AMHA - Chapter 1

Please read the plot introduction and the author's notes in the Index. 

Please forgive any in spelling/grammar as it's a fan translation. If you're curious how I translate please see the FAQ. {My translators notes will be in italics like this.}

Chapter 1 - Never Again Should We Meet

Zhaozhao dreamed of Xie Lanshu again.

In fact, Zhaozhao didn't dream often. When she was a child and her parents had just passed away, she often had trouble sleeping but, as time passed, she rarely woke up crying at night in order to look for her  parents anymore.

In the past two years after getting married, Zhaozhao slept peacefully and soundly.

Xie Lanshu would fan her on sultry summer nights, stay by the bedside to catch mosquitoes when she woke up from mosquito bites and on winter days when the dripping water turned to ice, he would put her cold feet into his warm arms and use himself as a heater to keep her warm.

He was the husband she picked up from the snow when she was fifteen.

He has no place of origin, no memory and even his surname and given name were given to him by her personally. {Xie is Zhaozhao’s surname, Lanshu means ‘Special Orchid’.}

Zhaozhao took this amnesiac home and found doctors to heal his injuries. She bought him new clothes and personally taught him how to read and write. Xie Lanshu had an eidetic memory and was extremely intelligent. Every time he learnt something he would pick it up straight away and his physical strength was also greater than others.

Every time Xie Lanshu went out to do errands for her, the servants who followed him would come back and have things to report to Zhaozhao.

Either the girl from the Zhang family deliberately sprained her ankle when he passed by, or the Miss from the Li family invited him to drink tea with her at her table.

Zhaozhao often looked at him in a daze, wondering how there could be such a charming man in the world.

She waited and waited, and finally came the day when she turned sixteen and completed her coming of age ceremony. On that day, Zhaozhao specially wore a new dress and had her makeup done for half an hour. When she arrived outside Xie Lanshu's courtyard, she did not dare to go in.

After lingering outside for a long time, the wooden window creaked. The young man with long hair and flowing clothes lifted up the window and the flickering candle in his hand illuminated his handsome silhouette.

He smiled and asked: "You’re up so late. Is there something on your mind?”

The girl fidgeted against the window. Her small fingernails gently picked at the uneven wooden thorns of the window lattice and she suddenly raised her eyes to look at him.

"I am the only daughter of the second household of the Xie family. My family has a small income. My uncle and aunt in the first household treat me very well and won't let me get married casually... You know this, right?" {So usually in Ancient China, an extended family will all live together. So if there are three sons in one generation; the first one would usually inherit the control of the house and he, his wife and children would be the ‘first household’. The second son, wife and children would be the ‘second household’. Also when Zhaozhao says she won't get married "casually", she's indicating that her uncle/aunt will probably give her a good dowry, i.e. she's promoting herself haha.}

The moonlight shone in the young man's eyes as beautifully as autumn water. He seemed to be able to predict the girl's next words.

"I know." His voice was warm and gentle.

"So you……"

Zhaozhao's ears were getting hotter and hotter and her heartbeat was getting louder and louder, almost drowning out her voice.

But she still mustered up the courage and said:

"Are you willing to marry into my family and live with me for the rest of your life?" 

The wind blows through the sparse bamboo and the moon shadow filtered by the bamboo leaves lingered softly by the window.

After not hearing the other party's answer for a long time, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she closed her eyes tightly.

Only when a cool finger touched her hot cheek did Zhaozhao open her eyes in a daze. She saw the tender affection in the eyes of the orchid and jade young man, just as beautiful as the March breeze blowing through the mountains of spring flowers.

He replied: "I’m willing."

Uncle and Auntie Xie organized a grand wedding ceremony for Zhaozhao.

Many people in Yunmeng Lake were laughing at Xie Lanshu behind his back. They joked that a man who married into a girl’s household would never be able to hold his head high in his life.

Some people also told Zhaozhao that, since his origins were unknown, she should be careful whether he was planning to plot to get the Xie family's property.

The Xie family's property was only a few hundred acres of land and they could only be considered a landowner in a small place like Yunmeng Lake. With Xie Lanshu's talent, he would surely rise to the top if he takes the imperial examination. So Zhaozhao was not worried at all about him coveting her family’s  property.

In fact, Zhaozhao hoped that he would covet something.

When she was five years old, Zhaozhao once rescued an injured white crane. People in Yunmeng Lake  regarded the white crane as a fairy and thought it was an otherworldly thing. However, Zhaozhao loved it  very much and so her father tied a long iron chain around the crane and imprisoned it in Zhaozhao's courtyard.

