Sheng… Sheng what now?
If this was Sheng Jiao’s Binding Silk, it would be no different from a butcher’s knife hanging at his neck.
Xi Jianlan’s whole body stiffened, afraid this red rope would suddenly tighten and dismember him on the spot.
“Help…” He didn’t dare move anymore, saying to Heng Yudu: “Brother, save me.”
Heng Yudu was about to save him when Feng Yu, sitting on the wheelchair armrest, slapped Heng Yudu’s hand and said sarcastically: “Save what? Isn’t this your beloved’s Heart-Binding Silk? What are you hiding from?”
“But that Sheng Wuzhuo has a twisted personality. If he can’t have me, he’ll destroy me. If I’m caught by him, I’ll definitely die without a burial place.” Xi Jianlan spouted nonsense on the surface while his heart was in chaos, almost collapsing.
—Didn’t Shang Yuan say Sheng Jiao was in closed-door cultivation at Xiezhi Sect?! How did he reach Evil Qi Road in just half a day?
Help!
Feng Yu was puzzled: “Closed-door cultivation?”
Heng Yudu reached out to hook the phantom red rope and smiled: “…Quite persistent.”
Xi Jianlan was terrified of Sheng Jiao and was trembling, about to speak, when he saw the red rope suddenly ripple and with a “snap” directly bind around him, the end even winding around his little finger several times.
Heng Yudu immediately tried to intervene. “Exchange for Bright Moon” flew to that red rope and suddenly opened its sharp beak to bite.
“Ah!”
Thinking this red rope belonged to Sheng Jiao, Xi Jianlan instinctively felt he would definitely be strangled to death by it.
But after waiting and waiting without feeling pain anywhere on his body, he tentatively opened his eyes and found the red rope had somehow disappeared.
He hooked his little finger and found no restraints.
The glass bird was still flapping its wings flying beside him. Xi Jianlan immediately understood and gratefully grasped Heng Yudu’s hand: “Brother, I didn’t expect your cultivation to have advanced so much over these years that you can even repel Sheng Jiao.”
Heng Yudu: “…”
Heng Yudu fell silent. He clearly hadn’t acted yet earlier.
Xi Jianlan had no spiritual power and was completely unaware of the details. He was happily acting like he’d found a thick thigh to hug, rarely being obedient as he crouched in front of Heng Yudu, acting cute and flattering.
“Brother, give me a few more ‘Exchange for Bright Moon’ for protection.”
Heng Yudu explained: “Don’t misunderstand, I didn’t repel that Heart-Binding Silk earlier.”
He always said a bunch of words to explain. Xi Jianlan had long automatically treated everything after his “don’t misunderstand” as nonsense, casually appeasing him: “Yes, yes, I know. Give me a few more. Please, brother.”
Heng Yudu had no choice but to catch a few of the glass birds flying around him and store several “Exchange for Bright Moon” spirit words according to Xi Jianlan’s wishes.
Xi Jianlan was like he’d obtained life-saving talismans, contentedly stuffing the glass birds into his chest for emergencies.
“The effect still lasts a month, right?”
“Mm.”
Xi Jianlan was even happier.
At this time, the wooden puppet finally swayed over, respectfully walking to Xi Jianlan’s side to bow, its cold and indifferent tone more attentive than before.
“Young Immortal Lord’s honored presence graces us. Please forgive our negligence—Lord Ying requests that you first rest in the painted boat for a moment. He’ll arrive immediately.”
Xi Jianlan carelessly was about to go over.
Feng Yu stepped forward and grabbed him back.
Xi Jianlan staggered and almost fell, saying dissatisfiedly: “Can you be gentler? Can you afford to compensate if you break me?”
“Ying Qiao’er is no good person.” Feng Yu leaned close to his ear and whispered: “Tianyan Academy’s Lixiang Zhai produces many evil spirits, and Ying Qiao’er is the chief among evil spirits—sinister and unrestrained, acting ruthlessly without regard for consequences. You’ve lost all your cultivation now. Aren’t you afraid he’ll take advantage of your weakness to kidnap you?”
