AVL Chapter 35

Sheng Jiao met his gaze with an impassive face, his burning fingertips roughly rubbing Xi Jianlan’s pale lips.

 

Very soon, Xi Jianlan’s lips were stained a vivid red.

 

Xi Jianlan smiled back at him, eyes bright.

 

“Back then you asked me what justice was.” Sheng Jiao said flatly, “Is the justice you want now just killing to stop killing?”

 

Xi Jianlan’s smile didn’t fade: “It wasn’t then, but now it is.”

 

Sheng Jiao stared at him.

 

Xi Jianlan stepped back a few paces, absently touched his burning lips, not wanting to talk about it anymore, and changed the subject: “There must be hundreds of illusion realms in Shentian She. If we search them one by one, we’ll be here till the end of time.”

 

He didn’t want to keep wandering through these pure but strangely agitating illusions, each one making him realize how Sheng Jiao’s emotions were stripped away piece by piece.

 

Sheng Jiao said nothing.

 

Xi Minghuai was a living soul—they could only search one by one.

 

Xi Jianlan could only grit his teeth and keep wandering the illusions with Sheng Jiao.

 

Time seemed to stand still in Shentian She. The suffocating resentment was hard to bear, only the faint osmanthus scent on Sheng Jiao made Xi Jianlan feel better.

 

After who knows how many illusions, Xi Jianlan listlessly tugged Sheng Jiao’s sleeve: “Sheng Wuzhuo, I’m tired.”

 

Sheng Jiao stopped on his way to the next illusion, lowering his gaze to the only spot of unscorched ground, signaling him to sleep.

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

No matter how down-and-out he was, Xi Jianlan wasn’t about to sleep on the bare ground. He sighed, “At least give me a bed. Didn’t you bring one in your storage ring?”

 

Sheng Jiao frowned.

 

Xi Jianlan shamelessly grabbed his hand—apparently Sheng Jiao’s storage ring never had much in it. As soon as he reached out, his divine sense slipped right in.

 

Sheng Jiao was poor and frugal; his huge storage ring held only a few scattered jade pieces, a few bottles of pills, and a battered little box, who knows what old junk was inside.

 

Xi Jianlan was stunned.

 

He’d wandered outside for six years, and even his own storage ring held more than Sheng Jiao’s.

 

“Dear heavens,” Xi Jianlan muttered, “I thought you were already dirt poor back then, but after all these years, you’ve managed to reach new heights of poverty. Truly a wonder.”

 

Sheng Jiao: “……”

 

That didn’t sound like a compliment.

 

Xi Jianlan was about to tease him a bit more when suddenly a flash of yellow whipped toward him, “smack”—it slapped his cheek with such force that his head snapped to the side.

 

—For a moment, Xi Jianlan almost thought Sheng Jiao had lost his temper and slapped him.

 

Sheng Jiao frowned and tore off whatever was stuck to Xi Jianlan’s face.

 

It was a little yellow paper figure.

 

Xi Jianlan, rubbing his cheek and about to curse, took a closer look and said in surprise, “My good brother’s here?”

 

Sheng Jiao’s face was icy as he raised his hand to toss the “good brother” away.

 

“Hey, wait!” Xi Jianlan hurriedly grabbed the little paper man, hastily drew a ghost-binding sigil on its scribbled surface, muttering, “This Shentian She is full of fierce ghosts. If it’s just us searching one by one, it’ll take forever. Feng Yu showing up is perfect timing.”

 

For a ghost-taming family, Shentian She was like a fish in water.

 

After sending a message through the paper figure, it wasn’t long before the sound of a huge horde of fierce ghosts charging over could be heard in the distance. There were so many that even the scorched ground was trampled into black dust as they howled toward the sky.

 

From afar, it looked like a rolling black cloud bearing down on them.

 

Xi Jianlan praised, “As expected of my good gege—he’s only just arrived and already subdued so many fierce ghosts!”

 

Sheng Jiao’s expression was pure frost.

