AVL Chapter 24

Black cat: “But Sheng Jiao clearly said…”

 

“I topped the class every time in Tianyan Academy’s ‘Tianyan Xiangwen: Origin and End’ course.” Xi Jianlan said faintly, “Of the eight people in Zhuxing Zhai, only I was most favored by the director. Do you think it was because of this face and my lying mouth?”

 

Black cat: “…”

 

You know you’re full of lies!

 

Xi Jianlan stared at the slightly trembling peach pit, saying lightly: “No matter how mysterious Xiangwen is, it’s just something derived from Tianyan spiritual veins—like spiritual essence concentrated countless times from natural spiritual liquid. Xiangwen is formed by countless fine Tianyan spiritual powers interweaving and entangling. As long as you find the sequence… mm, found it.”

 

The black cat was horrified.

 

Those thousands upon thousands of Tianyan spiritual power sequences—they could be found so easily?

 

How long had it been?

 

The black cat looked at Xi Jianlan with near terror, swallowing with difficulty.

 

It had always heard this person was a prodigy no less than Sheng Jiao back then, but probably because Xi Jianlan had worn this worthless skin for so long, it subconsciously thought he was just a fallen noble who could only make the best of bad situations—a wastrel.

 

But now…

 

The black cat swallowed twice more with its fat neck, saying timidly: “Your Xiangwen… what exactly is it?”

 

Xi Jianlan laughed and scolded: “Fool, I dare to say it, but do you dare believe it?”

 

Black cat: “…”

 

“Abandoned Immortal Bone” formed a transparent restriction protecting the back courtyard. Xi Jianlan sat casually by the pond, purple spiritual power threads gradually emerging from his five fingertips, intertwining as they probed into the peach pit.

 

He looked relaxed and carefree, but the massive consumption of “Abandoned Immortal Bone” brought waves of stabbing pain through his meridians, and fine, dense cold sweat had already seeped from his forehead.

 

The black cat watched in terror.

 

Even Sheng Jiao, hailed as “Lord Heaven’s Will,” couldn’t separate Xiangwen. Where did Xi Jianlan get the confidence to think he could violate Heaven’s laws with this broken body forcibly built up by “Abandoned Immortal Bone”?

 

A crisp “crack” of wood splitting.

 

The black cat looked over to see the tiny peach pit seemingly shattered by force, winding cracks spreading in all directions.

 

The already fused “Third Watch Snow” was like vines forcibly torn from stone walls, inch by inch pulling out thin, black “roots.” Because the fusion was too complete, when one root was finally pulled out, the writhing root struggled to probe back toward the painted boat, reluctant to part.

 

Having no choice, Xi Jianlan had to divide his attention, shattering that part of the painted boat each time he pulled out a Xiangwen thread.

 

“Abandoned Immortal Bone” was consumed even faster.

 

Soon, the black cat seemed to sense something, its fur standing on end as it shouted: “Xi Jianlan! ‘Abandoned Immortal Bone’ is almost depleted. If you want to live, stop now!”

 

Xi Jianlan looked like he’d been pulled from water. The painted boat and Third Watch Snow were mostly separated, cold pressing against his face as the small pond’s water froze into a thick layer of ice.

 

“What’s the rush?” Xi Jianlan’s forehead hair was white with frost. He was shivering from cold but still smiling. “Isn’t it not depleted yet?”

 

The black cat was nearly mad: “You’ve only separated half the Xiangwen and ‘Abandoned Immortal Bone’ is already bottoming out. Where’s the spiritual power to continue?! That little girl has no real connection to you anyway. Why go to such lengths for her?!”

 

Xi Jianlan said lightly: “Should I have eaten her pastries for three years for nothing?”

 

“Then just give her spirit stones!” The black cat jumped up and down. “Even without Xiangwen, she can still live well. If you really think she’s pitiful, just take her as an adopted daughter and protect her as she grows up! Why risk your own life?”