Xi Jianlan said strangely: “What would he kidnap a sickly person like me for?”
Feng Yu gritted his teeth: “To make you into a puppet!”
“Make a living person into a puppet?” Xi Jianlan said irritably: “Are you crazy or is Qiao’er crazy?”
“His Xiangwen is Heaven level ‘Weaving Under Eaves,’ which can silently spread puppet threads throughout your meridians to turn you into a marionette!” Feng Yu was frustrated with his lack of understanding. “Such an evil and heretical person—where do you get the courage to get close to him?”
Xi Jianlan frowned.
Although in his impression, Ying Qiao’er was an extremely obedient and well-behaved child who at most had a cold temperament and didn’t like communicating with people, compared to people from other halls, he still trusted his Zhuxing Zhai classmates more.
“It does sound quite dangerous.” Xi Jianlan pondered for a while, then said: “But I still have to make this trip.”
Feng Yu angrily said: “Going to seek death?!”
Heng Yudu knew Xi Jianlan was going for “Third Watch Snow” and finally spoke: “You can go, but you can’t get too involved with Ying Zhuo.”
Feng Yu said incredulously: “Heng Yudu! How can you also…”
“I’ll go with you.” Heng Yudu ignored Feng Yu’s rage. “You must stay by my side at all times.”
Xi Jianlan laughed with a “puchi”: “How is it that after all these years, you still have such a motherly heart that can’t stop worrying?”
Heng Yudu glanced at him, too good-tempered to argue with him.
Feng Yu raged helplessly: “Go then, go! All of you go! I’m leaving!”
Just as he was about to flick his sleeve and leave, Xi Jianlan grinned and hooked his arm around his shoulder: “Where are you going? Old Mother Heng can’t move well and is a fragile glass person. If something happens, won’t we still need Young Master Feng to save the day? How can we do without you?”
Feng Yu’s anger instantly subsided by more than half as he sneered: “Didn’t you say Ying Qiao’er was obedient? How are you scared now?”
Xi Jianlan said: “People change. I haven’t seen him for six or seven years. What if he really wants to harm me?”
This person was excessively clever, but his brain wasn’t very bright when it came to matters of love.
Feng Yu snorted a few times: “If you’re worried about trouble, just don’t go?”
“That won’t work.” Xi Jianlan said, “There might be clues about the Xi family’s Xiangwen in the painted boat. I must make this trip.”
Feng Yu knew he was stubborn and could only say reluctantly: “Then I’ll reluctantly go with you to watch the show. If you get captured by Ying Qiao’er, I’ll definitely push Heng Yudu and run without even looking at you.”
“Good, good, good.” Xi Jianlan nodded. “The two young masters’ lives are more precious, so naturally you should run first.”
Feng Yu was choked by his words and coughed.
After reaching an agreement, the three headed toward the painted boat.
But just as Xi Jianlan stepped one foot on the edge of the painted boat’s steps, he suddenly felt an unnatural spiritual power fluctuation behind him, as if some array had been activated.
—But there clearly hadn’t been any just now.
At the same time, Heng Yudu seemed to sense something and suddenly instinctively reached forward to grab Xi Jianlan, who was only half a step away.
“Jianlan…”
The next moment, Heng Yudu’s hand fell through empty air. He looked up in shock.
Though they were only half a step apart, the two seemed to be in different worlds. His hand was like stirring water, with wet ripples soaking through his five fingers.
Heng Yudu’s pupils suddenly moved, his dark eyes transforming into beautiful, brilliant glass without warning.
He shouted: “Break—”
The spiritual power of “Exchange for Bright Moon” was like violent winds and huge waves suddenly stirred up by a sponge. The aftershocks even shattered the respectfully standing puppets nearby, but when it hit the water patterns in front, it was like a stone sinking into the sea with no movement.
