AVL Chapter 25.1

Three people stared at each other with wide eyes.

 

The entire clinic fell into deathly silence.

 

Xi Jianlan suddenly kicked while struggling, making the small table beside clatter. The already weak candlelight flickered and went out completely.

 

Darkness instantly struck.

 

Xi Jianlan called out: “It’s dark, can’t hear…”

 

Sheng Jiao expressionlessly flicked his finger, instantly lighting the candle.

 

In just the blink of an eye, the two people at the door had silently retreated, tiptoeing to escape and avoid being silenced.

 

Sheng Jiao: “…”

 

“Come back.”

 

Feng Yu covered his eyes, fingers spread wide to peek out, saying seriously: “It’s too late at night. Yudu and I are blind and deaf—we saw nothing just now. Sect Master Sheng is upright and just, maintaining righteousness—a model for our generation. We…”

 

Sheng Jiao struck with heavenly thunder.

 

Caught off guard, Feng Yu was struck, his long hair standing on end.

 

Since he was supporting Heng Yudu’s wheelchair, the thunder snaked over, making Heng Yudu’s whole body tingle as well, a strand of hair by his temple standing straight up.

 

Heng Yudu: “…”

 

Having known Sheng Jiao for so long, Heng Yudu had never been struck before. Though he suffered this undeserved disaster, he had no energy to care, staring blankly and murmuring: “Forceful seizure, domineering… forced submission…”

 

Sheng Jiao: “…”

 

Sheng Jiao’s whole body emanated gloomy coldness, looking like he wanted to silence these two who had witnessed his “good deed.”

 

Having seen such great entertainment, Feng Yu was still wildly happy despite being struck, but his face showed heavy seriousness as he played blind, lest Sheng Jiao become angry from embarrassment and strike his head again.

 

But Heng Yudu didn’t understand the situation. He forcefully wheeled into the clinic, both shocked and earnestly advising: “Wuzhuo, you cannot, you cannot do this.”

 

Sheng Jiao’s eyelid twitched slightly.

 

At this time, Xi Jianlan’s withered meridians had been empty too long, like flower roots in sun-dried soil—without “water” irrigation, they might crack from thirst.

 

He struggled to grab the hand of the person beside him, but as soon as he moved, his wrist was forcibly pulled back by the Binding Silk.

 

Unable to obtain what he sought, like an insatiable abyss.

 

Xi Jianlan’s face was covered in tear tracks, randomly calling Sheng Jiao’s name.

 

Having never seen such a scene, Heng Yudu’s words of dissuasion turned to stunned silence as he said in horror: “You even drugged him?!”

 

Feng Yu: “Oh ho—!”

 

Sheng Jiao: “…”

 

Sheng Jiao closed his eyes, extending his finger with a dark face without looking.

 

Xi Jianlan immediately hugged his hand, biting the knuckle and contentedly consuming the Tianyan spiritual power.

 

His tightly furrowed brow from unsatisfied desire finally gradually relaxed. Completely satisfied, Xi Jianlan hugged Sheng Jiao’s hand and nuzzled it before finally settling down to sleep on his side.

 

Heng Yudu finally discovered the problem, asking in surprise: “False Tianyan has such aftereffects?”

 

Sheng Jiao nodded.

 

Feng Yu stopped watching the show too, frowning as he quickly stepped forward, raising his hand to pat Xi Jianlan’s cheek: “Xi Jue? Shi’er?”

 

Xi Jianlan frowned from being patted, mumbling as he buried his face in Sheng Jiao’s palm, not wanting to deal with him.

 

Unwilling to give up, Feng Yu wanted to probe his meridians with spiritual power.

 

But as soon as the cold spiritual power was mobilized, Xi Jianlan’s face paled and he directly spat out blood.

 

Startled that he was even more fragile than before, Feng Yu quickly withdrew his hand.

 

“Xi Jue…”

 

Sheng Jiao seemed accustomed to Xi Jianlan vomiting blood, only showing faint irritation between his brows as he coldly poured another stream of Tianyan spiritual power down his throat.

 

Only then did Xi Jianlan’s pale face look somewhat better.

