MatHaz
patreon
Chapter 343: Empty and Full
🕑 Added 2025-10-20 10:50:01 +0000 UTC~~~
Old Jiang had been a demanding teacher.
Every day meant a new challenge. A different poison to defeat. A different puzzle to solve. His master seemed to derive great joy from Liu Jin's constant struggles. The only time he showed regret was when he made him undergo the trial of the Nine-Head Snake God at the grand age of nine. Liu Jin is sure that Old Jiang would have waited longer if he had more time to live.
Regardless, harsh as his lessons were, Old Jiang never imposed any obligations on him. He never warned him about misusing his teachings or told him to use them only in specific ways. On the contrary, Old Jiang was very upfront about the fact that Liu Jin could do whatever he wanted with the knowledge passed down to him.
Most likely, Old Jiang did not want what happened to his father to repeat itself. That is why he allowed Liu Jin the freedom to act as he pleased. To that end, he hid much from him. His enemies. His allies. His history. Old Jiang only showed him what he thought was absolutely necessary to avoid influencing his path too much.
Had Liu Jin ever tried to get him to tell him who poisoned him, Old Jiang would have probably laughed at him and told him not to think about stupid things. Liu Jin knows that.
However…However…
Somewhere out there are the people who murdered his grandfather!
Liu Jin breathes deeply. The Wandering Wind has done what she wanted and left after answering some of his questions. The others are gone as well. He asked them for a moment of privacy to gather himself, and that was no excuse. The Qi around him is dark, heavy, and carries a light scent of death. No matter how much Liu Jin tries to bring it under control, dark thoughts keep bubbling to the surface of his mind. He looks into his soul, and all he sees is a poisonous ocean boiling with wrath.
“Boss, you are going to mess up your face if you frown so much.”
Liu Jin slowly turns away from the pillar he had been glaring a hole into. Su Daji is standing there with her hands behind her back. Her expression is nonchalant, but the thin layer of Qi around her body says much.
“I asked for a moment,” Liu Jin says.
Su Daji gives him a flat look.
“Has leaving you alone with your thoughts ever worked out, boss?” she asks, waving a hand through the air, literally pushing his dark Qi out of the way. The motion makes the divide between the normal air and the one saturated with his Qi clear. “Look, you’re literally darkening the room.”
Liu Jin glares at her in silence for several seconds. The purple-haired girl refuses to budge.
“This is serious.”
“And that’s why I am not leaving you,” Su Daji replies. “The others listened to you because you gave them a lot to think about. You’re good at that, but this Su Daji has entirely too many half-remembered memories to be swayed by something as small as a war between humans and demons. More dangerous than that would be to let you act as that woman wants. You know that’s why she told you, right?”
“I know,” Liu Jin replies.
The Wandering Wind is many things, but subtle is not one of them. She does not care enough to be. From the moment she told him that information, she knew he’d feel compelled to follow it through. Even if he knows she is trying to manipulate him, no amount of reasoning can temper what his soul cries for.
“So?” Su Daji asks, throwing her hands up. “Don’t give her the satisfaction! Annoy her! Spite her! Make her mad! If you’re in doubt, always act in the way that will create more spite, Boss.”
“It’s not that simple,” Liu Jin tells her. “They will come after me regardless. I always knew revealing myself would attract the people who killed my master. I don’t have the option not to deal with them.”
“You’re just lying to yourself,” Su Daji says, crossing her arms. “There is a difference between attention and fixation, and you are about to let this become the latter. From there, it’s a short trip to obsession. He wouldn’t have liked that.”
“What do you know?” Liu Jin asks her in a quiet voice. “As you told me days ago, you are not Su An.”
She flinches. A glimmer of hurt appears in her eyes, but it is gone in an instant, replaced by pure stubbornness.
