AVL Chapter 23

After Xi Jianlan had fought two battles, the good painted boat was almost falling apart.

 

The moon had set in the west.

 

Water rippled across the sky. The painted boat suddenly shrank to the size of a peach pit, falling straight into Xi Jianlan’s palm.

 

Sheng Jiao carried him, silently using wind control to land on the long street.

 

Xi Jianlan nonchalantly played with the nuclear boat, a strand of hair-like purple spiritual power slowly probing into the countless-times-smaller painted boat.

 

“Third Watch Snow” had indeed fused with the painted boat. The tree-root-like Xiangwen had been magnified and stretched, like growing vines densely covering the painted boat, taking root inch by inch.

 

Xiangwen fusion was simple, but separating it again from such dead matter would be extremely difficult.

 

Xi Jianlan was thoughtful, his five fingers moving nimbly to make the peach pit flip up and down between his knuckles, contrasting with his slender, pale fingers.

 

Sheng Jiao carried him horizontally through the bustling main street of Evil Qi Road. Despite such an “improper” posture, passersby acted as if they couldn’t see them, not even glancing over.

 

Sect Master Sheng still cared about face.

 

Heng Yudu would handle Evil Qi Road’s mess. Sheng Jiao expressionlessly took Xi Jianlan back to Wuyin City.

 

Leaving the water barrier to reach Chang River’s bank, with a slight jolt, Xi Jianlan leaned against Sheng Jiao’s chest and mumbled something unclear.

 

It was already the middle of the night. Bright moonlight poured down like the heavy snow from daytime.

 

Chang River flowed gently with the sounds of frogs and cicadas.

 

Sheng Jiao looked down at the person in his arms and was suddenly stunned.

 

Strangely enough, though they had just been at drawn swords as if fighting to the death, Xi Jianlan seemed to have forgotten his fear of being killed. His hands curled at his waist and abdomen as he slept peacefully in Sheng Jiao’s embrace.

 

Six years of fleeing seemed not to have changed Xi Jianlan’s appearance much. He still seemed as flamboyant as ever, as carefree and full of lies as in his youth, making people love and hate him.

 

But now as he slept quietly, his features softened, and even that forced arrogance and detestability seemed to melt into his sleeping face, appearing particularly gentle and well-behaved.

 

Sheng Jiao stood on the deserted Chang River bank, looking down at him.

 

Perhaps because Wuyin City was too hot after summer solstice, Xi Jianlan raised his hand to randomly brush away the sweat-dampened hair on his face, parting his lips as if murmuring something.

 

“Sheng…”

 

Sheng Jiao was about to step forward when he heard this sound and paused.

 

He hesitated for a moment, then slightly lowered his head to listen.

 

Perhaps only when sleeping could one glimpse Xi Jianlan’s true heart buried deep within.

 

Finally, Sheng Jiao heard Xi Jianlan say softly:

 

“Why does Sect Master Sheng keep secretly watching me?”

 

Sheng Jiao: “…”

 

Xi Jianlan opened his eyes, full of mischievous laughter.

 

Where was there any trace of sleepiness?

 

Sheng Jiao instinctively looked away, but after moving he realized—wouldn’t this just confirm Xi Jianlan’s nonsense?

 

Seeing Sheng Jiao’s gaze freeze, Xi Jianlan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

 

Sheng Jiao’s face was frosty as he suddenly exerted force with both hands.

 

Caught off guard, Xi Jianlan was directly thrown out by him. Staggering, he released a wave of spiritual power to barely steady himself, landing gracefully on the ground light as a swallow.

 

—His legs were perfectly fine.

 

Sheng Jiao stared at his lips, then looked at his legs. His pupils contracted slightly. Probably furious, he stared at the grinning Xi Jianlan for a moment before turning and walking away.

 

Xi Jianlan couldn’t stop laughing. Seeing Sheng Jiao so angry he’d lost his composure, he finally found some of the feeling from their past interactions.

 

That “tough guy” who had previously countered every move and pressed him with nowhere to hide seemed truly like a different stranger.

 

“Don’t be angry.” Xi Jianlan shamelessly followed, “I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Don’t walk so fast—my legs really hurt, I can’t keep up.”

 

Sheng Jiao looked at him coldly.

 

Xi Jianlan felt guilty under his gaze and coughed dryly: “…I was forced into it, wasn’t I? Your Xiezhi Sect’s arrest warrants are everywhere in the Thirteen States. If I wasn’t clever, wouldn’t I have been caught and had my throat slit long ago? You have to understand me.”

 

Sheng Jiao didn’t want to understand and continued walking forward.