 

Soon, Feng Yu arrived, riding his ghost blade, his black-and-white robe with ghost patterns fluttering in the wind, his aura overwhelming, like a divine general come to save them from disaster.

 

Xi Jianlan was touched: “Gege!”

 

Feng Yu saw Xi Jianlan’s pitiful state and snorted, then, expressionless, said to Sheng Jiao, “Sheng Jiao.”

 

Sheng Jiao coldly met his gaze.

 

Feng Yu landed in front of them, his ghost blade sheathed on his back, maintaining his mysterious, aloof demeanor as he said to Sheng Jiao, “Save me.”

 

Sheng Jiao: “……”

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

The two looked up—only to realize that what Feng Yu had brought wasn’t a horde of subdued ghost generals, but a mob of thoroughly enraged, howling Shentian She vengeful spirits.

 

“Brat! You think you can subdue me?! Who gave you the guts?!”

 

“Damn you—so this is all the ghost-taming clan can do? Come! Fight me again!”

 

“Bastard! I’ll kill you!”

 

Sheng Jiao and Xi Jianlan both fell silent, feeling this scene was oddly familiar.

 

Feng Yu had already skillfully hidden behind Sheng Jiao, dragging Xi Jianlan with him, grumbling, “No one told me the Shentian She ghosts were this tough! I tried using spells for wild ghosts, but they got mad? Tsk, such bad tempers.”

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

He asked quietly, “Why are you here?”

 

Feng Yu snapped, “I heard you two went into Shentian She and didn’t come out for ages. As soon as my boat landed in Central State, I rushed over to help. What’s with that look—are you annoyed I came?”

 

Xi Jianlan glared at him.

 

He’d thought Feng Yu was here to help, but he was just making things worse.

 

Feng Yu tugged Sheng Jiao’s robe, peering over: “Sect Master Sheng, you hold them off while I try a different ghost-taming spell… uh.”

 

Sheng Jiao turned, looking down at him from above.

 

Too late.

 

The mob of fierce ghosts had already been silently obliterated by thunder.

 

Feng Yu was heartbroken: “What’s your hurry?! Killing them outright is such a waste!”

 

Sheng Jiao couldn’t be bothered to argue.

 

Xi Jianlan couldn’t stand it either and kicked Feng Yu: “With your half-baked ghost-taming, don’t embarrass yourself. You can’t subdue Shentian She’s ghosts—give up before they backfire and kill you.”

 

Feng Yu kicked him back: “Nonsense, there’s not a ghost in the world Young Master Feng can’t subdue.”

 

The two sat there kicking each other, just like when they were kids.

 

In the past, Xi Jianlan would have kicked back just as hard, but now, powerless, a couple of Feng Yu’s kicks to his shin had him hissing in pain.

 

Sheng Jiao suddenly said, “Feng Bushu, go find the living soul.”

 

“Oh, right.” Feng Yu gave Xi Jianlan another kick, as if he’d scored a huge win, then got down to business. “Xi Minghuai, right? I’ve already sent ghosts to search, but Shentian She has too many illusion realms—it’ll take time.”

 

Xi Jianlan rubbed his shin, frowning in thought.

 

“Hey.” Feng Yu twirled a little paper figure between his fingers, waiting for a ghost’s reply, and, bored, kicked Xi Jianlan’s foot again. “When the Xi family incident happened, did you really know nothing?”

 

A shadow of worry flickered between Xi Jianlan’s brows: “For the Xi family’s coming-of-age ceremony, I had to wait for the blessing at the Tianyan shrine. I knelt for ages, but no one came. When I finally went out…”

 

Outside was a river of blood, corpses everywhere.

 

Feng Yu had never talked to him about it before, but now couldn’t help but ask, “You really didn’t see or hear anything?”

 

Xi Jianlan didn’t answer.

 

Beneath the Xi family ancestral hall was the Tianyan shrine, very close by.

