Xiezhi Sect was located deep in the mountains and marshes.
Backed by endless snowy peaks, surrounded on three sides by boundless swamps, shrouded in poisonous miasma, it seemed peaceful, but beneath the thin surface of water, countless violent currents surged.
Ferocious hook-snakes and Wu Zhiqi monsters roamed everywhere. In the hundreds of years since Xiezhi Sect was founded, any criminal who escaped with a crime would end up in the belly of a beast.
—Except for Xi Jue, six years ago.
Sheng Jiao, in a Xiezhi-patterned black robe, stepped expressionlessly onto the water, entering the rain-soaked Xiezhi Sect.
The adjudicator had been waiting for a long time; seeing Sheng Jiao was like seeing a savior, he said concisely, “Greetings, Sect Master! Shentian She has suddenly opened without reason, and fierce ghosts and wandering souls have already crossed from the illusion to the real world, you—”
As he spoke, he noticed Sheng Jiao’s empty wrist and froze.
Where was the Tianyan pearl the sect master never parted with?
Sheng Jiao strode forward: “Anyone gone in?”
The adjudicator snapped back to attention, quickly replying, “No, no one dares approach the Shentian She seal.”
Sheng Jiao said nothing more.
A protective barrier kept the torrential rain at bay. His tall figure was like an unsheathed blade, slicing through the rain as he strode toward the Shentian She seal.
Back when Sheng Jiao sealed the rebellious Shentian She illusion, he placed a stone statue of the Xiezhi divine beast at the array’s core, standing guard over the illusion year-round.
Now, the statue, having gained a trace of spirit, had been forcibly shattered, fragments scattered everywhere.
He could faintly hear the statue’s spiritual cry, weeping in the rain.
Seeing Sheng Jiao finally arrive, the crying grew louder.
The array’s core was destroyed, 108 massive stones knocked askew, and beside the shattered statue, a pitch-black crack split the air, twisting as if to devour everything around it.
—It looked like a strange, unfeeling eye.
Resentful ghosts and fierce spirits wandered in the rain, fighting with Xiezhi Sect cultivators.
The entire sect was chaos, filled with screams and wails.
Back when the Shentian She illusion still existed, Xiezhi Sect would throw the most heinous criminals into the illusion, letting the adjudicators personally execute them.
Now, with Shentian She forcibly opened, the slaughtered ghosts rushed out.
There was so much resentment in the illusion that some ghosts had even formed physical bodies, entering the ghost path.
They had been rampaging, but seeing Sheng Jiao, they were instantly terrified, scattering like mice before a cat, wailing in panic.
But soon, one leading ghost tried to act tough, suddenly shouting, “Wait, don’t run! That brat Sheng didn’t bring the Tianyan pearls!”
The ghosts froze.
What they feared most was Sheng Jiao’s “Worthy of Heavenly Dao” Tianyan pearls—one bolt of heavenly thunder could annihilate even a powerful ghost, never to reincarnate.
Seeing Sheng Jiao’s empty wrist, the ghosts exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.
“Ha, this brat is too arrogant, coming to Shentian She without the Tianyan pearls?”
“This time, he’ll die for sure!”
“I want to see if this future immortal lord with a spiritual-level xiangwen, after dying, will end up like us—ah!”
Sheng Jiao didn’t even look at them. Without a change in expression, he suddenly raised his hand and swept it out.
The Winter Snow Sword instantly transformed into a black-clad man, his figure streaking like lightning through the torrential rain, charging straight at the arrogant, cackling lead ghost.
Lightning raged—just one sword strike, and the fiercest, most boastful ghost was slain on the spot.
Sword intent exploded within the ghost’s spectral body, and the twisted grin on its face shattered into dust, washed down by the rain and merging with the filthy earth.
In an instant, all the other ghosts looked like they’d been hanged, their eyes bulging in terror.
They’d been locked in Shentian She for so long their minds had gone dull, remembering only that the Tianyan pearls could smite them, but forgetting that the one who controlled the pearls… was Sheng Jiao.
At last, a bolt of heavenly thunder split the sky in the pouring rain with a deafening crash.
The ghosts shrieked in terror, scattering like birds and beasts, all their earlier arrogance gone.
