Xi Jianlan’s entire body froze.
Wasn’t Sheng Jiao still fast asleep?
He’d clearly slipped him a sleeping pill when he wasn’t paying attention last night. Someone without spiritual power should sleep for two full hours before completely awakening.
Sheng Jiao was expressionless, his eyes coldly indifferent.
Xi Jianlan’s lips trembled: “You… you recovered your spiritual power?”
Only by recovering spiritual power would Sheng Jiao be unaffected by that pill.
Sheng Jiao looked at him coldly.
Xi Jianlan got his answer from those eyes, and nameless fury rose.
But he really had no grounds to argue, so he could only forcibly suppress his shame and anger. Nearly grinding his molars to powder, he forced a smile and said word by word: “Sect Master Sheng is truly deeply mysterious.”
Recovering spiritual power without saying anything—treating him like a monkey?!
Sheng Jiao’s eyes glanced at Yu Tuishan, who was nervously but still desperately eating wontons, saying coldly: “Your good friend is waiting for you over there.”
Xi Jianlan quickly shook his head: “No, no, no, we’re not close!”
Yu Tuishan from far away also shook his head like a rattle drum, protesting his innocence that they really weren’t close.
Xi Jianlan, afraid of causing more trouble, grabbed Sheng Jiao’s hand and started walking, saying dryly: “I was wrong, I was wrong. Let’s go back to Zhuxing Zhai now. Find some chains to tie me to a pillar—I guarantee I won’t step one foot outside Tianyan Academy.”
Sheng Jiao stood like a pillar at this moment, gripping Xi Jianlan’s hand expressionlessly.
“Since you’re not close, then you ran all this way just to eat wontons. Let’s go.”
“No, no, no!”
Sheng Jiao ignored him, forcibly dragging him toward the wonton stall.
People came and went on the early market street, all looking suspiciously at the two pulling and tugging.
Xi Jianlan’s face turned red with embarrassment as he lowered his voice: “You… you’re the Xiezhi Sect Master, Lord of Heavenly Dao. How can you lower yourself to come to such a humble little stall? Let’s go. Gege, gege, please, I’ll go back and personally make wontons for you.”
The nearby stall owner had sharp ears and said unhappily: “What are you saying? My little stall has immortals who come specially to eat here every day. How can you slander me to my face? See that masked immortal? He’s eaten eight bowls in a row—that shows my ancestral cooking skills are exquisite! So what if the place is humble?!”
Immortal Yu said: “Two more bowls.”
Xi Jianlan: “…”
Just as Xi Jianlan was about to rack his brains for something else to say, Sheng Jiao had already dragged him to sit at the stall.
Too many people came for the early market, most sharing tables. Unfortunately, sitting across from them was Yu Tuishan wolfing down his food.
Sheng Jiao glanced at Yu Tuishan with a half-smile.
Cold sweat poured down Yu Tuishan’s forehead. From initially eating happily to now eating nervously, his little eyes under the mask still watched Sheng Jiao warily, full of fear.
—Not fear that Sheng Jiao would suddenly kill someone, but worry that Sect Master Sheng would overturn his wonton bowl.
Those two claws gripped the bowl tightly like a vicious dog guarding its food.
The stall owner was quick, serving two steaming bowls of wontons with a few swift movements.
Xi Jianlan had no appetite—he was too angry to eat. Weakly he said: “I… I didn’t say I wanted to eat.”
“Eat!” The stall owner glared at him. “Though my stall is humble, the taste is second to none in all of Central State. I’m treating you—try it.”
Xi Jianlan: “…”
Xi Jianlan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so he picked up the small wooden spoon and ate reluctantly.
Sheng Jiao looked down, unhurriedly sipping his soup. Even in this chaotic corner eating the most ordinary mortal food, the noble Sect Master Sheng maintained his aloof flower’s dignified indifference. Every movement was extraordinary and pleasing to the eye.
Yu Tuishan across from them had no manners whatsoever, looking like a starving ghost reborn. After eating ten bowls he still wasn’t satisfied and had the stall owner cook two more.