 

Back then, Xi Jue had waited at most half an hour, but the Xi family had a Void Return realm expert and several Nascent Soul cultivators—if they’d fought the culprit, the spiritual power clash would have been earth-shattering; it was impossible not to notice.

 

Because of this flaw, no one believed anything Xi Jue said when he entered Xiezhi Sect.

 

Feng Yu, for once, was a little perceptive and hesitated: “Or… you can’t say?”

 

Sheng Jiao frowned at Xi Jianlan.

 

Xi Jianlan was silent for a long time, then suddenly, while Feng Yu wasn’t paying attention, kicked him hard in revenge for all those extra kicks.

 

“If I knew who slaughtered my whole family, I would have taken my sword and killed them myself long ago—why would I cover for them?!”

 

“You—!”

 

Feng Yu was about to explode with anger when suddenly the little paper figure stuck out its tongue, crawled up his arm to his shoulder, and gestured animatedly.

 

Xi Jianlan froze.

 

Feng Yu’s face turned serious as he listened to the paper figure’s message, forgetting his quarrel with Xi Jianlan and speaking quickly.

 

“We’ve found Xi Minghuai.”

 

Maybe it was Ying Zhuo’s doing, but Xi Minghuai was at the very edge of the chessboard. If Xi Jianlan and Sheng Jiao had gone through each illusion one by one, even with luck, it would have taken at least half a month to find him.

 

The three of them hurried to that illusion realm, where many fierce ghosts, drawn by the scent of a living soul, were already gathering, eager to tear and devour him.

 

Xi Minghuai was protected by a Xi family defensive talisman; every time an evil ghost touched him, the runes burned their claws, making them howl to the sky. But the lure of a living soul was too strong, and countless ghosts still flocked to him.

 

The barrier’s power was limited and already showed cracks like broken glass from the ghosts’ attacks.

 

If Feng Yu had found him a moment later, his life would have been in grave danger.

 

After Xi Jianlan was brought down from the air by Sheng Jiao, who was holding his waist, he saw the dense horde of ghosts and almost blacked out, staggering as he ran over.

 

“Xi… Xi… gege!!”

 

Sheng Jiao, expressionless, summoned thunder with the Tianyan pearls, shattering all the fierce ghosts in the illusion.

 

Feng Yu jumped up and down: “Careful! Watch out for my precious ghosts!”

 

Sheng Jiao didn’t even look at him, striding forward.

 

Xi Minghuai was curled in a corner of the illusion, his tattered white robe covered in dust. He was shaking in terror, arms wrapped around his head, only his messy hair hanging down.

 

Xi Jianlan was so anxious he nearly flew over, but stumbled and fell to his knees in front of Xi Minghuai.

 

He didn’t even bother to get up, crawling forward a few steps and tentatively calling, “…Gege?”

 

Xi Minghuai’s ears rang, and sensing someone approach, he screamed hysterically, “Go away! Go! I didn’t see anything! I didn’t see… wuwu!”

 

Hearing the familiar voice, Xi Jianlan quickly grabbed his arms, pressing the warmth of his palms through Xi Minghuai’s thin clothes, his voice trembling but as gentle as he could make it.

 

“Gege, it’s me, it’s Xi Jue.”

 

Xi Minghuai was so terrified he went limp, unable to run. He screamed for a long time before finally realizing the person touching him was warm and alive.

 

The screaming gradually faded. Xi Minghuai struggled to lower his arms from his face, revealing features strikingly similar to Xi Jianlan’s.

 

After six years, thinking he was the only one left, Xi Jianlan’s eyes instantly reddened.

 

He forced a smile at Xi Minghuai, whispering, “Don’t be afraid, there are no more evil ghosts.”

 

Xi Minghuai stared at him in confusion for a long time, then shook his head desperately in terror: “I don’t know, I don’t know anything… let me go.”

 

Xi Jianlan froze: “What?”

 

Ying Zhuo had said Xi Minghuai seemed to be under a vow of silence about what happened back then.