The Winter Snow Sword rushed after them, slaughtering as it went.
Sheng Jiao didn’t even open his eyes to look. Spiritual power flowed from his palm, and in an instant, he reassembled the shattered Xiezhi stone statue, restoring it to its original state.
The Xiezhi statue ran over gleefully, its stone hooves clicking crisply as it galloped, and crashed into Sheng Jiao’s leg, whimpering pitifully.
Sheng Jiao coldly met the gaze of that strange, unfeeling “eye,” about to step forward and reseal Shentian She.
Suddenly, a Xiezhi Sect adjudicator rushed over in panic: “Sect Master! Someone just entered Shentian She!”
Sheng Jiao’s brow furrowed.
“Who?”
“Not from Xiezhi Sect!” The adjudicator was soaked with rain, stammering, “…It’s a criminal who was just brought in today.”
Sheng Jiao’s face remained impassive as he raised his hand, ready to seal Shentian She with spiritual power.
The illusion had been sealed by Sheng Jiao for six years. Seeing the ghosts that had escaped being so rampant, the Shentian She, which was supposed to be a place of judgment, had now become a pit of raging resentment.
Anyone sent to Xiezhi Sect must have committed a grave crime. Sheng Jiao would never let Shentian She remain open for the sake of a dying man, risking disaster.
“Sect Master!” The adjudicator, forced to, braced himself and spoke up again, “The adjudicator escorting the criminal said this person is connected to the Xi family massacre.”
Rumble—
Thunder split the dark sky, a flash of white lightning illuminating Sheng Jiao’s icy face for a moment before it faded into gloom.
Sheng Jiao was never one to go back on his word; everyone in Xiezhi Sect knew his temperament.
They thought their words would be useless, but suddenly Sheng Jiao’s spiritual power stopped abruptly.
The adjudicator stared in shock.
Dark clouds shrouded Xiezhi Sect, resentment soared to the heavens, and day had turned to night.
In the darkness, no one saw his hand suddenly clench at his side, his protective barrier vanishing as rain poured down on him.
Only Sheng Jiao’s cold voice could be heard.
“Who is it?”
The adjudicator’s voice seemed to fade into the storm.
“According to the escort, their surname is Xi.”
“They are… another survivor of the massacre all those years ago.”
Sheng Jiao’s pupils contracted sharply.
***
Sheng family.
Xi Jianlan pointed and said, “Move aside.”
The Tianyan pearls binding Qu Xiangren hesitated for a moment, then obediently reformed into a string of beads.
They instinctively tried to wrap around Xi Jianlan’s wrist, but he flicked his hand in annoyance, signaling them to scram.
The Tianyan pearls could only drift back to the inner room’s bed, joining the discarded earring.
Without the support of the Tianyan pearls, Qu Xiangren collapsed to the ground, utterly spent and gasping, looking as if he might die at any moment.
“Don’t die yet.” A flash of gold flickered in Xi Jianlan’s eyes as he said lazily, “You used so many tortures on me back then—I still have to pay you back, one by one. If you die, how can I repay you?”
Qu Xiangren’s already unfocused eyes filled with terror.
Suddenly, someone said beside him, “Let me help, shixiong.”
Xi Jianlan didn’t hear it at first, only realizing someone was behind him when he suddenly turned.
Ying Zhuo had appeared at some point, dressed in a vivid red robe woven with spiderweb and poppy flowers, kneeling on one knee at Xi Jianlan’s side, his eyes full of unconcealed deep affection.
Xi Jianlan was stunned: “Qiao’er?”
“Shixiong!” Just calling his name seemed like a gift to Ying Zhuo, his eyes brightening with joy, “I finally waited for—”
Smack!
Xi Jianlan suddenly slapped Ying Zhuo across the face.
Ying Zhuo’s head snapped to the side, his tongue pressing against his stinging cheek, but he still smiled: “Don’t be angry, shixiong. Qiao’er knows he was wrong.”
Back on Evil Qi Road, Xi Jianlan hadn’t held back at all, and Ying Zhuo had nearly been killed, but he didn’t mind at all. He even tried to hold Xi Jianlan’s hand, worried it would hurt from the slap.