“Maybe,” she says. “But I do remember things. Maybe not enough, but bits and pieces. She knew him. Not as much as you, obviously, but she liked him well enough. Maybe I don’t remember everything, but I know one thing for certain.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
“He loved you,” she says. “Your entire family is awful at showing emotions, but he was always so happy when he was with you. He was so proud. Do you really need me to tell you he wouldn’t want you to be stupid on his account?”
No.
She doesn’t.
His master never wanted him to take up his feuds.
Liu Jin looks away. His vision blurs for a moment before he blinks it away.
“I…I seem to always need you,” Liu Jin says. “I thought I’d grown a little more by now.”
“Hmph, you have grown lots, but that’s exactly why you need more people to give you advice, boss,” Su Daji says. “That’s fine. There are plenty of us here. Now, are you going to stay in this room and brood, or will you come with me and see the others?”
She offers her hand. Liu Jin takes it.
“Others?” he asks before she pulls him out of the empty room.
~~~
“Brother-in-law, how I have missed you!”
Liu Jin is the Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire. None can harm him as long as he is inside the Storm Dragon Palace.
Feng Zhuo’s bear hugs are, quite unfortunately, not a method of harm.
“Senior Brother,” Liu Jin says as Feng Zhuo lifts him off his feet. He is pretty sure he hears Su Daji snickering a few feet away. “It has not been that long.”
“Not that long? Preposterous! I could swear it has been months!” Feng Zhuo says. “You made us all very worried, you know?”
“I am aware… You can let me go now.”
“Certainly, it was all very impressive,” Feng Zhuo continues as though he had not heard him. Liu Jin knew he would. “I must say your match against Chen Guo was my favorite. It was such a strong clash of Dao.”
“I take some offense to that,” Xiao Shuang says. Lu Mei’s genteel laughter reaches Liu Jin's ears moments later.
"In particular, I appreciated the moment where-"
“Unhand him already, you fool!" says a new voice. "He’s the leader of a nation. Treat him with the appropriate respect.”
“He’s my brother-in-law,” Feng Zhuo says, but he finally lets Liu Jin go. “Am I not allowed to show love for my family?”
Bai Wen crosses her arms and raises a very unimpressed eyebrow.
“You can show your love without being a nuisance,” she replies.
“This Feng Zhuo? A nuisance?” Feng Zhuo sighs melodramatically and places a hand over his heart. “What a terrible thing to say! What a cold place the Divine Frozen Palace must be!”
Bai Wen’s eyebrow twitches. Feng Zhuo’s smile grows.
Liu Jin senses imminent danger.
“As pleased as I am to see you both here,” Liu Jin hurries to say, “I must admit that I was not expecting you. Not today, at least.”
The look Bai Wen gives him almost makes him take a step back.
Almost.
“Is it so surprising that I would be here after so many things have happened?” Bai Wen asks him, her voice deceptively calm. Liu Jin finds himself shaking his head. “I was quite worried, so I am heartened to see you in good health. However, I will not deny there is another motive to our presence here.”
“Considering Little Hao is going to stay here for the foreseeable future, it wouldn’t be right for him to go unsupervised, right?” Feng Zhuo interrupts, earning himself a glare from Bai Wen. He takes it in stride. “My little sister will be here too, but she’s a little too biased on this matter.”
Lu Mei smiles. “Guilty.”
“Thus, the responsibility falls to me to chaperone Feng Hao and continue his instruction,” Feng Zhuo says as the six of them renew their walk down the hallway. He glances at Bai Wen out of the corner of his eyes. “I assume the lady is here for similar reasons.”
“That is so,” Bai Wen says, still annoyed at the interruption. “Little Shuang’s talent is immense. It would be a waste if we stopped nurturing it.”
“Little Hao is more talented,” Feng Zhuo mutters just loudly enough to be heard by everyone.
“Are you a child?!” Bai Wen yells at him before catching herself and coughing in embarrassment. “Anyway, Lady Meng Yue volunteered to do it.”
Xiao Shuang shivers.