 

Xi Jianlan turned a deaf ear.

 

“You!”

 

Seeing him unmoved, the black cat spun in circles for a while, then suddenly glared hatefully at Xi Jianlan before transforming into black mist and disappearing.

 

Xi Jianlan didn’t even look at it, still lowering his gaze to separate the Xiangwen threads.

 

What the black cat said was indeed correct. After “Third Watch Snow” was mostly separated, “Abandoned Immortal Bone” was completely exhausted. Because Xi Jianlan forcibly mobilized spiritual power, his meridians were sending out threads of pain.

 

The meridian depletion was like a devastating force, instantly making Xi Jianlan’s face show deathly pallor.

 

But he seemed oblivious to the pain, his whole body shivering from cold yet still methodically mobilizing the intermittent spiritual power.

 

Suddenly, he tilted his head, letting his frost-covered long hair fall from his shoulders, revealing his slender neck. His hand quickly reached back, as if forcibly pulling something out.

 

“Bang!”

 

Xi Jianlan’s knuckles were pale as he threw something hard into the frozen solid pond without looking.

 

The black cat screamed as it was thrown straight out, its sharp claws scratching several white marks on the ice.

 

“Shh.” Xi Jianlan raised an index finger to his crimson lips, his eyes fox-like, both wicked and gentle. “Be good, don’t interfere.”

 

The black cat struggled to get up, saying through gritted teeth: “We’re going to die!”

 

“Abandoned Immortal Bone” completely collapsed. The purple spiritual power cut off for a moment, then suddenly burst with golden spiritual power, light blazing as if a gust of wind, magnificently crashing into the peach pit.

 

Countless crisp “crack” sounds—the peach pit seemed burned by fierce fire, turning to ash-like powder in the blink of an eye, silently falling through Xi Jianlan’s fingers.

 

Xi Jianlan’s lips were unnaturally red as he gently leaned forward and blew.

 

The remaining ashes flew away, revealing a quietly spinning snowflake in his clean palm.

 

—It was “Third Watch Snow.”

 

The black cat lay listlessly on the ice, staring at that snowflake in fear, its lips trembling for a while, not knowing what to say.

 

Xiangwen that even Sheng Jiao had declared impossible to separate—separated without damage in just moments?

 

If his Xiangwen hadn’t been destroyed… what kind of monster would he be?

 

Thinking this, the black cat shuddered all over, looking at Xi Jianlan fearfully for a while before suddenly fleeing.

 

“Tsk.”

 

Xi Jianlan glanced at the fleeing black cat, laughed once, shook the frost from his head, and lightly leaped over the back courtyard’s broken wall.

 

The back courtyard’s barrier had dissipated. Sheng Jiao stood there at some point, his gaze indifferently watching Xi Jianlan leave.

 

Qin Banban’s pastry shop was close to the clinic. Xi Jianlan arrived in an instant.

 

When Qin Banban had her Xiangwen extracted, Ying Zhuo had probably applied pain-relieving spiritual power. She was fine during the day, but now in the deep of night, as that spiritual power dissipated, pain throughout her body began to emerge densely.

 

The little girl’s face was deathly pale, weakly curled up on the bed, looking as if she only had one last breath left.

 

Xi Jianlan stood on the wall of the pastry shop, gazing down at the half-closed window below. He lifted his robes and sat down casually.

 

He drew up one leg, resting his hand on his knee, and flicked his finger lightly. The snowflake drifted down, entering the room through the window crack and slowly merging into the not-yet-fully-healed wound on Qin Banban’s neck.

 

Qin Banban’s whole body shuddered as she coughed violently, as if choking on air.

 

When she calmed down again, her breathing was noticeably much smoother.

 

Xi Jianlan still sat lazily on the wall, tilting his head back to admire the bright moon in the sky.