The crane’s injuries improved day by day and it had no worries about food or clothing, but it looked into the distance every day, appearing depressed.

Zhaozhao finally couldn't bear it and let it go.

Sometimes, Zhaozhao felt that her husband was like the white crane that did not belong to the human world. It lived in the world of mortals but yearned to return to the land of immortals. {Tn: Xian = Immortal. I’ve decided to use this word since it seems like it’s the one that makes sense the most but just to be clear, actually all the people in this story are not really immortal but just cultivating immortality. But Immortal Land, Immortal Sects, Immortal Cultivation seems to make sense. I’ll also use “Fairy” and “Celestial” sometimes when I feel it suits.}

And this vague uneasy premonition was finally verified half a month ago——

On a spring night half a month ago, Xie Lanshu left without saying goodbye and vanished without a trace. 

He didn't take away anything the Xie family gave him and left only a note.

[Two years of being bound in the mortal realm. When fate comes, relationships are formed but when fate is over, relationships will scatter.

I have signed a Letter of Divorce. I hope we can part peacefully and that you will not have any lingering obsessions. I wish you, my wife, a long and fruitful life.]

Before Zhaozhao could recover from her husband's sudden and unexpected departure, she suddenly began to have the same dream.

In the dream, a fairy mist surrounded the Thirty-third Heaven and the disciples of the immortal sect wore black and white sect uniforms while walking around with swords. 

This is the Kunwu Immortal Land, which is isolated from the mortal world. 

And in the Thirty-third Heaven which was called ‘Lihentian’ {Please see notes below}, which was situated in the highest place, lived the ruthless Daojun {TN: Daojun = Daoist Master} who held the power of life and death in the cultivation world. He had a face exactly like her husband and the disciples and elders respectfully called him—

Daojun Tianshu. 

{TN: Lihentian appears in various traditional Chinese texts and poetry, and refers to the Buddhist Idea of the “Thirty-Three Heavens” and according to the texts “of the 33 heavens, Lihentian is the highest and of the 440 illnesses, lovesickness is the most bitter”. Lihentian means “Hate Leaving Heaven” and while I’m not hundred percent sure, I think it means that in the ascension to enlightenment, it’s where men and women leave their personal love and hate behind. Something like that. As you can see, Chinese novels often mix Daoism/Taoism and Buddhism whenever it suits them. Someone that’s better with religious knowledge can let me know in the comments if I’ve made a mistake.}

Only then did Zhaozhao realize that there was no such person as Xie Lanshu in this world. It was just a love tribulation for Daojun Tianshu.

It wasn’t just that.

The protagonist in her dream was actually not Xie Lanshu and neither was it herself. Instead, it was a girl whose entire family was massacred by the possessed Xie Lanshu after he fell into demonic  cultivation.

In order to avenge her family, she joined an immortal sect and devoted herself to killing Xie Lanshu.

The other male protagonist is the Holy Son of the Demon Realm. Although he was the Holy Son, the Demon Realm and the Ghost Realm at that time had fully surrendered to Xie Lanshu and so he was just a puppet in Xie Lanshu's hands. 

{I've decided to translate 'Mo' as Demon for now, referring to evil/unorthodox cultivators.  Translators often have to choose between whether to translate 'Mo' as either Demon or Devil, because there is another term Chinese 'Yao' which is also sometimes translated as Demon, but refers to something totally different. For the more difference between between 'Mo' and 'Yao', please see here.}

The two protagonists had known each other since childhood but, when they grew up, they became enemies by mistake and had to fight each other with swords.

In the end, the two went through many difficulties and dangers, and finally joined forces with hundreds of immortal families to encircle and suppress Daojun Tianshu.

That sword pierced his chest, shattered his soul, and killed him within the Nine Heavens.

This Daoist couple became famous from then on, becoming leaders of the cultivating world and the heroes of salvation. This is the end of the story.

Zhaozhao dreamed of this scene over and over again, until even her anger towards Xie Lanshu was diluted by the sword that pierced his heart.

She was indeed very dissatisfied with Xie Lanshu for leaving without saying goodbye, but her dissatisfaction was not to the point of wanting to watch him die.

She woke up from nightmares again and again with only one thought.

—No matter what, she wanted to see Xie Lanshu again.

The spring rain poured down and there was hidden thunder surging behind the clouds.

It was still dark and Zhaozhao could not sleep well. She opened the window on the second floor of the inn and looked out. Halfway up the mountain, there was a morning mist that made it impossible to see into the distance.