“But that was deemed unwise,” Bai Wen finishes. “I was chosen instead.”
And, of course, no one bothered to ask him if it was okay for them to send emissaries to his palace. Not that he would have refused them, but it is the principle of the thing! The day is not even over, yet Emperor Xiang’s words are already coming true.
Still, it could be worse.
They could have allowed Lady Meng Yue to have her way.
“I am, of course, grateful to have you here,” Liu Jin says instead of voicing his real thoughts. “The hospitality of the Storm Dragon Empire is always open to you.”
As if on cue, Shi Qingxia appears in front of them.
“The victory meal is ready,” she says without any preamble.
Liu Jin blinks. Certainly, he felt everyone gathered in the banquet hall from the moment Su Daji dragged him out, but…
“I wasn't aware we brought any cooks,” he says.
“We didn’t,” Shi Qingxia says. “However, they knew the palace would reach you after the tournament, so they made sure to leave everything cooked and preserved with temporal seals.”
That…was really thoughtful of them.
“Follow me,” Shi Qinxia says, turning. “It will get cold if we wait too much.”
They were already on their way to the banquet hall when Shi Qinxia reached them, so the walk there only takes a few more seconds. The table is full of all sorts of delicious-looking food: meat from various Spirit Beasts, seasoned vegetables, and more. However, that is not what makes Liu Jin smile.
“Finally!” Bei Hong says. “Do you know how long we’ve waited for you to be done with all your talking? Do you want the food to go to waste?”
“You served yourself a plate,” Lu Mei notes, looking at Bei Hong with no small amount of irritation. “In the Emperor’s banquet hall. Without the Emperor’s presence.”
“Even I know better, Brother Hong,” Huang Shing notes after waving at Liu Jin. “That’s just rude.”
“Call it repayment for services rendered,” Bei Hong says. “We fought those shadow people, didn’t we?”
“You did, indeed,” Liu Jin says. “Did you have fun?”
Bei Hong considers the question.
“They were strong,” he says at last. “Cowardly, but strong. If they hadn’t retreated and stayed to fight till the end, I’m not sure we could have won.”
“We weren’t at our best,” Huang Shing protests.
“They weren’t using all their power,” Fan Bingbing counters, making Huang Shing grimace. Even Lu Mei looks somewhat displeased.
“Next time, I won’t lose. It’s that simple,” Bei Hong promises, and everyone in the room feels the weight of those words settle over them. Some smile and chuckle while others shake their heads.
“You’ll have time to prepare,” Liu Jin says, moving to the head of the table. He looks at all the people assembled. “In the meantime, please, drink and eat. The Emperor of the Storm Dragon Empire welcomes you and thanks you for all you have done.”
That is all the prompting Bei Hong needs. Huang Shing is not far behind, quickly moving to fill his plate.
“Quite the collection you have gathered,” Xiao Fang tells him, looking at Bei Hong and Huang Shing with clear distaste. Xiao Shuang is sitting beside him. She had gone to him as soon as she saw him. “They are certainly… unique.”
“You are unique as well,” Liu Jin tells him. Xiao Fang glares at him.
“It is good to see you, brother,” Xiao Shuang says. “Will you be staying here long? After everything that went on in the tournament, it would be nice if we could all spend a little more time together.”
"I suppose spending time here is better than doing it at some inn," Xiao Fang says. “Besides, the situation over at the Xiao Sect is uncertain. Xiao Yifan supposedly fled the city, but if I show up right now and try to take charge, it will just leave me exposed.”
“I suppose it would be rude of me to turn you away in your homelessness,” Liu Jin says calmly as he fills his plate.
“You tease him too much, husband,” Xiao Shuang says, though the way her lips tremble reveals her true feelings.
Xiao Feng’s eyebrows twitch. “You really have gotten comfortable speaking your mind.”
“Was that not always the case?” Feng Zhi asks. “I cannot imagine a time when our esteemed Emperor wasn’t the way he is.”