Xi Jianlan still maintained his posture of stepping forward with his back to them. Time seemed to have stopped, or perhaps the mustard seed space of the painted boat wasn’t in the same time flow as the outside world, making each of his steps very slow.
Feng Yu reacted quickly, directly rushing forward regardless of everything, trying to follow Xi Jianlan.
But that water membrane barrier was mixed with something unknown. As soon as Feng Yu’s hand touched it, thunder patterns crackled from his fingertips all the way up to his forearm.
Feng Yu’s pupils contracted sharply as he instantly withdrew his hand.
His entire arm was already covered with black scorch marks from thunder patterns.
If he had been any slower to withdraw his hand, his entire arm probably wouldn’t have been saved.
Heng Yudu hadn’t expected Ying Zhuo to dare forcibly kidnap someone right in front of him. The spiritual power of “Exchange for Bright Moon” suddenly burst from his neck, transforming into hundreds and thousands of glass birds.
He said in a low voice: “Break.”
In an instant, overwhelming glass birds shrieked as they crashed toward that water membrane.
Wave after wave of spiritual power, as if trying to shatter the entire painted boat’s mustard seed space.
“Be careful.” Suddenly, someone said nearby. “That’s not a barrier to stop you, but a restriction at the mustard seed entrance. If you shatter the mustard seed space, Senior Brother’s life might not be saved.”
Heng Yudu’s spiritual power paused, the birds instantly stopping in mid-air, maintaining their fierce roaring postures without moving.
Feng Yu suddenly drew his ghost blade, saying coldly: “Ying Zhuo.”
Ying Zhuo in red robes lazily leaned against a nearby osmanthus tree. His every movement seemed to imitate Xi Jianlan, even picking a cluster of osmanthus flowers and casually staring at those tiny petals.
Heng Yudu was constrained by his concerns and withdrew “Exchange for Bright Moon” with a dark face.
Countless birds flew around him, carrying a cold aura completely at odds with Heng Yudu’s temperament, as if they could transform into cold arrows to pierce through the opposite person’s heart at any moment.
“Xi Qingfeng’s painting—you put it up for auction at Guchangsi Temple?”
Ying Zhuo smiled.
His appearance was originally sinister. Only in front of Xi Jianlan would he disguise himself as gentle and obedient. Now that he smiled openly, his crimson lips seemed stained with fresh blood, making people shudder.
“Director Heng is a smart person.” Ying Zhuo casually blew away the osmanthus flowers on his wooden hand. “Xiezhi Sect and Tianyan Academy have been hunting Senior Brother for six years, forcing him to hide somewhere unknown, suffering who knows how much, and making me search all the Thirteen States without finding any trace of him. If not for Xi Qingfeng’s Xiangwen painting, how could I have found Senior Brother so easily?”
Heng Yudu rarely showed true anger. His gentle jade-like temperament was replaced by cold disgust as he said coldly: “You’re involved with the real culprit who massacred the Xi family six years ago. If Jianlan knew…”
“Senior Brother naturally won’t know.” Ying Zhuo interrupted him with a low laugh. “Senior Brother will never again suffer from wandering and being hunted. I’ll protect him and never let you hypocrites get close to him again.”
Feng Yu said impatiently: “Why talk with such a person with filthy thoughts? Just kill him and we can still find Xi Jue!”
Feng Yu and Ying Zhuo both had Heaven level Xiangwen and had fought evenly at the academy. Now he was too lazy to listen to Heng Yudu’s slow reasoning and directly drew his ghost blade.
In an instant, ten thousand ghosts wailed.
Fierce ghosts shrieked as they charged forward. Ying Zhuo didn’t even move, letting the sinister ghostly energy rush to his face.
At the critical moment, a quietly standing puppet nearby suddenly made a familiar sound…
“Break.”
In an instant, spiritual power intertwined with black and red transformed into several birds, flapping their wings and instantly colliding with the fierce ghostly energy.