Xi Jianlan thought expressionlessly: Don’t stuff yourself to death.
Finally, after eating twelve bowls, Yu Tuishan satisfiedly wiped his mouth, gave a dry laugh to the two across from him, and was about to get up and leave.
Sheng Jiao unhurriedly stirred the dried shrimp in his bowl with the wooden spoon, not looking up as he said coldly: “Aren’t you two going to discuss something? Not going to say anything before leaving?”
Yu Tuishan: “…”
Xi Jianlan: “…”
Yu Tuishan awkwardly made excuses: “I… I suddenly remembered urgent business at home. I need to go first and won’t disturb you two lovebirds being lovey-dovey.”
Sheng Jiao looked up at him coldly.
Yu Tuishan, relying on the fact that Sheng Jiao wouldn’t strike him in front of so many people, fled without another word, instantly transforming into scattered golden patterns and disappearing.
Sheng Jiao watched coldly, his gaze slowly shifting to Xi Jianlan, who had nearly buried his face in his bowl playing dead.
Xi Jianlan’s whole body stiffened as he weakly looked up and gave him an obedient smile.
Sheng Jiao reached out to touch Xi Jianlan’s head, his fingers slowly moving down to rest on his neck that bore several red marks.
Xi Jianlan’s body tensed, almost thinking Sheng Jiao would twist his neck.
After a while, Sheng Jiao withdrew his hand and said coldly: “Eat.”
Xi Jianlan quickly put down his spoon: “I’m… I’m finished eating.”
The stall owner had been watching them closely and snorted: “How did it taste?”
Xi Jianlan sincerely praised: “I apologize—I was arrogant earlier. Your wontons’ flavor is truly unmatched in Central State.”
“Haha.” The stall owner laughed endlessly, raising his hand and raising an eyebrow: “One hundred thirty wen. Pay up.”
Xi Jianlan stared in shock: “Huh? Didn’t you say you were treating me?”
The stall owner glared at him: “I only treated you—I’m not treating the other two.”
Xi Jianlan was stunned, finally realizing…
That bastard Yu Tuishan had actually fled without paying!
After cursing and paying the bill, Xi Jianlan was dragged back to Zhuxing Zhai by Sheng Jiao gripping his neck.
The hour of Yin had just passed, and dawn was breaking.
Sheng Jiao forcibly brought Xi Jianlan back to the osmanthus courtyard. Without waiting for Xi Jianlan’s explanation, he pressed him against the door with a “bang.”
No lamps were lit in the room, still carrying yesterday’s incense fragrance.
Having failed to escape, Xi Jianlan felt guilty and didn’t dare meet Sect Master Sheng’s eyes, but that didn’t stop him from shifting blame: “When did you recover your spiritual power? Why didn’t you say anything?”
Sheng Jiao’s expression was cold: “If I told you, would you have behaved?”
“Of course!” Xi Jianlan argued righteously. “Knowing Sect Master Sheng’s superior cultivation and all-seeing abilities, naturally I wouldn’t overestimate myself and try to escape under your nose.”
Sheng Jiao looked at him coldly.
Xi Jianlan quickly shifted all blame for his escape attempt onto Sheng Jiao: “If you had told me, I would have stayed obediently at Zhuxing Zhai. How could today’s incident have happened? In summary…”
The more Xi Jianlan spoke, the more reasonable he felt. Growing bold, he looked up and glared at Sheng Jiao, no longer feeling guilty as he righteously concluded:
“In summary, it’s all your fault.”
Sheng Jiao: “…”
Seeing Xi Jianlan’s chattering mouth spouting nothing but infuriating nonsense, Sheng Jiao placed four fingers against his cheek, his thumb roughly brushing over his bitten lip, dark eyes seeming to brew the cold intent of an approaching storm.
Xi Jianlan shivered, inexplicably afraid. He stepped back half a step, his back pressed firmly against the carved wooden door, saying warily: “What are you doing? I’m telling you, Sheng Jiao—using private punishment violates Xiezhi Sect’s iron rules. If you… mmph!”