 

Xi Jianlan chased after him again: “Really, I’m telling the truth. I didn’t deliberately tarnish your reputation for nothing. I just made up some romantic history, and besides, those things also…”

 

Zhuxing Zhai once had something revered as the “unsolved mystery of Tianyan Academy’s Zhuxing Zhai”—a “spectacle” that made everyone marvel whenever mentioned.

 

—That was Xi Jue and Sheng Jiao arguing.

 

Sheng Jiao was jokingly called “saw-mouthed gourd” by Zhuxing Zhai. Even the greatest matters couldn’t make Lord Heaven’s Will say half a word, making even normal communication problematic.

 

But Xi Jue somehow had divine powers, actually managing to argue with this saw-mouthed gourd single-handedly.

 

…And each time he argued with genuine emotion and solid reasoning, chattering at the silent Sheng Jiao like performing a one-man show, sometimes even making himself faint with anger.

 

Sheng Jiao never argued with him.

 

Even when Xi Jue was insufferably noisy, he would only frown, purse his lips, close his eyes, and at most glare when extremely irritated.

 

Every time Zhuxing Zhai members saw this, they were amazed. Six people would sit in a row on the wall watching the show, guessing how the two actually communicated during arguments.

 

Six years later, Xi Jianlan reverted to old habits, chasing after Sheng Jiao chattering away.

 

Sheng Jiao was probably annoyed. His steps paused as his slender finger pointed at Xi Jianlan’s lips.

 

Xi Jianlan was arguing enthusiastically when caught off guard by the touch. All his arguments turned into…

 

“My heart is not cold stone, feelings grew over time…”

 

Xi Jianlan: “…”

 

The forgotten shame and embarrassment suddenly emerged to attack him frantically.

 

Xi Jianlan’s ears turned red as he used “Abandoned Immortal Bone” to remove the restriction on his lips, looking down as if organizing his shame that was about to be crushed by embarrassment.

 

There seemed to be a gaze looking down from above.

 

Sheng Jiao was watching him.

 

—As a victor.

 

“You, Sheng Wuzhuo.” Xi Jianlan looked at his bare toes curling slightly, thinking expressionlessly: ‘After six years, you’ve actually cultivated to such a level—practically invulnerable.’

 

He needed to change tactics, or he’d definitely be suppressed by Sheng Jiao beyond recovery.

 

Xi Jianlan plotted some evil scheme. Soon he collected his emotions and looked up, only then belatedly realizing they were at Naihe alley entrance.

 

Sheng Jiao seemed to know what he wanted to ask, saying concisely: “We depart for Central State tomorrow.”

 

Xi Jianlan was thoughtful.

 

So there was still one night.

 

The two walked one after the other to Shi’er Ju at the alley’s end.

 

Xi Jianlan opened the shabby door, stepping aside to let Sheng Jiao enter.

 

For some reason, facing the dark, shabby dwelling that looked like a haunted house, the usually thick-skinned Xi Jianlan suddenly felt an inexplicable embarrassment.

 

Sheng Jiao was already the Sect Master of Xiezhi Sect, holding high position and great power;

 

Yet he was barely surviving in this filthy corner.

 

The difference between clouds and mud was just like this.

 

The lamp dimly lit up, illuminating the narrow, cramped clinic.

 

The medicine cabinet was full of messy trinkets, a half-open box containing a pile of unfinished fake jade tokens, and spider webs in the corners—it looked nothing like a place where people lived.

 

Sheng Jiao’s gaze swept around, his brow furrowing deeply.

 

“Sect Master Sheng, please… please sit anywhere.” Xi Jianlan knew he had severe cleanliness obsessions and forced a dry laugh, making excuses: “…It must be that bastard Feng Yu who made it like this. You know him—he collects all kinds of ghosts and spirits in his bag. His Zhuxing Zhai quarters are also filthy and messy. I don’t even like visiting him—I’ll clean up right away, very quickly.”

 

With that, Xi Jianlan rushed to a table piled with miscellaneous items, randomly sweeping them away with his sleeve. The items clattered and clanged as they were all thrown into a corner pile.

 

The table was instantly clean.

 

Xi Jianlan clapped his hands and smiled obediently at Sheng Jiao.

 

Indicating it was cleaned up.

 

Sheng Jiao: “…”

 

Indeed very quick.

 

Probably sensing Sheng Jiao’s disdain, Xi Jianlan’s smile stiffened slightly.

 

He struggled to suppress that subtle embarrassment in his heart, clenching his wide sleeves with his five fingers. Feeling the peach pit in his palm, he seemed to change the subject hastily: “Can Sect Master Sheng separate ‘Third Watch Snow’ from this painted boat?”