A muffled boom, and the collision of spiritual powers swept away snowflakes within several zhang.
Heng Yudu’s pupils contracted sharply.
Even Feng Yu was shocked.
What that wooden puppet had used…
Was actually Heng Yudu’s “Exchange for Bright Moon”?!
No, it only resembled “Exchange for Bright Moon” but wasn’t real Spiritual level Xiangwen spiritual power.
Even so, Heng Yudu felt an ominous premonition in his heart. He looked with a dark face toward the wooden puppet that had made that “break” sound.
The puppet seemed to have suffered some severe damage, transforming from inside out into fine wood shavings, instantly piling into a small mountain.
“Tsk.” Ying Zhuo said lightly, “Useless, ruined after just one use.”
Heng Yudu sensed the residual spiritual power of the wooden puppet and after a while said in a low voice: “You used… ‘Abandoned Immortal Bone’ to create Xiangwen?!”
“Abandoned Immortal Bone” was a forged Tianyan spiritual vein;
And that fake “Exchange for Bright Moon” just now was an artificially manufactured counterfeit Xiangwen.
Thinking of something, Heng Yudu silently drew in a breath, looking at Ying Zhuo in shock.
Xiangwen was bestowed by Heaven’s will and Tianyan—how could it be easily manufactured by humans?
Ying Zhuo said methodically: “Back at Tianyan Academy, everyone said my Xiangwen was useless. Only Senior Brother didn’t despise me and would patiently guide me.”
Ying Zhuo would forever remember that snowy afternoon.
He had been bullied by people from Lixiang Zhai and was hiding alone under the osmanthus tree behind Tianyan Academy, crying. At that time, young Xi Jue was sitting in the tree picking osmanthus flowers to eat, swinging his legs while gently and patiently comforting him…
“Little brat, stop crying. Your crying is giving me a headache.”
Xi Jue wore a thick crane cloak, his whole body fragrant with osmanthus. A black vine whip hung on the osmanthus branch, and he had rolled up his pants to reveal slender calves—but those smooth, flowing calves seemed to have been struck by lightning, covered with threads of blue thunder patterns.
He seemed unaware of pain, crossing his arms and babbling from his high position, his features gorgeous, flamboyant and unrestrained.
“What’s the use of crying? If someone bullies you, just get revenge… What nonsense, Weaving Under Eaves is too weak? Haha, they say it’s weak so you think it’s weak? Then you deserve to be bullied. Go away, I’m in a bad mood now. Don’t cry here.”
Even after all these years, Ying Zhuo still remembered every detail.
Feng Yu’s lips twitched.
This Ying Qiao’er… his brain probably wasn’t working well either.
“When I can create Spiritual level Xiangwen, Senior Brother might be able to recover his cultivation.”
Ying Zhuo looked gently at Xi Jianlan, who was still motionless in the painted boat, his pupils full of undisguised covetousness and possessiveness.
Heng Yudu said coldly: “Counterfeits are still counterfeits. How can Heaven’s bestowed gifts be created by mere humans?”
Ying Zhuo smiled: “You must already know that the Thirteen States only have thirteen Spiritual level Xiangwen. But now only one Spiritual level Xiangwen remains unawakened. Guess what insane things those Central State families will do for this Xiangwen?”
Heng Yudu’s face darkened.
Actually, ever since Rang Chen said “only thirteen Spiritual level Xiangwen,” Central State had been restless.
The Qu family bore the brunt.
Because of those rumors of unknown truth, plus the deliberate actions and fanning of flames by other Central State families, over the years most of the Qu family’s Tianyan spiritual vein had been divided up.
Feng Yu frowned: “What are you talking about? Aren’t we talking about Xi Jue?”
“Yes, we’re talking about Senior Brother.” Ying Zhuo said gently, “I…”
Just as he was about to say something, his black and red intertwined pupils contracted slightly. Another puppet instantly pounced on him, saying “protect,” and a black glass barrier formed to shield Ying Zhuo.
