AVL Chapter 41.2

Xi Jianlan shook his head, his face pale: “Just not used to it.”

 

Sheng Jiao’s frown deepened.

 

Back at Tianyan Academy, little Xi Jue had quite an appetite. On his first secret realm expedition, he’d run around the entire realm looking for other Zhuxing Zhai members to ask for food, like a hungry wolf pouncing on prey.

 

How long had it been that he couldn’t even get used to fine food?

 

Xi Jianlan wiped his hands, looking at the rising sun: “Is it time?”

 

Sheng Jiao leaned down slightly, pressing his hand to Xi Jianlan’s forehead.

 

Xi Jianlan leaned back, smiling brightly: “Don’t touch—it’s nothing serious. If we delay any longer, the next riverboat to the Southern Territory won’t be until tomorrow.”

 

Wanting to find Yinhua Rao for him as soon as possible, Sheng Jiao didn’t waste words. He channeled spiritual power into Xi Jianlan’s meridians with a dark expression, and seeing his complexion improve, said: “Let’s go.”

 

***

 

At the Medicine Sect, Lezheng Jiu was still clinging to the stone pillar at the entrance, refusing to take a single step outside, until the gentle Lady Wan grabbed his ear and threw him out.

 

Lezheng Jiu was completely shrouded in a black robe, his face invisible, saying in despair: “Mother, Sheng Jiao is going too, so Ajue definitely won’t be in danger. Why make me suffer through this trip?”

 

“Yinhua Rao is hard to find.” Lady Wan adjusted his hood, saying gently: “What if it gets damaged along the way?”

 

Lezheng Jiu was still unhappy.

 

Lady Wan touched his face, her eyes seeming to shimmer: “Jiu’er, be good.”

 

Lezheng Jiu was somewhat moved.

 

This was his first long journey since returning to the Medicine Sect from Tianyan Academy. A mother worries when her child travels a thousand li—his mother still cared for him.

 

Just as he was feeling touched, Lady Wan said sadly: “You must protect Ajue well. Don’t let him suffer any hardship.”

 

Lezheng Jiu: “……”

 

Lezheng Jiu’s expression instantly changed, saying flatly: “Mother, tell me honestly—is Xi Jue actually your real son, and I’m just a placeholder?”

 

Lady Wan laughed helplessly: “What nonsense.”

 

“Then why do you treat him so well?” Lezheng Jiu said gloomily: “Before I went to Tianyan Academy, you warned me repeatedly not to bully Xi Jue. When your son was framed by him and punished to copy books by the headmaster, you still took his side.”

 

Lady Wan was silent for a while, then said softly: “Jiu’er, do you know why the Medicine Sect went into seclusion back then?”

 

His parents had never discussed such serious matters with Lezheng Jiu. He found it novel and boldly guessed: “Because father loves seclusion and doesn’t like communicating with the outside world?”

 

“You’re just like your father now.” Lady Wan patted his head, saying helplessly: “…When the twelve xiangwen appeared, all of Central State was…”

 

She was silent for a while, her expression unusually cold as she used a word:

 

“Disgusting.”

 

Lezheng Jiu was startled.

 

His mother had always been gentle and mild, never saying anything that revealed such intense disgust.

 

“The twelve xiangwen… isn’t it ‘Half-Burn Incinerate’?” Lezheng Jiu quickly asked.

 

Lady Wan looked puzzled: “What’s that?”

 

Lezheng Jiu: “……”

 

And Xi Jue had explained it so convincingly!

 

Fooled again!

 

“Ajue is a pitiful child.” Lady Wan said: “As long as the people who massacred the Xi family aren’t found, he won’t have a day of peace.”

 

Lezheng Jiu was furious but still reluctantly suggested: “Why don’t we just bring him to the Medicine Sect to live in seclusion together? Surely those Central State people wouldn’t dare attack the Medicine Sect?”

 

Lady Wan shook her head: “It’s not that simple—enough talk. Time is running short, go.”

 

Seeing the matter was settled, Lezheng Jiu reluctantly bid farewell to Lady Wan, pulling his hood over his face to cover himself completely, floating away like a black cloud.

 

“Half-Burn Incinerate” was fake too.

 

Lezheng Jiu gritted his teeth, staying angry all the way to the Qianyu riverboat.

 

He hadn’t been out in years, and following his memory to find the riverboat pavilion he’d visited before, he discovered it had been completely abandoned eight hundred years ago.

 

Fortunately, a riverboat happened to fly overhead, slowly landing in the distance, allowing him to follow it to find the new riverboat pavilion.

 

There was only one riverboat from Central State to the Southern Territory at Chen hour. The dozens-of-zhang-long riverboat stood like a tall tower on the vast open ground, its densely packed cabin windows like countless eyes. Just one glance made Lezheng Jiu feel suffocated.

