gone, he now only looked a little paler than average, giving him a slightly sickly look. Over half of his hair had restored its usual colour, with only a few silver strands remaining, and his pupils had also become a pure silver colour.

During the time Zixi was recuperating in seclusion, he had nothing to do in his free time, so he asked Ye Jun to go out and scout out the Eldest Young Master’s situation.

The news he brought back was only that he had attended a drinking party at Wanghong Restaurant yesterday, and listened to singers at the Tingyu Pavilion today. Yesterday he had given Young Lady Fei Cu from the Yihong Courtyard some rouge, and today he’d been kicked out of the room by Young Lady Hai Tang from Wangqing House.

The Eldest Young Master fluttered among a thousand flowers for a long time, before finally landing on a plum blossom——he was willing to sacrifice everything to collect 200 taels to buy the Young Lady Mei Mei out of the Wangqing House, and that Young Lady turned around and ran off without a single word.

These past two days he had been holding lotus leafs on the top of his head, and coldly and miserably writing “of course I choose to forgive her” in grieving poems.

After finishing his report, Ye Jun concluded: “He’s a fool.”

“Correct.” Zhongli Zixi gave a shallow laugh, “I have been using every possible means and making a stand at every step, just for him to be able to get to where he is today.”

Ye Jun smiled as he looked at him: “You truly are gentle.”

Zixi nodded: “Help me look for this Mei Mei, I’m sure it won’t be hard for you. Throw her into the water for three days, drown her until she suffocates and passes out, then fish her out, wait for her to recuperate, and drown her again. Her feet are not allowed to touch the ground, so hang her up, also don’t allow her an opportunity to fall asleep. Don’t leave behind any marks, and be careful not to kill her. Three days later, if she realises her wrongs, let her go to my brother and apologise….. en, tell her she must not say someone forced her to.”

“I accept your orders.” In his heart, Ye Jun silently retracted the words he’d just spoken before.


Three days later, Young Lady Mei Mei frantically crawled straight to Zhongli Court and paid back 500 gold to the Eldest Young Master, tearfully explaining that her family had suffered an accident, that she absolutely had not intended to take his money and run away, and that everything had been a misunderstanding.

Zhongli Zixi was nesting inside a quilt, drinking a hellish medicinal decoction while he asked: “What did my brother write in his poems today?”

Ye Jun read with a blank expression: “There is true goodness in the world indeed, paying back hundred fives with a profit of hundred threes8.”

Zhongli Zixi nodded in satisfaction.


Soon after this storm passed, Mei Mei’s deeds spread through the ears of the sisters in the field, evolving into the Eldest Young Master’s extortion and blackmail, so Wangqing House and Yihong Courtyard barred the Eldest Young Master from entering.

The Eldest Young Master’s poems once again became grieving and bitter.

Zhongli Zixi moodily tapped the centre of his eyebrows: “I am at my wit’s end. Ye Jun, I’ll give you some capital, help me start a brothel.”

Ye Jun deeply felt that his life as a shadow guard was moving in a richly colourful, strange direction.

 

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1 Ye Jun x Second Young Master (second = er). Top.

2 人不人鬼不鬼 lit. people aren’t people, ghosts aren’t ghosts. Used to describe something miserable, wretched, ghastly. Top.

3 神憎鬼厭 lit. gods detest demons(ghosts) loathe. Used to describe something that is hated by everyone. I tried to keep the original imagery in the sentence by keeping the translation a little more on the literal side. Top.

4 轉輪王 lit. Wheel-Turning King, a Chakravati raja or King of Kings from Hindu mythology. Top.

5 From 十年饮冰，难凉热血 lit. ten years drinking ice, hard to cool the hot blood. Used to mean someone whose ambitions (hot blood) are hard to extinguish, regardless of how many setbacks they suffer. Top.

6 Meaning disappearing with no hope of returning. Top.

7 Basically a metaphor saying that once you have seen the best life has to offer, the rest is not worth it. Been there, done that. Top.

8 I tried to make it rhyme bc it rhymes in chinese lol. A more accurate translation would be ‘there is true goodness in the world, paying back five hundred and making a profit of three hundred’. Top.

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