“Little brat.” After hitting him, Xi Jianlan seemed to confirm something, pinched Ying Zhuo’s chin, and said with a half-smile, “Don’t try to fob me off with a puppet again. Come yourself.”
“I wouldn’t dare, shixiong would kill me.” Ying Zhuo’s beautiful gemstone eyes stared straight at Xi Jianlan’s face, admitting defeat with perfect composure. “When you’re no longer angry, I’ll come and let you beat and scold me as you like.”
Xi Jianlan glanced at him, flicked his sleeve, and walked toward the inner room.
Ying Zhuo quietly let out a breath, gently touching his slapped face, then, oddly pleased, began cleaning up the aftermath for Xi Jianlan.
A moment later, Ying Zhuo walked into the inner room holding a palm-sized wooden doll: “Shixiong…”
But as he approached, his words caught in his throat.
Xi Jianlan was sitting on the messy bed, wearing only a black inner robe, half-undressed, his dark hair carelessly draped over his left shoulder, the fabric at his right shoulder pulled slightly down.
He was absentmindedly rubbing the vivid red mark on his back shoulder, lost in thought.
Ying Zhuo’s brows furrowed deeply.
Tianyan pearls, osmanthus fragrance, the bed, the robe, even the underclothes…
Xi Jianlan was covered in traces and scents of Sheng Jiao.
Xi Jianlan had already put his earring back on. Hearing footsteps, he waved at Ying Zhuo: “Come here.”
Ying Zhuo hurried over and handed him the wooden figurine.
Xi Jianlan tossed the wooden figurine next to the Tianyan pearls, lifted his hair to show Ying Zhuo the red mole on his right shoulder, and casually asked, “Do you know what the Xiezhi Sect’s brand looks like?”
Ying Zhuo’s face changed dramatically: “Xiezhi Sect branded you back then, shixiong?!”
“Enough chatter,” Xi Jianlan said. “Take a look and tell me what this mole actually is.”
Chided, Ying Zhuo could only frown and examine the red mole, his gaze unintentionally falling on the still-unhealed scar at the back of Xi Jianlan’s neck. He paused for a moment before regaining his composure.
He studied it for a while before saying, “This isn’t a brand.”
For some reason, a gentle, joyful expression appeared on Xi Jianlan’s face: “Not a brand…”
Ying Zhuo had always felt that beneath Xi Jianlan’s every emotion—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—were countless flawless masks, and that he could always disguise himself perfectly. He had never seen Xi Jianlan show such open happiness.
The delight on that stunning face made Ying Zhuo’s heart ache with jealousy.
Xi Jianlan didn’t even look at him, just picked up the string of Tianyan pearls and casually brought them close to his shoulder.
In an instant, the red mole seemed to stir, as if about to break through the skin. Then a faint blue thunder pattern, matching the Tianyan pearls, slowly emerged from deep within his bones and meridians.
Soon, the thunder pattern and red mole blurred together, gradually forming a flamboyant “Zhuo” (灼) character.
Ying Zhuo’s pupils contracted, his hand at his side nearly crushed by his own grip.
Sheng Wuzhuo!
He actually dared to leave a brand on Xi Jianlan’s body?!
Xi Jianlan was used to the heat spreading through his meridians. Before, he’d always rejected this “brand,” never considering where that burning sensation came from.
Now that his resistance and aversion had faded, Xi Jianlan realized that the heat, like a thunderbolt, actually carried a trace of Tianyan spiritual power, spreading through his battered meridians, trying to heal his wounds.
But a single pearl’s Tianyan power was too little, and the warmth so faint that it was almost undetectable unless you looked closely.
Sweat beaded on Xi Jianlan’s forehead as he tossed the Tianyan pearls aside.
The “Zhuo” character and Tianyan pattern faded back into a red mole, slowly sinking into his meridians.
Ying Zhuo stared at the fading “Zhuo” character, so jealous he nearly went mad, wishing he could skin Sheng Jiao alive and grind his bones to dust.
Xi Jianlan pulled his messy robe up over his shoulder, absentmindedly wondering: What did Sheng Jiao mean by fusing that pearl into his meridians all those years ago?
Ying Zhuo’s wooden hand was nearly crushed by his own grip, but he forced a smile: “Shixiong, this Sheng family is no place to linger. You’d better come back to the Ying family with me.”