 

Sheng Jiao frowned tightly: “No.”

 

How could Xiangwen fused with dead objects be separated and returned to human meridians?

 

Even grabbing any random child from Tianyan Academy would know the answer.

 

Xi Jianlan’s eyes instantly dimmed.

 

Sheng Jiao still stood by the door, as if unwilling to enter such a dirty, messy place for the night. His gaze fell on the pile of miscellaneous items, his brow furrowing slightly.

 

“I…”

 

Xi Jianlan’s expression grew worse, seeming to want to say something, but his lips pressed together, leaving only: “Sect Master Sheng, please do as you wish.”

 

With that, he fled to the back courtyard almost in embarrassment.

 

Sheng Jiao was looking at an unfinished fake Xiezhi seal in the corner when he saw the person’s face turn ugly as he staggered away. He instinctively stepped forward.

 

He seemed to want to explain, hesitating for a long time before withdrawing his slightly raised hand.

 

Five Tianyan pearls emerged from his sleeve, circling around Sheng Jiao, seemingly impatient about why he wasn’t striking the guilty person with heavenly thunder.

 

Sheng Jiao’s gaze was cold as he pointed at the Tianyan pearls, giving them an order.

 

Tianyan pearls were spiritual instruments bestowed by Heaven’s will, obsessively pursued by countless people, supremely noble.

 

But now, the five pearls froze in mid-air for a moment, trembling for a long time before…

 

Scattering to various corners of the clinic to shamefully clean up debris and spider webs.

 

In the back courtyard, Xi Jianlan picked a handful of osmanthus flowers to eat, sitting by the small pond looking down at the koi in the water. His thin figure seemed like it would topple with a gust of wind, his vacant gaze falling on the water surface, lost in thought.

 

The black cat emerged from his neck, silently and elegantly landing.

 

It licked its paw and said: “What, feeling embarrassed now?”

 

Having followed Xi Jianlan for so many years, this was the first time the black cat had seen the usually carefree Xi Jianlan with such a dejected, sad expression.

 

Xi Jianlan blinked lightly, asking blankly: “What?”

 

“You.” The black cat jumped beside him, mocking: “When Sheng Jiao showed that disgusted look just now, your expression was unprecedented…”

 

Before it could finish, its peripheral vision fell on the water surface of the small pond.

 

That wasn’t a reflection, but an illusion array that could glimpse the front clinic.

 

In the dirty, shabby clinic, Sheng Jiao stood expressionlessly at the table, his slender five fingers arranging several scattered prescriptions.

 

—One was obviously larger than the others. He hesitated, then pulled that paper out to place separately to one side, only then feeling comfortable.

 

The surrounding Tianyan pearls diligently used spiritual power to clean up the pile of clutter, instantly making everything neat and tidy wherever they passed.

 

Xi Jianlan stuck out his tongue tip to lick the osmanthus flowers in his palm, his fox-like eyes curving slightly with an ill-intentioned smile.

 

“Looks like Sheng Jiao really falls for the showing weakness act—he’s actually helping me clean up. Tsk, decided. I’ll use this against him from now on—hm? What were you just saying, unprecedented… what?”

 

Black cat: “………..”

 

The black cat was silent for a long time, probably cursing itself for believing this person’s tricks again.

 

It said faintly: “…Unprecedented thick skin.”

 

Xi Jianlan: “…”

 

Xi Jianlan couldn’t be bothered with it, turning his head to glance at the peach pit beside him.

 

The black cat licked its lips, staring at the peach pit with burning eyes, suddenly kicking off like a black shadow rushing forward.

 

Xi Jianlan casually raised his hand higher, letting it miss, saying lazily: “What’s the fuss?”

 

The black cat elegantly jumped back to the ground, dissatisfied: “Even if it’s a Heaven level Xiangwen, fusing with this mustard seed magical device isn’t very useful. Since it can’t be separated anyway, why not reward me with a bite?”

 

Xi Jianlan laughed with a “puchi,” his two fingertips gently pinching the tiny peach pit as wisps of purple spiritual power emerged from his fingertips like vine tips.

 

The already scarce “Abandoned Immortal Bone” slowly drilled into the narrow yet exquisite painted boat.

 

The moment the spiritual power in his meridians was exhausted, backlash would follow closely, but Xi Jianlan seemed completely unafraid, still continuously consuming the purple spiritual power of “Abandoned Immortal Bone.”

 

The black cat felt Xi Jianlan’s smile was ill-intentioned, frowning: “What are you laughing about?”

 

Xi Jianlan stroked its head, his tone light and soft.

 

“Who says it can’t be separated?”

 

The black cat was stunned.

 

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