 

Not daring to touch this person more fragile than glass, Feng Yu walked aside as if having done something wrong, coughing dryly: “‘Abandoned Immortal Bone’ creates dependency after one use?”

 

Sheng Jiao nodded silently.

 

“Then how to treat it?” Feng Yu was somewhat anxious. “Should we go to Medicine Sect to find Little Poison? I heard he came out of seclusion and researched something very mysterious.”

 

Heng Yudu frowned as he looked at Xi Jianlan, saying in a low voice: “No need to bother treating it. I can give him as much Tianyan as he wants. But…”

 

He and Sheng Jiao exchanged glances, both seeing a heavy weight in each other’s eyes.

 

Feng Yu asked puzzledly: “But what?”

 

Heng Yudu sighed silently: “But if this ‘Abandoned Immortal Bone’ truly makes those cultivators dependent, what if one day Evil Qi Road stops selling fake Tianyan…”

 

He didn’t dare finish the rest.

 

Even someone as carefree as Feng Yu, after a moment of shock, lightly drew in a breath.

 

Those who could enter Evil Qi Road were all evil-doers who acted without regard for consequences.

 

If there was no more fake Tianyan, those cultivators who had tasted its sweetness might directly target the real Tianyan.

 

The entire clinic fell into silence.

 

Heng Yudu didn’t continue discussing this issue, saying gently: “Wuzhuo, let me watch over Jianlan tonight.”

 

Sheng Jiao remained silent, not knowing if he agreed or not, only trying to withdraw his hand with a dark face.

 

But Xi Jianlan, having tasted the sweetness, wouldn’t let go, clinging like a drowning man to a lifeline. Sheng Jiao’s force was too great, nearly pulling half his body off the bed.

 

Sheng Jiao stopped, glancing at Heng Yudu.

 

Heng Yudu extended his hand to condense a stream of Tianyan spiritual power, making as if to approach and touch Xi Jianlan.

 

Sheng Jiao’s five fingers curled slightly.

 

Still convinced the two definitely had an “affair,” Feng Yu glanced at Sheng Jiao, then suddenly grabbed Heng Yudu’s wheelchair and pushed him far away.

 

“It’s already late. You should rest early to conserve energy. Don’t you have to recruit talented people for Tianyan Academy tomorrow? With Sheng Jiao here for Xi Jue’s matter, don’t worry unnecessarily, Old Mother Heng.”

 

Old Mother Heng looked back: “But Jianlan…”

 

Without letting him say more, Feng Yu whisked him away.

 

The clinic returned to quiet.

 

Sheng Jiao silently withdrew his hand from Xi Jianlan’s five fingers, staring at him in silence for a while before turning to meditate on a cushion in the corner.

 

Xi Jianlan slept peacefully curled up on the soft couch, blood traces still remaining at the corner of his mouth, illuminated by the flickering candlelight like winding, hideous crimson petals.

 

Two streams of Tianyan spiritual power only kept him calm for less than an hour.

 

Before dawn broke, Xi Jianlan was again like a thirsty flower branch, tossing and turning on the bed in confusion for a long time before opening his vacant eyes, drenched in cold sweat.

 

Sheng Jiao sat in the corner with closed eyes, like a cold stone.

 

Without careful observation, one wouldn’t notice his presence at all.

 

Xi Jianlan spotted him immediately, panting as he staggered off the couch, swaying a few steps before falling to his knees before Sheng Jiao with a “thud.”

 

Sheng Jiao seemed to have entered meditation, his features cold with a thin layer of frost.

 

Xi Jianlan crawled into his embrace in a dazed state, his burning breath spraying on Sheng Jiao’s face, melting the frost into water droplets that slowly dripped down his chiseled features.

 

“Abandoned immortal… Tianyan?”

 

Xi Jianlan’s consciousness was probably “thirsty” to the point of stupidity. He tilted his head to look at Sheng Jiao for a while, hazily remembering he seemed to be enemies with this person, mutually antagonistic.

 

“Ah.” He seemed guilty like a thief, extending one finger to his lips and quietly “shushing,” murmuring to himself in a drunken whisper: “Can’t, can’t wake him up.”