The puppet shattered on impact.
The next moment, a silent thunder struck directly at Ying Zhuo’s forehead but was completely blocked by the barrier.
Thunder patterns sizzled. The Tianyan pearls on Sheng Jiao’s wrist danced wildly with his wide sleeves. Countless heavenly thunders silently struck Ying Zhuo’s barrier, causing the black glass to crumble and fall.
Feng Yu had been anxious about Xi Jianlan, but when Sheng Jiao arrived, he instinctively relaxed.
—Every time Xi Jianlan or other Zhuxing Zhai people encountered danger, Sheng Jiao’s arrival was like a stabilizing pillar, making people instinctively feel secure.
Heng Yudu frowned: “Wuzhuo.”
Feng Yu skillfully switched to “watching the show” mode, stepping back to avoid getting caught in these two’s divine battle.
Upon seeing Sheng Jiao, even someone as pathologically mad as Ying Zhuo showed a flash of wariness in his pupils. His wooden right hand seemed to throb with pain, constantly reminding him how this person had used Tianyan pearls to strike his right hand into charcoal.
“Sheng Jiao.” Ying Zhuo had none of the leisurely mood from his conversation with Heng Yudu. His whole body was tense, as if facing an enemy, saying coldly: “Seems like hundreds of cages couldn’t delay you for even a moment.”
Sheng Jiao’s eyebrows were full of coldness, his withered eyes falling on Xi Jianlan standing quietly in the painted boat.
Seeming to see his intention, Heng Yudu said in a low voice: “If the mustard seed shatters, Jianlan’s life won’t be saved either.”
Sheng Jiao had always been impatient with others and was too lazy to even speak. The Tianyan pearls crackled as he again summoned silent thunder to strike at Ying Zhuo.
The counterfeit protective barrier on Ying Zhuo obviously couldn’t compare to Heng Yudu’s real “Exchange for Bright Moon.” After just a few strikes, it began showing fine cracks.
He smiled and said: “Back then, you Zhuxing Zhai people prevented me from turning Senior Brother into a puppet. Today, Hezhou City will be your burial ground.”
With that, Ying Zhuo’s form flashed like lightning and disappeared from the spot.
“Worthy of Heavenly Dao” struck empty air, directly creating black charcoal marks on the ground.
Feng Yu vaguely felt something was wrong: “What do you mean Hezhou City is our burial ground?”
Heng Yudu suddenly said: “Run!”
As soon as he spoke, the entire world spun like a ship encountering stormy waves. Overwhelming water rushed from the distance, and countless people in Hezhou City immediately screamed and fled.
Sheng Jiao suddenly reached out and firmly held down Heng Yudu’s wheelchair, preventing him from being thrown out.
Heng Yudu was still shaken: “He actually wants to destroy all of Hezhou City?”
Tens of thousands of people had entered Hezhou City today. Was Ying Zhuo actually mad to this extent?!
In the antique shop’s back courtyard, Ying Zhuo hummed a tune as he extended his wooden hand to gently push the nuclear boat in the center of the pond into the water.
A weak “plop” sound.
Ying Zhuo’s eyebrows and eyes were full of joy. Without even looking at the nuclear boat city sinking into the water, he casually tied up his disheveled long hair while saying carelessly: “Hezhou City doesn’t need to open its restrictions today.”
The antique shop owner was stunned: “Also… not letting anyone out either?”
Ying Zhuo seemed to hear some great joke and burst into delighted laughter with a “puchi,” his eyebrows and eyes beautiful yet sinister.
He said gently: “No one can come out anymore.”
The shop owner’s hand trembled.
Ying Zhuo finished tying his long hair, playing with an exquisite painted boat carved from a peach pit in his hand. His robes fluttered as he leisurely left the alley.
The shop owner hurriedly ran to the back courtyard to look.
Hezhou City had already fallen into the underwater mud.
***
“Eh?”