She was thousands of miles away from home, and had been traveling for half a month through the wind and rain. This was the last human inn outside the Kunwu Immortal Land.

All she needed to do was walk twenty more miles. If she moved quickly, she would arrive the next morning.

Thinking of this, Zhaozhao could no longer sleep peacefully and so she got up to wash up and then went downstairs to pay the fee before setting off.

"Girl, girl, this is too much money."

Zhaozhao was a little confused when she was stopped by the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper said cheerfully: "Daojun Tianshu, who has been missing for two years, is back. All of the ten kingdoms in the immortal realm are celebrating for 49 days. So the rent is only 10% of the listed price. This is your refund, please take it." "

Zhaozhao reacted a little slowly for a while before she understood who Daojun Tianshu was.

Xie Lanshu, the young man of orchid and jade, was indeed not of this world. 

Zhaozhao repeated the name given by her over and over in her heart, as if she wanted to draw some courage from it.

What she wanted to see was not the Daojun Tianshu whom everyone was talking about, but the person who had been sleeping beside her for two years.

Before the shopkeeper's smile faded, the girl in front of him pursed her lips tightly, stuffed the silver he gave her back into his hand and walked quickly into the rain without looking back.

"She didn't even take back free money... what a weirdo."

Zhaozhao knew what the other person was saying behind her back without even having to guess. She tightened her ill-fitting raincoat and thought as she walked: 

She didn't accept the alms given from those Immortal Palaces. Maybe they were the ones who forcibly brought Xie Lanshu back to Kunwu just because he was Kunwu's Lord Whomever. 

Moreover, the Daojun Tianshu that Zhaozhao saw in a few scenes in her dream was obsessed with the world's highest secrets, pointed his sword at the way of heaven, and was determined to achieve immortality. He would do whatever it took to achieve this and that's why he became a demon. 

He is just a lunatic with a Bodhisattva's face and a demonic heart.

How could this be the Xie Lanshu she knew who had no desire for anything?

The more Zhaozhao thought about it, the more she felt like there was something wrong.

Maybe they have the wrong person.

Or maybe someone controlled him and wanted to use him to do bad things.

If this was the case, she must quickly see Xie Lanshu and tell him what happened in her dream, so as to help him avoid that cruel and terrible death.

The rain became more and more intense, and dense raindrops fell heavily.

Even the raincoat couldn't withstand the downpour. The soaked clothes stuck to her skin and it felt cold and sticky.

She was almost there.

Zhaozhao comforted herself.

Xie Lanshu... was in the immortal palace on the top of the mountain, waiting for her to save him.

Zhaozhao walked for a day and a night and the majestic golden-domed immortal palace finally gradually became clear in the rain.

However, before Zhaozhao could reach the outside of the Immortal Gate, she was blocked by a barrier. Two Kunwu disciples in black-white sect uniforms descended from the sky to block her way.

"This is the forbidden area of ​​the Immortal Palace, why does this mortal come here?"

In such a heavy rain, the two celestial disciples holding umbrellas were spotless and neatly dressed.

Looking at herself, she had been climbing the mountain for a day and a night. The mountain road was rugged and she fell three times. One time she almost rolled down the hillside. You can imagine how miserable she looked.

But Zhaozhao couldn't care less.

"I... came to see Daojun Tianshu." 

Probably because she knew that what she said was very presumptuous, so Zhaozhao's confidence was somewhat lacking.

The two disciples heard her words clearly and looked surprised.

They had seen people who wanted to come to the Kunwu Immortal Land to become a disciple, as well as people who came to seek fairy medicine. However, this is the first time they met someone who bluntly stated that she wanted to see Daojun Tianshu.

One of them said: "May I dare to ask, do you know Daojun Tianshu?"

Zhaozhao nodded: "You tell Mr. Xie Tianshu that my name is Xie Tanzhao and he will know who I am." {Her full name is Xie Tanzhao, Zhaozhao is her nickname.}

The two disciples looked at each other.

Kunwu has strict rules. If they tell their boss that there is a mortal who wants to see Daojun Tianshu then probably they would be beaten up by their senior sister and brother disciples without even giving Daojun Tianshu a chance to reply.

Just as they were in a bind, an unknown voice suddenly sounded in the rain.

"—Xie Tanzhao? Are you from Yunmeng Lake?"

This voice seemed to come from the clouds, like a celestial in the sky. Even though Zhaozhao, a mortal, had seen many immortal spells in her dreams, she was still shocked for a moment when she saw it with her own eyes.