Sheng Jiao finally lowered his head to block that infuriating mouth.
Xi Jianlan never wanted to be suppressed by Sheng Jiao in terms of momentum. Even during dual cultivation he would curse and refuse to say a single word of submission. Now trapped in this completely restraining posture by Sheng Jiao, he immediately tried to turn the tables.
With Sheng Jiao’s spiritual power restored, he was completely beyond what Xi Jianlan, whose xiangwen hadn’t fully recovered, could handle. Pushing hard felt like trying to move an immovable mountain.
The mountain stood majestically, its overwhelming presence pressing down as if to steal away all breath.
When Xi Jianlan was released, his mind was completely blank. Clutching Sheng Jiao’s robes, he gasped for a long time, coughing until his eyes turned completely red.
Sheng Jiao’s palm was broad, his thumb gently caressing Xi Jianlan’s earlobe bit by bit as he said coldly: “Don’t you know why I won’t let you go?”
Xi Jianlan’s breathing was still unsteady, the corner of his eye slightly red with a water droplet rolling down over his red mole. Lan Jiaojiao’s courtesan face was captivating with just one tear.
“What else could it be?” He glared coldly at Sheng Jiao. “Of course you don’t trust me and worry I’ll cause trouble.”
Sheng Jiao said coldly: “Wen Gubai will go.”
Xi Jianlan, suppressed and angered, said impatiently: “Wen Gubai stays in that turtle shell-like Dean’s cave dwelling all day without stepping out. Even Sect Master Sheng can’t see Dean Wen now, right? It suits me perfectly that he’s going to the secret realm—naturally I know.”
Sheng Jiao’s eyes darkened: “You…”
“I knew from the beginning he would go.” Xi Jianlan glared at him, deliberately interrupting: “He’s the mastermind who slaughtered my Xi family. Even if you make me stay here, I’ll find ways to run to the secret realm and seek revenge.”
“Previously the Tianyan Pearls judged him innocent.” Sheng Jiao’s five fingers suddenly tightened, rubbing a red mark on Xi Jianlan’s snow-white neck, his gaze sharp: “But Heng Yudu and Feng Yushu had their memories of discussing the Xi family slaughter with you erased by him. When you meet in the secret realm, perhaps the Tianyan Pearls will judge him the mastermind.”
Xi Jianlan remained expressionless and silent.
“As long as the Tianyan Pearls judge, I’ll naturally kill him to avenge you and clear your name.” Sheng Jiao looked down at him, wanting to voice all his doubts: “…Why do you want to follow? Is Wen Gubai scheming against you, or are you scheming against him? Was Xi Qingfeng’s xiangwen in Ying Zhuo’s hands your doing?”
Is all of this your calculation?
In the dim light, Xi Jianlan’s expression remained unchanged for a long time.
Sheng Jiao held his breath, waiting patiently and quietly.
After a while, Xi Jianlan leaned forward slightly, as if exhausted from traveling thousands of li. His forehead rested against Sheng Jiao’s chest as he said something completely unrelated:
“Sheng Jiao, if only the Qu family of Xiezhi Sect back then could have distinguished right from wrong with justice like you do.”
Sheng Jiao’s fingers moved.
What did this mean?
Had the previous Xiezhi Sect Master done something unjust to Xi Jianlan?
“I understand.” Xi Jianlan’s sincerity only showed for an instant before he smiled as usual, seeming completely convinced as he said obediently: “Alright, I’ll listen to you and stay at Zhuxing Zhai. I won’t go anywhere.”
Staring at Xi Jianlan’s false compliance, Sheng Jiao felt inexplicable irritation.
Both harboring their own thoughts, they stared at each other coldly.
The hour of Mao had arrived. Tianyan Academy’s morning bell rang, interrupting their standoff.
Amid the resonant morning bells, a ray of light poured through a hole in the carved door’s paper, falling on Sheng Jiao’s cold face.