Xi Jianlan had just been on the painted boat when he vaguely felt something was wrong and was about to turn around to look back, but when he turned, he found that Heng Yudu and Feng Yu, who had been there just moments ago, had somehow disappeared.
What was going on?
Just as Xi Jianlan was about to go down and take a look, a wooden puppet suddenly grabbed his wrist and forcefully dragged him onto the painted boat.
“Wait…”
“Master’s orders are to bring the Young Immortal Lord onto the painted boat.”
Xi Jianlan paused his movements, observing the wooden puppet calmly for a while before lazily smiling.
“Alright.”
Having hidden for so many years, Xi Jianlan was incredibly bold and didn’t care about his current situation. He elegantly adjusted his cloak and methodically walked toward the painted boat.
The aura of “Third Watch Snow” was in this painted boat.
After entering, he discovered the painted boat was like a mansion, with winding corridors on both sides. Even in the snowy weather, osmanthus trees were blooming, and the central pavilions and towers were elegant and luxurious.
Xi Jianlan calmly observed his surroundings when he suddenly heard a series of rapid footsteps.
Someone seemed to be running joyfully and reached him in an instant.
Xi Jianlan was stunned.
Ying Zhuo wore gorgeous red robes, his garments flying as he ran like a spirited young man in fine clothes on a swift horse. He rushed quickly to Xi Jianlan and crashed into his embrace.
“Senior Brother!”
Xi Jianlan’s frail body almost got knocked to the ground, barely managing to step back half a pace to steady himself.
“Qiao’er?”
The young masters of the Thirteen States’ families all chose elegant courtesy names when they came of age, but only Ying Zhuo was unique, using “Qiao’er” as his name. How many people mocked him privately, no one knew.
But Ying Zhuo seemed to take pride in this name. Hearing it called from Xi Jianlan’s mouth, his handsome face was full of undisguised joy: “Senior Brother, it’s me.”
Xi Jianlan looked at him enviously.
Clearly at Tianyan Academy, Ying Qiao’er had only been a half-grown child who reached his shoulder. After just these few years of not seeing each other, how had he grown so tall?
Xi Jianlan, who hadn’t grown much since seventeen, was so angry he wanted to gnaw on spirit pills again.
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother.” Ying Zhuo could embrace all of Xi Jianlan with one arm, wishing never to let go. Because Xi Jianlan couldn’t see his expression, those sinister eyes were full of burning possessiveness, yet his tone was very obedient.
“I finally found Senior Brother.”
Xi Jianlan was almost strangled to the point of vomiting blood by this strong embrace, desperately grabbing at Ying Zhuo: “Let go, you’re strangling me to death.”
Ying Zhuo belatedly realized that Xi Jianlan now had no spiritual power and immediately released him in a fluster.
Xi Jianlan coughed stuffily a few times and glanced at him.
The painted boat outside seemed to already be moving in the water, and he could vaguely see fleeting scenery outside.
“Where are your two senior brothers?” Xi Jianlan asked casually. “Haven’t seen them in a long time either? Why didn’t you let them on the painted boat?”
Ying Zhuo smiled and said lightly: “Those two senior brothers probably look down on such a small painted boat.”
Xi Jianlan seemed accustomed to his self-deprecation but still said helplessly: “You can now create something as exquisite as Hezhou City’s mustard seed space. Why do you still say such things?”
Ying Zhuo smiled obediently at him and readily agreed: “I spoke wrongly. Senior Brother, please don’t mind.”
“Mm, that’s right.” Xi Jianlan praised him, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally looking toward Ying Zhuo’s right hand.
Qin Banban had said it was a man with a wooden hand who extracted her Xiangwen, but Ying Zhuo’s right hand was intact and didn’t look like wood at all.
Xi Jianlan suddenly remembered what Feng Yu had said—”got one hand destroyed by Sheng Jiao.”
What did that mean exactly?