 

“Abandoned Immortal Bone” seemed to have caused him no aftereffects. He even had the leisure to swing his legs, staring at the moonlight while humming an unknown tune, completely carefree.

 

Perhaps the moonlight was too dazzling—Xi Jianlan’s eyes stung slightly, and when he lowered his head, two tears unexpectedly fell onto the back of his hand.

 

He muttered something quietly and was about to brush away those worthless droplets when he felt something cool land on his knuckles.

 

—It was a snowflake.

 

Xi Jianlan was slightly dazed, his gaze falling on Qin Banban’s room below.

 

A chill that didn’t belong to this season slowly seeped out, dispelling the night’s heat. Soon, light snow began falling in the pastry shop’s back courtyard, covering the ground and mingling with the bright moonlight.

 

Xi Jianlan raised his hand to catch a handful of snow, then suddenly laughed after a while.

 

Third watch snow has arrived, from his dream’s good place it travels.[①]

 

Xi Jianlan sat on someone’s wall for half the night until “Third Watch Snow” completely fused into Qin Banban’s meridians. Only then did he set up a barrier to block the snow and slowly walk back to Shi’er Ju, pulling his thin clothes around him.

 

The clinic had been cleaned, but the box containing fake jade tokens was completely empty. Presumably, the upright Sect Master Sheng couldn’t bear to see such false counterfeits and had disposed of them all.

 

Xi Jianlan looked around and followed the aura to the back courtyard.

 

Under the osmanthus tree, Sheng Jiao sat cross-legged with closed eyes in meditation.

 

The Tianyan pearls wrapped around his wrist, quietly reflecting brilliant blue light under the bright moon.

 

Sweet osmanthus blossomed, filling the back courtyard with fragrant sweetness.

 

When Xi Jianlan returned, Sheng Jiao had already sensed it, but he remained unmoved, continuing to circulate his meridian spiritual power in closed-eye cultivation as usual, as if Mount Tai could collapse before him without changing his expression.

 

Until a snowy aura gently approached his side.

 

Xi Jianlan knelt properly, his hand resting on Sheng Jiao’s knee as he leaned forward gently, saying softly: “Sect Master Sheng?”

 

Sheng Jiao didn’t respond.

 

Xi Jianlan said again: “Lord Heaven’s Will?”

 

Ice, snow, and osmanthus fragrance mingled—like some indescribable scent that could make one remember it for years after just one whiff, bewitching and alluring.

 

Sheng Jiao remained unmoved like an iceberg.

 

Xi Jianlan was too close, so close their breaths almost intertwined inseparably.

 

Suddenly, “Sheng Jiao.”

 

Sheng Jiao’s hand hidden in his sleeve suddenly curled as he finally opened his cold eyes silently.

 

Xi Jianlan seemed to have emerged from an ice cave, wearing thin clothes as if oblivious to the cold, his eyes smiling as he looked at him: “Only when I call you Sheng Jiao will you respond to me?”

 

Sheng Jiao remained silent.

 

Xi Jianlan had the ability to argue and banter with the saw-mouthed gourd, so normal conversation was naturally no problem. Seeing Sheng Jiao’s expressionless face, he giggled and lazily collapsed, lying on Sheng Jiao’s knee and murmuring quietly.

 

“If someone in Central State wants to kill me, will you save me?”

 

Coming from the ice and snow, plus the backlash of “Abandoned Immortal Bone” stirring restlessly, Xi Jianlan’s whole body began burning hot. His cheek pressed against Sheng Jiao’s knee, and even through thick clothing, he could feel that heat.

 

Like trying to melt an iceberg.

 

Sheng Jiao was silent for a while, then said: “No.”

 

Xi Jianlan laughed until his whole body trembled.

 

But then he heard Sheng Jiao add: “No one will kill you.”

 

Xi Jianlan was stunned, slightly raising his head, his gaze looking directly into Sheng Jiao’s unfathomable eyes.

 

“What about you?”