Xiao Fang and Feng Zhi’s gazes meet. A single nod is given as silent understanding passes between them.
“Oh, I’d say we have all changed a little, cousin,” Lu Mei says. “Don’t you remember when we first met? You were so imperious and overbearing back then. What were you doing so close to the Spring of Clear Insight anyway?”
“That’s not important!” Feng Zhi says, a hint of red on his cheeks.
“No,” Huang Shing says with his mouth full. “The way you reacted just now makes me want to know.”
“Silence, oaf!”
“See? That is exactly what I mean. Hey! That was my duck, Yi Jiao!”
Looking from the sidelines, someone sniffles.
“Are you crying?” Shin Qingxia asks, disgusted.
“I am emotional is all,” Lei Kong replies, rubbing the tears out of his eyes. “It’s just such a happy occasion.”
Liu Jin laughs. He closes his eyes and allows the noise in the room to wash over him. Petty bickering, laughter, and countless meaningless words. His empty palace has become full in the blink of an eye. It is a far cry from the silence he favors. And yet…
It feels good.
~~~
Mini-Character List
Liu Jin: Our protagonist. Happy.
Su Daji: The Wandering Wind’s disciple. Carries much of Su An in her.
Feng Zhuo: Son of Feng Shang. Friendly in-law. Too friendly.
Xiao Shuang: Disciple of the Divine Frozen Palace. Looking forward to spending time in the Storm Dragon Empire.
Lu Mei: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. Would not tease people too much if they didn’t leave themselves so open for it.
Bai Wen: Disciple of the Divine Frozen Palace. Concerned and annoyed.
Shi Qingxia: Maid of the Storm Dragon Empire. Dependable.
Bei Hong: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. When in doubt, train.
Huang Shing: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. Lacks skill guarding his food.
Fan Bingbing: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. Big eater.
Xiao Fang: Young Master of the Xiao Sect. That one homeless in-law.
Feng Zhi: Young Master of the Eternal Flame Clan. Nothing happened.
Lei Kong: Head of the Lei Clan. Could have sat at the table, but chose to stand back for old time’s sake.
Comments
Logan Teague
So which one's Yi Jiao? The one that stole Huang Shing's duck?
Akkido
A little hint at the future of his Dao at the end there?
kenlon
I still really really want more PoVs on Jin and Shuang's match. Song Daiyu and Su Daji especially. I wouldn't say no to seeing Mei's reaction either.
Master Zen
Thanks for the chapter
Swiss Jeez
I hope we get to see the beginning of Hao's training.
mhaj58
Really hope that they give us at least one more chapter like this before the next chaotic arc. All that’s missing the interludes. It’d be nice to check in on Xiao Nan and Meng Yue at least. Also need Jin to meet Shen Mi so he can tease Xiao Fang properly
JunglyBush
What a sweet chapter, Liu Jin deserves a break. I’m glad he gets to enjoy one before the upcoming trials. I am a little sad that Xiao Nan could not be here, especially since Feng Zhuo and Bai Wen are here. Those two aren’t part of Liu Jin’s generation. Still, I’m sure he’ll get to see both Xiao Fang and Xiao Shuang. Eventually.
Cynical Pasta
This was a delightful chapter, thank you kindly
Tortugato
There’s been quite some foreshadowing associating Song Daiyu with the number FIVE.. Not a long con at all if she isn’t the fourth. But there’s also the interpretation that Liu Jin is the first link in the chain as it were, and so Daiyu could still be the “Fifth” while being the fourth wife. I think her being wife number 5 is more likely though.. Perhaps we get wife number 4, which triggers Daiyu to be more aggressive in her campaign to join the harem, because LJ is too dense to make the first move.
kenlon
I didn't mention it in my previous post, but the way Shi Qingxia has taken to her role as a maid is endlessly amusing to me. Also good to see that Huang Shing and Yi Jiao are falling back into their old friendship. I'm betting she used to steal his food then, too.
kenlon
United in knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jin is a butthead.