"I...I am!"

The voice muttered thoughtfully, "She actually came all the way here" and then said to the two disciples:

"Bring her to Zhaoyingtian." {TN: Viewing Shadows Heaven… one of the other of the 33 Heavens I believe.}

The disciple looked surprised and respectfully said yes.

Things had suddenly taken a turn and Zhaozhao, who was originally extremely discouraged, suddenly became excited.

This man knew her identity. Did Xie Lanshu tell him? Will Jiangyun Palace be where Xie Lanshu lives? Will she see him later? {I think author forgot which place name she used before, or maybe Jiangyun Palace is a place in the Zhaoyingtian, I couldn’t find much on it when I searched so I’m not sure if it’s just something the author made up.}

As long as she thought like this, Zhaozhao even forgot about the chill on her body and her steps became even more brisk.

In the Zhaoyingtian.

The remaining Five Elders of Kunwu Immortal Land had many eyes and ears. They received the news almost at the same time that Lord Yaoguang summoned Zhaozhao and immediately put down what they were doing and rushed to Zhaoyingtian.

Lord Yaoguang leaned forward gracefully and said lazily:

"She’s but a mortal woman. How is she worthy of being received by the Six Elders of the Celestial Realm?" {The Sixth Elder is Lord Yaoguang himself.}

The white-bearded and crane-faced Lord Tianxuan closed his eyes to rest and calmly replied:

"In the past two years since Daojun Tianshu entered the world, it was his marriage to this woman that resolved his love tribulation and stabilized his Daoist heart. She has done a good deed for Kunwu and so she should be welcomed."

Lord Yaoguang sneered: "Are you welcoming her, or are you afraid that she will hang about and refuse to leave, so you came to drive her away?"

"Lord Yaoguang!" Lord Tianji interjected in displeasure. "Then what you mean is that you want her to stay with Daojun Tianshu day and night, share a deep love, and become a loving Daoist couple?"

Unlike several other senior elders, Lord Yaoguang grew up with Daojun Tianshu from childhood. He was younger and more outspoken than the others.

He grinned: "Is it not okay?"

The Five Elders all changed their colors.

Not because of Lord Yaoguang's attitude. It’s not new and already well known that Lord Yaoguang is very flippant. What they are worried about is not what Lord Yaoguang wants, but what Daojun Tianshu, who was behind him, wanted.

Daojun Tianshu only summoned everyone to Lihentian on the first day after returning to Kunwu. After that, only Lord Yaoguang could enter and leave Lihentian.

No one knows how Daojun Tianshu views this love tribulation.

Whilst everyone was having different thoughts, footsteps sounded from outside Zhaoyingtian Hall.

A girl covered in mud was led by the disciples and walked into the hall.

It could be seen that her journey was quite difficult. Her shoes and socks were almost soaked in mud. Her hair bun exposed after taking off her raincoat was also messy and wet, with water droplets dripping down her forehead.

Such an appearance would inevitably create a juxtaposition in everyone's hearts.

Daojun Tianshu has been in charge of the cultivation world for thousands of years. He is the only one in the cultivation world who is only one step away from becoming a God. {I guess they call people who have truly achieved immortality ‘Gods’.}

With such a powerful position and such peerless appearance, many young female immortals in the cultivation world have already secretly expressed their love for him but all of them were rejected by the Daoist who was devoted to cultivating Daoism and has no heart for love.

They thought that there must be something extraordinary about this mortal woman who could marry the Daojun but they didn’t expect her to appear here in such a miserable state.

However, this was also good.

"Where is Xie Lanshu?"

Before the Elders could speak, they heard the clear voice of the girl.

This Jiangyun Palace's tiles and bricks are made from white jade and gold. It is a celestial jade tower that is unimaginable in the human world. However, from the beginning to the end, except for worrying about soiling the ground when she first stepped in, the girl was no longer examining or curious. She barely looked around.

She only looked at Lord Yaoguang at the very top.

"Where is Xie Lanshu?"

The girl who was soaked all over looked frail and her skin was cold and wet like a flower that had been beaten to pieces by the rain. However she was really a snowy-skinned beauty.

In fact, from Lord Yaoguang’s point of view, calling her stunning is not an exaggeration.

It was only when she asked again that Lord Yaoguang noticed her extremely bright eyes.

Like a fearless little beast in the mountains, pure and brave, with an indomitable energy hidden inside her petite body.

Such a delicate look that could be shattered by a single blow, yet with an indomitable spirit. This posture was unique to mortals.