 

Sheng Jiao’s silence gave Xi Jianlan his answer.

 

Xi Jianlan laughed again, but this smile seemed to put back on his usual carefree mask, his eyes cold and ruthless.

 

“What a pity.” Xi Jianlan’s waist was extremely soft as he pressed against Sheng Jiao like a swimming snake, his hands climbing onto his shoulders, almost burying his entire body in his embrace. With cunning malice, he smiled and said: “With ‘Exchange for Bright Moon,’ you can’t kill me now.”

 

Sheng Jiao didn’t move: “Get down.”

 

Xi Jianlan refused to get down, even using his burning hands to cup Sheng Jiao’s face, his gorgeous features approaching him, murmuring like lovers’ whispers.

 

“Sect Master Sheng, save me.”

 

Though clearly asking for help, Xi Jianlan still seemed like that lofty, stunningly beautiful Young Immortal Lord from years past, his eyebrows and eyes arrogant and flamboyant, as if giving an order.

 

Sheng Jiao looked up.

 

Only upon closer inspection could one see that blood was slowly seeping from the corner of Xi Jianlan’s mouth, and blood was also flowing from his ears hidden beneath his disheveled black hair, leaving two lines of dried, hideous red marks down his neck.

 

Sheng Jiao’s pupils contracted as he almost instinctively supported him.

 

“Abandoned Immortal Bone” had backfired.

 

“Abandoned Immortal Bone” should have shattered his wounded meridians the moment spiritual power stopped, but somehow he had forcibly suppressed it.

 

Now, returning to Sheng Jiao’s side, Xi Jianlan finally didn’t need to endure anymore. Without even much effort to cough or spit, large amounts of fresh blood poured from his lips and teeth, covering his bright red robes with bloodstains.

 

Brilliant, hideous blood flowers—glaring and shocking.

 

So shocking it made Sheng Jiao’s breath catch.

 

Xi Jianlan was in complete disarray, yet while laughing, he struggled to lean forward and gently kiss Sheng Jiao’s cheek. He was like a beautiful, bewitching ghost, his narrow eyes full of affection and sweetness as he said softly:

 

“Save me, Lord Heaven’s Will.”

 

Whether it was “Exchange for Bright Moon’s” “listen, accept, protect” taking effect, or Sheng Jiao’s own heart at work—perhaps even Sheng Jiao himself couldn’t tell the difference.

 

When he came to his senses, he had already placed his hand on Xi Jianlan’s wrist pulse point, overwhelming spiritual power pouring in like a bursting dam.

 

Xi Jianlan was like a bird with broken wings, unable to support himself any longer as he curled into a small ball in Sheng Jiao’s embrace.

 

His last trace of clarity completely dissipated. As if knowing Sheng Jiao was the only one who could save him, his fingers turned white as he desperately gripped the clothes beneath him, refusing to let go no matter what.

 

Sheng Jiao looked at those glaring bloodstains, his whole body tense, even his usually hollow, emotionless pupils showing an indecipherable light.

 

Like heartache, yet like anger.

 

The Tianyan pearls nearby also became restless, spinning rapidly in place without stopping.

 

Half-step Great Ascension realm spiritual power could even bring the dead back to life, but when poured into Xi Jianlan’s meridians, it was like a stone sinking into the sea without any ripples.

 

Only then did Sheng Jiao realize that even without using “Abandoned Immortal Bone,” Xi Jianlan probably wouldn’t live much longer anyway.

 

This broken body was already like hollowed-out dead wood, with only a thin outer skin remaining bright and beautiful, when in reality a gentle push could make him collapse.

 

With such diseased, broken bones, he still dared to use “Abandoned Immortal Bone”?!

 

Sheng Jiao’s jaw tightened as his five trembling fingers poured even more spiritual power in.

 

Finally, Xi Jianlan, who had been filled with deathly aura, seemed to have wandered around the gates of hell before strolling back. He gasped urgently several times, then struggled to slowly open his eyes.