Catherine
Just missing Song Daiyu
Catherine
“Senior Brother,” Liu Jin says as Feng Zhuo lifts him off his feet. He is pretty sure he hears Su Daji snickering a few feet away. This reminds me of how Su An punished Jin for worrying her after his first tournament by picking him up in a bear hug.
Catherine
Xiao Feng’s eyebrows twitch. “You really have gotten comfortable speaking your mind.” “Was that not always the case?” Feng Zhi asks. “I cannot imagine a time when our esteemed Emperor wasn’t the way he is.” Xiao Fang and Feng Zhi’s gazes meet. A single nod is given as silent understanding passes between them. 😂😂😂 The bromance I did not know I needed!
kenlon
Good to have a moment to decompress before the plot kicks back in. > “What do you know?” Liu Jin asks her in a quiet voice. “As you told me days ago, you are not Su An.” She flinches. A glimmer of hurt appears in her eyes, but it is gone in an instant, replaced by pure stubbornness. One: Seriously not cool, Jin. Two: She's more Su An than he's giving her credit for, reacting that way. > "I…I seem to always need you,” Liu Jin says. “I thought I’d grown a little more by now.” If the day ever comes when you don't need people, worry. That's a place where your father went astray. > Bai Wen’s eyebrow twitches. Feng Zhuo’s smile grows. Senior Brother, your flirting is disturbing and likely to result in widespread property damage and frostbite injuries. Knock it off. > They could have allowed Lady Meng Yue to have her way. Cowards. Jin and Meng Yue in close proximity for an extended period? NOTHING COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG! > “Next time, I won’t lose. It’s that simple,” Bei Hong promises, and everyone in the room feels the weight of those words settle over them. I get the feeling that Bei Hong is going to be very adept at punching above his weight class if he continues being in Liu Jin's retinue. And I am here for it. Renegade Bei Hong is going to be a hell of a thing to see. > Xiao Fang and Feng Zhi’s gazes meet. A single nod is given as silent understanding passes between them. Bros. > His empty palace has become full in the blink of an eye. It is a far cry from the silence he favors. And yet… It feels good. Rather the opposite of Hollow, isn't it? Only person I would want to see who's missing is Song Daiyu. Now that Su Daji is 'rescued', she should be the next to start getting serious characterization time. (Unless Mat is pulling off a HELL of a long con, and she isn't wife-number-four-in-waiting.)
Woalol
Lol! Lei Kong reminds me of Fionna's mom during the dinner scene in Shrek 2.
Scipio
Where is Fang Hao?
Derek Walker
A great chapter but still a little frustrating we didn’t hear more about the Qin
octav
The power of friendship, xianxia style.
Valerian
The whole gang in the same room for the first time, ever. Nice
Qdlav
We know the palace gained the ability to fly only after LJ’s showing the art and gaining the „weight”, so it was 7 days prior. How they managed to prepare everything once it started rising is a fair question
Gardor
Liu Jin really should give his chefs a bonus, im picturing some cook desperately begging a cultivator to carry storage rings full of food as a castle floats in the background, just so the Emperor will have a victory feast That being said, what does this mean? Like, from a time line perspective: "they knew the palace would reach you after the tournament, so they made sure to leave everything cooked and preserved with temporal seals" The service staff saw their place of employment and probable home rise up into the sky, and knew "oh its going to the Emperor at the tournament". And this happened...a week ago? A month ago? And still the palace took everyone by surprise? Thats a bigger level "wtf", these sects definitely have information networks, but on a micro level, how long does it take to cook a feast, and how quickly does a storm dragon palace fly, that the chefs had the ability to prepare the food and get it here.
ArranWuyin
I really like this chapter especially the latter half and shout out to Su Daji
s476
Thanks for the chapter, nice to have some happy times