 

If Sheng Jiao knew he was asking for such precious Tianyan spiritual power, he would definitely be angry;

 

But if he secretly stole Tianyan to eat while he was sleeping, Sheng Jiao wouldn’t know and wouldn’t get angry.

 

His fevered, muddled brain couldn’t think much, and after reaching this crude, almost childish conclusion, Xi Jianlan quietly cupped Sheng Jiao’s hand resting on his knee and leaned forward to gently nibble.

 

He didn’t know how Tianyan came about, only vaguely remembering that biting fingers could stop the painful, dry burning in his meridians.

 

Xi Jianlan secretly watched Sheng Jiao while being alert for him waking up, using his lips and teeth to nibble all five of Sheng Jiao’s fingers thoroughly. Those well-defined fingers and even his wrist were covered with red tooth marks, yet he found no trace of Tianyan spiritual power.

 

Confused for a while, probably afraid of being discovered, he quietly placed Sheng Jiao’s hand back on his knee and even covered it with his clothes.

 

After this self-deceptive act, Xi Jianlan carefully picked up the other hand and began nibbling.

 

He curled up holding Sheng Jiao’s hand, nibbling back and forth. Anyone who wasn’t dead would definitely be awakened by this.

 

But Xi Jianlan seemed very confident in his stealth, and seeing Sheng Jiao didn’t open his eyes, he nodded, thinking he could continue nibbling ten more.

 

But after biting all ten fingers, he still found no Tianyan.

 

Xi Jianlan sat there pondering for a long time, then suddenly made an “ah” sound.

 

He carefully climbed up Sheng Jiao’s shoulders, his thin body pressed tightly against Sheng Jiao’s chest, cautiously brushing aside Sheng Jiao’s long hair and leaning forward to take a small bite at Sheng Jiao’s neck.

 

That was where the Xiangwen was located—biting there would definitely yield Tianyan.

 

Sheng Jiao’s heart seemed to race for an instant.

 

***

 

In the clinic’s back courtyard, Heng Yudu wheeled over to Feng Yu, who was sleeping on a mustard seed bed, saying gently: “Feng Yu?”

 

Feng Yu was extremely sleepy, randomly swatting away his hand: “Get lost.”

 

“Feng Yu, Bushu?”

 

Feng Yu was finally awakened, looking drowsily at the time nearby. Seeing it wasn’t yet dawn, he fell back and covered his head with a pillow, saying impatiently: “What time is it? There’s no exam today. Get lost, don’t bother me.”

 

“The more I think about it, the more wrong it seems.” Heng Yudu said, “If Jianlan has no connection to the events six years ago, why would the Tianyan pearls, being Heaven’s bestowed items, specifically judge him guilty? Do you think Jianlan’s Xiangwen might be related to Tianyan, or harmful to Tianyan spiritual veins?”

 

“Dear mother! You don’t sleep in the middle of the night but think about all this nonsense?!” Feng Yu roared in agony, “Rang Chen’s Xiangwen is ‘Glimpsing Heaven’s Secrets.’ If you really want to know, just go ask him directly!”

 

Heng Yudu said softly: “Heaven’s will above, Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed.”

 

Feng Yu was so angry he jumped up, sitting cross-legged on the couch, planning to have a good chat with him: “If Rang Chen’s ‘Glimpsing Heaven’s Secrets’ can’t reveal any heavenly secrets, wouldn’t that Xiangwen be useless trash?—I’m most annoyed by you four in Zhuxing Zhai. No matter what happens, you always hide and conceal things, acting so mysteriously it makes me want to hit someone.”

 

Whenever Xi Jue, Sheng Jiao, Heng Yudu, and Rang Chen talked together, the other four would be like listening to heavenly scriptures, their minds full of “Huh? Huh? What the hell are they talking about?”

 

Heng Yudu made an “ah” sound and said: “Don’t misunderstand…”

 

“I’m not misunderstanding!” Feng Yu interrupted his explanation, rolling his eyes. “When Xi Jue awakened his Xiangwen back then, almost all the Central State family elders went to the Xi family overnight, returning only after three days. From then on, even the Qu family, who were at odds with the Xi family, began flattering them, wishing they could bow and submit. If Xi Jue’s Xiangwen was truly harmful to Tianyan spiritual power, would those old immortals have put aside their grudges to curry favor with the Xi family?”