 

Sheng Jiao silently breathed a sigh of relief.

 

But before this breath could fully relax, he was startled by Xi Jianlan’s words.

 

“‘Abandoned Immortal Bone’…” Xi Jianlan’s gaze was vacant, as if unfocused, staring blankly at Sheng Jiao’s face and murmuring: “Want ‘Abandoned Immortal Bone.'”

 

Sheng Jiao’s whole body stiffened.

 

Xi Jianlan wasn’t conscious at all—his withered meridians that had tasted the sweetness of “Abandoned Immortal Bone” were driving him to seek survival in a daze.

 

Sheng Jiao gripped his hand, his lips moving slightly: “Xi Jue…”

 

“Sheng Jiao.” Xi Jianlan was so drowsy he didn’t know what year it was, forgetting his grudges with Sheng Jiao, as if still at Tianyan Academy. He grabbed his clothes, saying in confusion: “Go buy me ‘Abandoned Immortal Bone.’ Please, I’ll let you copy my answers on the director’s quiz.”

 

Sheng Jiao’s expression was terribly ugly as he pulled his hand down to press on his knee, pouring spiritual power into those withered meridians with a dark face.

 

No matter how Xi Jianlan pestered and clung, Sheng Jiao showed no reaction.

 

Probably driven to desperation, he began randomly calling other people’s names.

 

He called out all seven names from Zhuxing Zhai, even calling each one “brother” to curry favor.

 

Seeing him like this, Sheng Jiao felt his chest tighten with waves of dull pain.

 

Finally, he extended his finger to lightly touch Xi Jianlan’s lips.

 

The Xiangwen of “Worthy of Heavenly Dao” was mobilized to circulate. Countless dense traces like golden vines spread from his neck throughout his body, then condensed into a thin golden spiritual power flowing from his fingertip.

 

“Abandoned Immortal Bone” was fake Tianyan. Since Sheng Jiao was unwilling to find it for him, he simply gave him real Tianyan spiritual power.

 

Every strand of Tianyan spiritual power was a priceless treasure. Consuming one strand meant one less, something the major Central State families would fight with all their might to protect. But Sheng Jiao didn’t care at all, expressionlessly delivering the Tianyan spiritual power thread to Xi Jianlan’s lips.

 

The moment Tianyan spiritual power appeared, Xi Jianlan instinctively reached out with both hands to hold Sheng Jiao’s hand, covering his lips to bite the fingertip emanating Tianyan spiritual power.

 

To him, though this spiritual power wasn’t fake Tianyan, it was sweeter, like flowing water converging into his dried, cracked meridians.

 

His whole being seemed to completely come alive.

 

Seeing him ease that urgent craving for “Abandoned Immortal Bone,” Sheng Jiao cut off the Tianyan flow.

 

Xi Jianlan had been biting Sheng Jiao’s finger to consume Tianyan spiritual power. When it suddenly disappeared, he looked confused and bit the fingertip, as if urging for more.

 

‘Why is it gone?’ Xi Jianlan thought in confusion.

 

Sheng Jiao remained unmoved, gripping his chin to withdraw his hand, but saw Xi Jianlan guarding it like food, both hands desperately gripping his wrist, shaking his head wildly with his long hair flying.

 

“No…” he panted urgently while mumbling: “Don’t.”

 

Sheng Jiao’s finger trembled slightly as he looked down unnaturally, saying in a low voice: “Let go.”

 

Xi Jianlan refused. He leaned forward again to bite that finger, from fingertip to knuckle, then used his burning lips to nibble densely at his wrist, as if searching for where that Tianyan spiritual power came from.

 

Even though Sheng Jiao’s mind was as hard as rock, this “gnawing” action still made his arm tingle.

 

His gaze darkened as he applied slight pressure, forcibly tearing Xi Jianlan’s mouth from his wrist.

 

Xi Jianlan still wanted to make trouble.