Ying Zhuo lightly hooked Xi Jianlan’s sleeve with his hand, saying softly: “We haven’t seen each other for many years. I’ve missed Senior Brother very much.”
Xi Jianlan came back to his senses. Such words came easily to him as he said casually: “I’ve also missed Qiao’er very much.”
Even knowing that Xi Jianlan’s words were completely unreliable, Ying Zhuo still showed a satisfied smile, completely lacking the previous madness and sinister nature he’d shown when facing Sheng Jiao and Heng Yudu.
“Did Senior Brother come specifically to find me this time?” Ying Zhuo asked.
Xi Jianlan’s lies came readily: “Naturally. I’ve been in Wuyin City for two or three years, but this is the first time I knew Hezhou City was yours. If I’d known earlier, I definitely would have come to find you to play immediately.”
Ying Zhuo’s eyes curved as he put his arm around Xi Jianlan’s shoulder, leading him forward while chatting: “It’s not too late now—I heard Xiezhi Sect people are still hunting Senior Brother. Why don’t you hide here for a while? I’ll definitely risk my life to protect Senior Brother.”
Xi Jianlan nodded while sizing up Ying Zhuo, thinking: ‘This isn’t right. Didn’t Feng Yu say he acts ruthlessly and mercilessly? How does he seem no different from when we were at Tianyan Academy?’
A wisp of black mist emerged from Xi Jianlan’s neck, transforming into a black cat that silently landed and sniffed around the vast painted boat.
Xi Jianlan inconspicuously glanced over.
Ying Zhuo suddenly said: “What is Senior Brother looking at?”
Xi Jianlan was stunned.
He had only looked away for a moment.
A flash of coldness passed through Ying Zhuo’s eyes, but when Xi Jianlan looked at him, he instantly returned to his gentle and obedient appearance, smiling with curved eyes like an ungrown child.
“Oh, nothing.” Xi Jianlan casually deflected. “You seem to have many paintings here?”
Ying Zhuo said casually: “These paintings aren’t worth looking at—Senior Brother, come this way.”
Xi Jianlan was half-pushed, half-led by him to a vast room at the top of the painted boat. Everywhere were exquisitely carved magical devices, with long white gauze curtains inscribed with ink calligraphy hanging down, blown by the wind into an ethereal, fairy-like atmosphere.
Ying Zhuo firmly yet gently pressed Xi Jianlan to sit in a soft chair, then moved a small stool to sit beside him. His fingers gripped Xi Jianlan’s wrist as he gently probed spiritual power into Xi Jianlan’s meridians.
Xi Jianlan instinctively tried to withdraw his hand.
But Ying Zhuo’s hand clamped around his wrist like an iron vise. Yet his face still wore a faint smile, looking completely innocent as he said: “I’m just checking Senior Brother’s pulse. Senior Brother needn’t worry.”
He called him “Senior Brother” intimately with every breath, but Xi Jianlan vaguely felt something was wrong.
However, he was too slow when it came to matters of love and couldn’t see the covetousness hidden beneath Ying Zhuo’s gentle gaze.
Spiritual power gently entered Xi Jianlan’s meridians, bit by bit sweeping through those battered and broken channels.
The black cat had already run back: “I went through all those Xiangwen paintings and didn’t find Banban’s ‘Third Watch Snow.’ Did you sense it wrong?”
Xi Jianlan frowned.
The aura of “Third Watch Snow” was clearly in this painted boat—how could it not be here?
“Go look again.”
The black cat pouted but obediently went off.
Xi Jianlan was pondering when Ying Zhuo had already withdrawn his spiritual power.
He was breathing lightly, his eyes completely red as if forcibly enduring something.
“Qiao’er?” Xi Jianlan said dryly. “Am I… am I not long for this world?”
This expression looked so much like someone attending a funeral.
“Senior Brother’s spiritual veins… did those Xiezhi Sect people do this?” Ying Zhuo seemed about to cry, staring blankly at Xi Jianlan. “I’ll take Senior Brother to the Medicine Sect and help restore your cultivation.”