 

Heng Yudu hesitated for a while before asking again: “Then Sheng Jiao and Jianlan… do they truly love each other?”

 

Feng Yu yawned and said speechlessly: “You’re asking me? Do you think I’m a roundworm in their bellies? I’m only responsible for watching the show, not for investigating and verifying identities.”

 

Heng Yudu: “…”

 

Feng Yu was about to lie back down to sleep.

 

Heng Yudu grabbed him: “Jianlan is weak and sickly. I’m worried Sheng Jiao won’t give him Tianyan spiritual power and will just tie him to the bed, leaving him to suffer.”

 

Feng Yu was about to tear his hair out, but knowing Heng Yudu’s stubborn personality of never giving up until achieving his goal, he could only reluctantly throw on an outer robe and push him toward the clinic’s front courtyard.

 

Heng Yudu’s hair was disheveled, his gentle aura even softer.

 

He pondered: “If the two of them fell in love early, wouldn’t they have been together after graduating from Tianyan Academy? Why make such a mess of things?”

 

“Yes, yes, yes.” Feng Yu yawned continuously, casually appeasing him with drowsiness: “Honestly, whenever I’m with you at Tianyan Academy, I’m bound to encounter big scenes—I still remember that time the director had a private rendezvous with a student. What’s hateful is I still don’t know which brave warrior that student was.”

 

Heng Yudu: “Ah…”

 

Feng Yu chattered on: “I even suspect our birth charts and feng shui don’t get along. How is it that every time…”

 

Before finishing his words, both his voice and the wheelchair’s friction sound stopped abruptly.

 

Without even entering the front courtyard, just through a half-closed door, they vaguely saw what could be called a sensual scene inside.

 

Xi Jianlan sat in Sheng Jiao’s embrace, both hands extended to hook around his neck, lips and teeth covering his nape as if kissing, his dazed, vacant eyes seeming to hold clear, rippling water.

 

Like a beautiful, bewitching ghost in the dead of night.

 

Sheng Jiao remained unmoved, eyes closed as if his soul had left his body.

 

Suddenly, his narrow eyes opened, looking coldly through the worn carved wooden door at the two stunned people outside.

 

Heng Yudu: “…”

 

Feng Yu: “………..”

 

Feng Yu was about to run.

 

Heng Yudu remained composed: “This must be a misunderstanding.”

 

“Misunderstanding my ass!” Feng Yu ran like the wind, cursing: “Our Zhuxing Zhai is really fucking unlucky—we actually produced two cut-sleeves! Damn it! I’m going to babble about this in ‘Shangqing Jue’ and get Liu Tiaotiao and Little Poison to come watch the show!”

 

The two ran extremely fast, as if wolves were chasing them.

 

In his haste, Heng Yudu was still shouting: “‘Shangqing Jue’? How am I not in there? You opened a new spiritual channel behind my back?”

 

“Zhuxing Zhai has eight people with twelve spiritual channels—you’re only finding out now?!” Feng Yu said hurriedly: “—Quick, look back and see if Sheng Jiao is chasing us! Heaven above, we’ve caught him in the act twice in a row. Sheng Wuzhuo could kill us both and dump our bodies in Chang River without anyone knowing.”

 

Feng Yu burst through the door about to escape when he discovered ripples in the air—it was a transfer array.

 

Caught off guard, the two couldn’t brake in time and crashed headfirst into it, instantly returning to the clinic to face Sheng Jiao directly.

 

…Staring at each other.

 

After Xi Jianlan had nibbled at his nape for a long time without finding any Tianyan, Sheng Jiao finally couldn’t stand it anymore and gave him a stream of spiritual power to calm him down.

 

He lay lazily on the cushion where Sheng Jiao had been sitting, his ears buzzing, the ear ornament that helped him hear all things seeming broken.

 

Feng Yu pointed two fingers to the sky, hurriedly saying something. Xi Jianlan squinted to read his lip movements, but before he could see clearly, a pale heavenly thunder struck down, directly making Feng Yu’s hair stand on end.

 

Xi Jianlan: “…”

---