 

Sheng Jiao moved quickly, extending his arms to trap him tightly in his embrace, leaving only his bent calves outside kicking desperately several times. In the chaos, he even kicked the osmanthus tree, causing golden osmanthus flowers to fall on both of them.

 

“No.” Being completely imprisoned in the embrace of someone much taller, the overwhelming pressure and inescapable tension and humiliation made Xi Jianlan instinctively struggle desperately, murmuring: “‘Abandoned Immortal Bone,’ mm… no!”

 

He shouted randomly, not knowing what he was saying.

 

Sheng Jiao looked at his disheveled state, his heart contracting.

 

Cold and ruthless was Heaven’s will.

 

But he was just “Worthy of Heavenly Dao.”

 

***

 

Heng Yudu and Feng Yu worked all night, finally cleaning up the Hezhou City matter.

 

“You believe this too?” In Naihe alley, Heng Yudu suppressed a laugh as he turned back: “He said Sheng Jiao once showed him affection but was cruelly rejected?”

 

“Yes.” Feng Yu carried his ghost lamp, saying seriously: “He spoke with such detail, it seemed so real.”

 

Heng Yudu laughed out loud: “Just like how you believe he really was reborn.”

 

“This matter has iron-clad evidence, absolutely not false words!” Feng Yu glared at him. “My ‘Ghost Sound’ could never be wrong!”

 

Heng Yudu shook his head helplessly.

 

Feng Yu said: “Xi Jue also said Sheng Jiao couldn’t have him and tried to force himself on him—so exciting! Do you think Xi Jue’s nature is too dissolute, finally provoking the stuffy gourd Sheng Jiao to explode, so he really decided to *cough cough* *hehe* him?”

 

Heng Yudu: “…”

 

What the hell was *cough cough* *hehe*?

 

“Don’t listen to Jianlan’s nonsense.” Afraid of disturbing people, Heng Yudu muffled the friction sound of the wheelchair wheels as he gently opened the door to Shi’er Ju clinic, saying softly: “Sheng Jiao is Heaven’s favored child. ‘Worthy of Heavenly Dao’ makes his heart like cold stone, upright and just—he’s the absolute embodiment of justice. Though he was special and caring toward Jianlan back then, it was just deep classmate friendship over many years, nothing to do with romantic love. If he truly fell in love, the Tianyan spiritual veins would probably perish…”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, soft “mm mm” sounds came from the clinic.

 

Heng Yudu and Feng Yu looked over in confusion.

 

Beside the only narrow soft couch in the clinic, Sheng Jiao stood expressionlessly, the Binding Silk in his hand already revealed, tying the person on the couch with both legs and hands firmly restrained to the bed posts.

 

—That person was Xi Jianlan.

 

Heng Yudu: “…”

 

Feng Yu: “…”

 

Xi Jianlan wore red clothes, his face covered in tears, desperately struggling to escape, but could only be imprisoned on the narrow soft couch. His waist was taut, trembling constantly, still mumbling in his mouth, seemingly pitifully begging for something.

 

“Mm… immortal bone…”

 

Sheng Jiao stood there looking down at him, his eyes dark and cold, more chilling than “Third Watch Snow.”

 

A small lamp beside illuminated half his cold face, like a soul-reaping messenger coming for lives in the dead of night.

 

Hearing voices, Soul-Reaper Sheng turned coldly, his gaze sharp and threatening, faintly carrying murderous intent.

 

Heng Yudu: “…”

 

Feng Yu: “………..”

 

——————–

 

Author’s Note:

 

Heng, Feng: QAQ!!!!!

 

[Note: ① Third watch snow has arrived, from his dream’s good place it travels.

 

From “Bodhisattva Man: North Wind Scatters Third Watch Snow”: North wind scatters third watch snow, the soul still loves the peach blossom moon. Don’t wake from good dreams, let him travel to good places.]

 

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