Otherwise, with Xi Jianlan’s broken body, he probably could only live a few more months.
Just thinking about Senior Brother’s breathing stopping made Ying Zhuo’s eyes even redder. Two tears fell with a patter as he sobbed softly.
Xi Jianlan knew Ying Zhuo loved to cry and smiled helplessly.
He leaned back against the chair, crossed his legs, his whole being radiating a lazy attitude. He casually stroked Ying Zhuo’s head, saying lightly: “Spiritual level Xiangwen isn’t so easily restored. You needn’t waste your energy.”
“For Senior Brother’s sake, spending some energy doesn’t matter.” Ying Zhuo removed the cloak from Xi Jianlan’s body. “Night has fallen. Does Senior Brother want to sleep for a while?”
Xi Jianlan nodded vaguely: “Mm, alright.”
Ying Zhuo smiled through his tears, looking particularly obedient.
He was about to remove Xi Jianlan’s earrings so they wouldn’t be uncomfortable while sleeping.
Xi Jianlan suddenly asked casually: “I heard Hezhou City is selling Xiangwen paintings?”
Ying Zhuo’s smile didn’t change at all as he said gently, as if chatting: “Yes, Evil Qi Road can sell fake Tianyan, so my trading some Xiangwen isn’t unusual either.”
Xi Jianlan’s expression was also calm as he turned over lazily: “Now that my Xiangwen has been extracted, could you find me a Xiangwen to use?”
Ying Zhuo’s breathing paused.
This was the first time since their reunion that Xi Jianlan had looked at him so seriously.
Six years had passed, but those beautiful yet heartless eyes seemed unchanged, full of the flamboyant willfulness that Ying Zhuo loved most, and the distant coldness that seemed never to reach his heart.
Ying Zhuo nodded as if bewitched: “Whatever Xiangwen Senior Brother wants, I can find them all for you.”
Xi Jianlan smiled: “I like winter. Do you have any Xiangwen related to snow?”
A moment of stiffness appeared on Ying Zhuo’s incomparably handsome face, quickly returning to normal as he said softly: “Senior Brother is joking again. I remember every year when it snowed at Tianyan Academy, Senior Brother would shiver from the cold and run to other people’s rooms in Zhuxing Zhai in the middle of the night to sleep together for warmth.”
Xi Jianlan: “…”
Oh no, he’d forgotten about that.
“…But Senior Brother never came to find me at Lixiang Zhai.” Ying Zhuo said gently, his tone seeming to complain, but listening carefully, it was full of sadness and grievance.
Xi Jianlan: “…”
Ah, Lixiang Zhai and Zhuxing Zhai had always been incompatible. If he’d run to Lixiang Zhai in the middle of the night, he definitely would have been caught by the Zhuxing Zhai people and hung up for a beating.
Xi Jianlan was still thinking about how to explain when Ying Zhuo suddenly smiled again, gripping the soft chair’s armrests with both hands and tilting his head slightly to look up at Xi Jianlan—clearly a very domineering person, yet this gesture made him seem inexplicably obedient.
“But it’s good now.” Ying Zhuo said gently. “Since Senior Brother knows my feelings, we can be together forever from now on, never to be separated.”
Xi Jianlan was stunned: “Hm?”
What feelings?
Ying Zhuo tilted his head: “What Senior Brother said earlier—how can you forget it now?”
Xi Jianlan thought carefully for a while before remembering what he’d said.
“Your master has deep-rooted feelings for me but can’t obtain me…”
Xi Jianlan: “…”
This time Xi Jianlan was genuinely bewildered. He stared at Ying Zhuo’s gaze in shock.
“Feelings?”
In a flash of understanding, Xi Jianlan seemed to realize something and instinctively leaned back, his whole body falling against the soft chair back.
He looked at Ying Zhuo in shock.
Deep-rooted feelings…
Unable to obtain?
##