After an unknown time, Sheng Jiao gently released Xi Jianlan, saying quietly: “Don’t let me see you in the secret realm, or you know the consequences.”
Xi Jianlan smiled provocatively: “What consequences? I don’t know.”
Sheng Jiao was expressionless: “You won’t want to know.”
Xi Jianlan: “…”
Meeting Sheng Jiao’s ink-black eyes, Xi Jianlan felt inexplicably intimidated. Bold as he was, he couldn’t help but shiver.
Sheng Jiao said no more, expressionlessly placing a dao restriction on Xi Jianlan to prevent him from leaving Zhuxing Zhai, then opened the door and strode out.
Xi Jianlan stood tall and alone in the dim room, his figure almost being devoured bit by bit by the inner room’s darkness.
Just beyond the threshold, the brilliant rising sun bathed Sheng Jiao.
The two went their separate ways.
Just like six years ago.
Xi Jianlan quietly watched Sheng Jiao leave. Something struck him and he couldn’t help laughing.
“Fool.” Xi Jianlan murmured quietly. “It’s too late. I don’t want it anymore.”
Late-coming justice—he no longer needed it.
Not even from Sheng Jiao.
Xi Jianlan stood dazed in silence. The sunlight remained outside the threshold, never illuminating him.
The hour of Chen had passed, and the sun was high.
Xi Jianlan finally came to his senses, taking out a small wooden figure from his sleeve and gently stroking it.
The wooden figure instantly transformed into a puppet identical to him.
This was the puppet he’d asked Feng Yu to commission from Ying Zhuo yesterday. Xi Jianlan slowly poured his remaining spiritual power into the puppet, and the Heart-Binding Silk that Sheng Jiao had retied on his finger was slowly consumed by Tianyan spiritual power.
Soon, golden patterns flashed and disguised themselves as the Heart-Binding Silk, silently binding the puppet’s little finger.
Xi Jianlan left a strand of consciousness in the puppet so Heng Yudu wouldn’t notice when he came looking, then had the puppet lie down to sleep on the soft couch.
After disguising everything, Xi Jianlan moved like entering an unguarded realm. Wrapped in Tianyan spiritual power, he silently left through Sheng Jiao’s restriction.
Golden patterns flickered in his eyes.
Xi Jianlan snorted: “Don’t be so smug. It’s just breaking restrictions and disguising the Heart-Binding Silk—what’s there to be proud of? If you faced Sheng Jiao directly, you’d be beaten until your own mother wouldn’t recognize you.”
As he was about to step across the threshold, dark clouds suddenly drifted across the previously clear sky, blocking the brilliant sunlight at his feet.
Xi Jianlan looked up at the storm-approaching sky, shaking his head with a bitter smile before quickly leaving Zhuxing Zhai.
Outside Tianyan Academy, a traveling mustard seed pulled by a unicorn waited silently under the magnolia trees.
After Xi Jianlan snuck out, he lifted the bead curtain and dove in, completely making himself at home: “Let’s go to the secret realm—drive.”
Ying Zhuo had been waiting all morning. Seeing Xi Jianlan, he skillfully put on an obedient smile and urged the unicorn toward the secret realm.
“Good morning, shixiong. Has shixiong had morning tea? Would you like…”
Xi Jianlan raised an eyebrow: “You came as a puppet again today?”
Ying Zhuo laughed. Probably afraid Xi Jianlan would slap him again, he preemptively grabbed Xi Jianlan’s hand and pressed it to his cheek: “Why don’t shixiong feel for himself?”
Xi Jianlan pinched twice and discovered that Ying Qiao’er had actually come in person today.
“How bold.” Xi Jianlan smiled but not smiled, pinching Ying Zhuo’s face and pulling it outward. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll really kill you?”
Ying Zhuo’s cheeks were pulled until his handsome face was deformed, but he smiled submissively: “I’ll devote myself wholeheartedly to shixiong until death. How could shixiong possibly kill me over a ‘Third Watch Snow’?”