 

Now, hearing him beg for no reason, could it be that he really saw something?

 

Xi Jianlan was still dazed when Feng Yu rushed over, grabbing Xi Minghuai’s collar and demanding harshly.

 

“Did you really see something? Who was it that killed the Xi family?!”

 

At the words “Xi family,” Xi Minghuai, who had been crying in grief, suddenly went rigid. His unfocused eyes narrowed, then suddenly widened in a crazed laugh.

 

“Hahaha, yes, the whole Xi family is dead, and I—I’m still alive?!”

 

Xi Jianlan was at a loss, not knowing what to say.

 

Xi Minghuai had clearly gone mad, babbling nonsense.

 

“I don’t know anything! I didn’t see anything!”

 

“Xi Jue… Xi Jue, save me!”

 

“I won’t say, I’ll never say…”

 

Xi Jianlan’s eyes reddened, and he choked up, grabbing Xi Minghuai’s wildly flailing hands, almost in tears.

 

Xi Minghuai laughed maniacally for a long time before finally collapsing, exhausted.

 

His eyes were empty as he stared at the air in front of Xi Jianlan. After a while, his limp body tensed again, as if he were afraid of something. He looked around furtively, then put a finger to his lips and softly shushed Xi Jianlan.

 

Xi Jianlan quickly asked, “What?”

 

“Don’t speak…” Xi Minghuai was tense, as if on guard against someone, muttering, “I can’t speak… he can hear…”

 

Xi Jianlan froze.

 

Who—who could hear?

 

“He can hear!” Xi Minghuai’s voice grew lower and lower, then he started laughing madly again, “He hears everything! I can’t say! He can hear—”

 

Xi Jianlan’s face turned ashen, his eyes rimmed red with unshed tears, and he could only call out to him in despair.

 

“Gege…”

 

Feng Yu had never seen Xi Jianlan like this and felt deeply uncomfortable.

 

Who would have thought that the last relative in the world, once found, would turn out to be insane?

 

If it were him, he couldn’t have borne it.

 

“Sigh, I wonder if the Medicine Sect can cure soul-loss. We’d better go find that little poison brat.” Feng Yu sighed. “I never knew Xi Jue and Xi Minghuai were so close.”

 

Sheng Jiao watched coldly, and for the first time ever, let out a short, cold laugh.

 

Feng Yu saw the undisguised frost on his face and snapped, “What are you laughing at?”

 

Sheng Jiao stared at Xi Jianlan’s tear-stained, beautiful face, his expression cold and unreadable.

 

“Sheng Wuzhuo, I really can’t figure you out.” Feng Yu couldn’t help but stick up for Xi Jianlan. “If you don’t like him, why are you always following him around? Just now you were even hugging his waist in front of me.”

 

Sheng Jiao: “……”

 

Feng Yu went on, “But if you do like him, look at him now—he’s heartbroken, and you’re still sneering? No wonder you’re the coldest, most ruthless killer in all thirteen provinces.”

 

Normally, Sheng Jiao would never bother responding to Feng Yu’s nonsense, but this time, for some reason, he coldly replied.

 

“Why does he call Xi Minghuai ‘gege’?”

 

Feng Yu glared at him. “Because they’re brothers, of course! What else should he call him—father?”

 

Sheng Jiao looked at Feng Yu with a blank expression.

 

For the first time, Feng Yu saw a hint of mockery in Sheng Jiao’s usually empty eyes.

 

Feng Yu: “???”

 

Xi Jianlan’s stunning face was twisted with barely suppressed pain, his hand hovering as if to comfort his mad brother, but recoiling from the dirty white robe, never quite daring to touch.

 

His beautiful eyes were misted with sorrow, but deep down they were cold and emotionless, tinged with frustration at not getting any useful information.

 

Sheng Jiao watched coldly as Xi Jianlan continued to perform this act of brotherly affection.

 

Why only call him “gege”?

 

…Naturally, because he didn’t even remember Xi Minghuai’s name.

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)