Lord Yaoguang smiled:

"It's been a tiring journey, why don't you change your clothes and sit down to chat. I wonder how the girl found this place?"

Zhaozhao shook her head warily.

"You didn't answer my question, where is Xie Lanshu? Did you hide Xie Lanshu?"

"There is no Xie Lanshu here."

Lord Tianquan spoke coldly.

"If the girl is looking for her husband who has already signed a divorce letter with her, then I can tell you that he is not Xie Lanshu, but Daojun Tianshu from the Kunwu Immortal Land. Two years ago, he had a great battle with the Ghost Realm. He was seriously injured in the battle and his Daoist heart was damaged. At that time, Heaven sent a love tribulation and sealed his memory and cultivation. Only then did he have the opportunity to meet you."

"Now that the love tribulation has been passed, the universe has returned him to its rightful place. The Daojun has greatly improved his cultivation and everyone in the Kunwu Immortal World is grateful for the girl's kindness. However, Daojun Tianshu is in charge of the cultivation world and cannot have personal love affairs. His fate with this girl can only be thus.”

Lord Yaoguang saw the girl's eyes turn red instantly.

But she didn't cry and still insisted on calling that name:

"Is this what Xie Lanshu said?"

The Elders were silent.

As if she had gained courage from the silence, Zhaozhao cheered up: "I don't believe Xie Lanshu would say such a thing. You must have imprisoned him and want to trick me into leaving."

"Miss Xie."

Lord Yaoguang sighed in his heart and took out the things he had kept in his arms for a long time.

"This is something Daojun Tianshu asked me to hand over to you. I was originally going to send it to Yunmeng Lake myself but I have been delayed preparing the celebrations in the Immortal Realm and ended up troubling Miss Xie to come and pick it up personally."

Zhaozhao lowered her eyes and glanced down. Her long eyelashes, wet with rain, trembled.

"What is this?"

Lord Yaoguang replied warmly: "It's a gift that Daojun asked me to give you."

Zhaozhao seemed to have seen something terrifying and took a step back, with resistance written all over her body.

"Daojun said: Miss Xie has no shortage of gold and silver. Her life's wish is to travel to great rivers and mountains and eat all kinds of delicacies in the world. This longevity pill can ensure that Miss Xie's beauty will remain forever and her life span will last for five hundred years. She can do whatever she wants with her time.” 

In her blurred vision, voices rang in Zhaozhao's ears:

—After the chores at home are taken care of, how about we go traveling around?

—Where do you want to go, wife?

—Hmm... In the spring, we go to see jade rain in Yingzhou. In the summer, we go to the lake to pick lotus seeds. In the autumn, it is best to go to Wanzhou to see the red maples. In winter, we will go to the grasslands of Qingzhou to eat roasted mutton!

—The journey is long, and it may take several years just by carriage and horse.

—That's all right! Two years, three years, ten years, twenty years, it doesn’t matter! Even when we are old, as long as I am with you, I will not be afraid of anything.

Zhaozhao bit her lower lip until it turned white and her eyes became increasingly red.

She wanted him to stop talking.

She didn’t come thousands of miles just to hear this.

But that seemingly pitying voice still uttered cruel words one after another.

"Daojun also said—"

His voice was as light as a drop of water falling into the endless sea of ​​suffering.

"All the things in the past are just a tribulation of fate. The fate has now reached its end and must be cut off. Girl, from this day forward, he never wishes to see you again.”

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The author has something to say:

It’s time to start the article. As per the old rules, there will be red envelopes in the first three chapters~

Some important de-mining before reading: [It’s not a shuang {cool} novel, it’s not a cool novel, it’s not a great heroine, it’s not a great heroine!!] {By this the author is referring to the fact that it’s not one of those novels with an extremely overpowered heroine that will dominate the world, and enact face-slapping cool revenge upon the world.}

A growth-oriented female protagonist, the plot serves the emotional line, a simple and sweet story about chasing a wife. Male protagonist does not change!

The most important thing when reading the article is to be happy, remember it~

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{Some notes from the translator - I personally love angst/虐 novels where the FL is the one being tortured, body and heart. I feel I’m in the minority though haha. But don’t worry for those who don’t like it, you can consume this story without problems! The FL’s angst only lasts a very short while and after that more than 80% of the novel is the ML being tortured in all sorts of different ways LOL. It’s a “wife chasing crematorium” novel for sure. Ending is HE! Consume without fear~~

If you like the translation, please leave me a comment! It will help me translate faster.}

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