Xi Jianlan’s eyes curved as he released his face: “Truly clever.”
Ying Zhuo’s stern face bore a red mark from the pinching, but he was perfectly content, saying with a smile: “The Feng and Heng families already know about this matter. It seems Zhuxing Zhai has a mole.”
Xi Jianlan looked at him with a half-smile.
This little spider really was constantly trying to drive a wedge between him and Zhuxing Zhai.
“I know.” Xi Jianlan reached out to hook Ying Zhuo’s chin, saying with a grin: “I allowed it too. Even if those old fogeys know what’s in Xi Minghuai’s memory, what can they do to me?”
Ying Zhuo choked, just about to say a few nice words to coax his shixiong when his peripheral vision suddenly caught the red marks on Xi Jianlan’s neck.
With Zhuxing Zhai members gathering, Xi Jianlan—who only pursued simple pleasure—had probably had another spring evening with that bastard Sheng Jiao.
Ying Zhuo’s five fingers clenched, nearly digging blood from his palms as he forced a smile: “Shixiong, is Sect Master Sheng going to register a union with you?”
Xi Jianlan said casually: “No.”
“Then how can he humiliate you like this?” Ying Zhuo seemed to seize the opportunity, saying indignantly: “Dual cultivating before registering a union—this is wanton behavior, contemptible!”
Xi Jianlan laughed heartily, deliberately teasing him: “Oh, then what should we do? Sect Master Sheng has already slept with me inside and out—it can’t be undone. Why don’t you go to Xiezhi Sect to beat drums and cry injustice, have the enforcers arrest him?”
Ying Zhuo: “…”
Ying Zhuo was about to be driven to tears by Xi Jianlan’s retorts: “Shixiong!”
“Silly boy.” Xi Jianlan laughed endlessly, reaching out to pat his face. “What’s so good about me anyway that you just won’t let go? With your family background, what kind of man couldn’t you find? Why must you hang yourself on this married man’s tree?”
Ying Zhuo was about to faint from this “married man” comment, desperately catching his breath as he said weakly: “Shixiong encouraged me so much back then. Without shixiong there would be no me today—how could anyone else compare?”
Xi Jianlan really couldn’t remember when he’d ever encouraged him. Regarding this junior from Lixiang Zhai, he’d probably mostly scolded him.
This little spider probably had masochistic tendencies.
“Shixiong, shixiong.” Knowing Xi Jianlan responded to gentleness rather than force, Ying Zhuo tugged his sleeve and said softly: “I was wrong before. In the future, I absolutely won’t force you to do things you don’t want to do. Please don’t be angry with Qiao’er anymore.”
Xi Jianlan was immediately overwhelmed by this self-reference as “Qiao’er,” goosebumps covering his whole body as he shivered: “Qiao’er, speak properly, don’t be like this.”
So creepy.
Ying Zhuo obediently put away this hair-raising supernatural ability and began discussing serious matters.
“Shixiong, are you planning to join the excitement at the secret realm?”
“No.”
Xi Jianlan lifted the window curtain to glance outside, a smile floating across his features.
The unicorn traveled extremely fast—below was already the secret realm entrance.
Xi Jianlan said lightly: “…I plan to become the excitement.”
Ying Zhuo looked at his shixiong with reverence.
…He felt that Xi Jianlan saying this was too profound and mysterious, like the enigmatic and bizarre villain he’d described before—heart-stopping and soul-stirring.
But the next instant, the mysterious “villain” seemed to see something and quickly pulled down the bead curtain like being chased by wolves, his eyes full of terror.
Xi Jianlan cowered as he clutched his chest: “Thank… thank goodness I wasn’t seen.”
Logically, he’d already transferred the Heart-Binding Silk to a puppet bearing his aura—so why could Sheng Jiao still glance over with cold killing intent from amid the vast crowd a li away?
This man was too terrifying. Upon entering the secret realm, he’d have to avoid him.
Ying Zhuo: “………..”
**
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152