Xi Jianlan sat cross-legged on the bed, idly breaking the limbs off the wooden figurine, completely ignoring him.
But as if remembering something, he tilted his head: “How do you know what the Xiezhi Sect brand looks like?”
Seeing Xi Jianlan finally look at him, Ying Zhuo hid the malice in his eyes and replied softly, “The Ying family has spies in Xiezhi Sect, so of course I know.”
Xi Jianlan thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Was it you who deliberately lured Sheng Jiao away with the Shentian She incident?”
Ying Zhuo didn’t hide it, obediently saying, “Yes.”
“Pretty clever,” Xi Jianlan said blandly. “But I advise you to leave now. Sheng Jiao can resolve the Shentian She seal in less than half a day. If he comes back and finds out you were behind it, he’ll probably string you up and whip you.”
Ying Zhuo said gently, “Don’t worry, shixiong, he won’t be coming back.”
Xi Jianlan burst out laughing: “That’s what you said last time, and he still broke through your Hezhou City.”
Ying Zhuo laughed too, then after a while softly added, “Shixiong, you probably don’t know—when the Xi family was slaughtered back then, besides you, there was another survivor.”
Xi Jianlan was startled, not understanding why the topic had shifted from Sheng Jiao to the Xi family.
“Who?”
“Xi Minghuai, your cousin.”
Xi Jianlan frowned slightly: “Xi Minghuai?”
“I found him a few days ago in the Southern Territory.”
Ying Zhuo knelt on one knee by the bed, his already cracked wooden hand resting lightly on Xi Jianlan’s knee—he didn’t dare press down, afraid Xi Jianlan would hit him.
“But regarding what happened to the Xi family back then, it seems he’s been put under a vow of silence. No matter how I ask, he won’t say a word.”
Xi Jianlan pressed his lips together, his hand at his side quietly clenching, and he said coldly, “Where is he?”
Ying Zhuo smiled, almost like a child showing off: “I put Xi Minghuai into Shentian She. If Sheng Jiao wants to find him, he’ll have to enter the life-and-death Shentian She trial.”
Xi Jianlan looked at him.
Ying Zhuo smiled: “Without spiritual power to maintain order, Shentian She is now crawling with fierce ghosts and spirits—it’s not what it used to be. Even if Sheng Jiao has heaven-defying skills, he’ll be worn down, especially since…”
He glanced at the Tianyan pearls by the pillow and smiled.
…Especially since Sheng Jiao isn’t wearing the Tianyan pearls, so he’s lost his greatest support.
Xi Jianlan was silent for a while, then suddenly smiled. He leaned down and gently patted Ying Zhuo’s face, his voice soft: “Not bad, you’ve finally improved since last time.”
Ying Zhuo’s cheeks flushed from the touch, and he stared intently at Xi Jianlan’s face.
Xi Jianlan was in a good mood, propping his chin up with a gentle smile, looking as if he wanted to bang a gong and drum to celebrate his old nemesis finally meeting his end.
“Serves him right,” he thought leisurely. “Who told him to be so stupid, going into Shentian She without the Tianyan pearls? If he dies there, he has only himself to blame.”
“But don’t worry, shixiong,” Ying Zhuo rubbed his face and added softly, “Xi Minghuai has been hiding in the Southern Territory for years—he must have help. I found out he seems to have a lover, who probably knows something too.”
Xi Jianlan said with interest, “A lover?”
“Yes.” Ying Zhuo finally dared to rest his hand on Xi Jianlan’s, and said warmly, “I’ll make a puppet identical to you to draw away the Central State families, then go with you to the Southern Territory to look for more clues.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the always nonchalant Xi Jianlan finally couldn’t hold back—his face darkened and he gave a vicious kick to the kneeling Ying Zhuo’s shoulder, sending his tall figure stumbling backward, landing hard on the floor.
Ying Zhuo froze.
It was as if Xi Jianlan had finally torn off his mask, his face now showing a fury Ying Zhuo had never seen before. Beautiful eyes flashed with a chilling red light as he shouted harshly:
“Idiot! I want him dead, but I never wanted him to die in Shentian She!”
—
##
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