 

So many people on one riverboat?!

 

Wouldn’t they be crushed to death?

 

The more Lezheng Jiu looked, the darker his expression became, his black robe almost emanating black energy.

 

Especially with many hurried travelers on the road, most giving him strange looks when they saw his odd appearance, making Lezheng Jiu even more furious.

 

He wanted to curse at them, but having not spoken to strangers for years, he opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a single word.

 

When they reached the Qianyu location Xi Jianlan had mentioned, the waiting area was completely empty.

 

Lezheng Jiu was even more furious.

 

Suddenly, Feng Yu’s voice came from nearby.

 

“Yo, Little Poison, didn’t you say you weren’t going?”

 

Feng Yu had been waiting outside the riverboat pavilion for a long time. Seeing someone wrapped up like a thick black ball in the middle of summer could only be Lezheng Jiu, so he casually strolled over to greet him.

 

Seeing a familiar face, Lezheng Jiu’s discomfort finally lessened considerably.

 

“Didn’t you also say you weren’t going?”

 

“I’m going on official business.” Feng Yu said leisurely. “My father asked me to deliver something to the headmaster, and I happened to hitch a ride on Xi Jue’s riverboat. The trip to the Southern Territory takes two days—why don’t we play cards? There are exactly four of us.”

 

Lezheng Jiu said sarcastically: “Do you think that high-and-mighty ice queen Sheng Jiao would condescend to play cards with commoners like us? Even if you called Rang Chen, he’d probably agree.”

 

Feng Yu thought about it: “True, so we’re one short.”

 

“Who says we’re one short?” Xi Jianlan said with a grin.

 

Feng Yu and Lezheng Jiu turned around.

 

Xi Jianlan and Sheng Jiao had just arrived.

 

Sheng Jiao wore his unchanging black robes as always, but Xi Jianlan had changed his style from the past few days—underneath he wore warm yellow robes, making it feel like they’d returned to ten years ago when the Zhuxing Zhai group would go out together from Tianyan Academy.

 

Lezheng Jiu rolled his eyes, not wanting to acknowledge Xi Jianlan.

 

Feng Yu was excited: “Don’t tell me you can get Sect Master Sheng to play cards with us?”

 

“Not exactly,” Xi Jianlan said. “There’s someone else coming with us.”

 

Feng Yu: “Heng Yudu? No way, Yudu is busy with the new students entering Tianyan Academy. Where would he find the time to go to the Southern Territory with us?”

 

“Not from Zhuxing Zhai.”

 

Feng Yu also rolled his eyes: “If it’s not from Zhuxing Zhai, I’m not playing cards with him.”

 

Just as Xi Jianlan was about to speak, light laughter came from nearby.

 

Ying Zhuo in red robes had appeared at some point, standing by the second-floor railing of the riverboat pavilion with a smile: “That’s perfect—I don’t want to play with you either.”

 

Feng Yu and Lezheng Jiu’s faces immediately turned green.

 

Sheng Jiao frowned, the Tianyan pearls on his wrist instinctively spinning rapidly.

 

All 106 pearls spun so fast they nearly sparked, looking like they wanted to quickly determine this person’s grave crime and strike him down as charcoal.

 

“What a pity, Sect Master Sheng.” Ying Zhuo still smiled gently, though his eyes were full of jealousy and hatred toward Sheng Jiao. “The Tianyan pearls can’t determine my guilt for now.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, all 106 Tianyan pearls stopped spinning.

 

Not one showed “Execute.”

 

Ying Zhuo was clever—even for this trip to accompany Xi Jianlan to the Southern Territory, he was using a wooden puppet, fearing the Zhuxing Zhai people might actually kill him halfway.

 

Seeing the Tianyan pearls didn’t emit red light, Ying Zhuo smiled: “See?”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Lezheng Jiu and Feng Yu leaped to the second-floor corridor, using hands and feet to pin down and beat Ying Zhuo.

 

“The Tianyan pearls can’t determine your guilt, but your father here can!”

 

“Ajue! We won’t play cards with him—beating him up will be enough entertainment for the whole trip!”

 

Ying Zhuo: “……”

 

Xi Jianlan laughed heartily.

 

Fortunately, Ying Zhuo was a puppet, so no matter how much they beat him, it wouldn’t harm his real body. Besides, they needed him to find Xi Minghuai’s old lover in the Southern Territory, so Feng Yu and Lezheng Jiu had to stop.

 

Xi Jianlan took out a bag of spirit stones, planning to buy a large cabin for all five of them.

 

“No need to trouble shixiong with such small matters.”

 

Ying Zhuo’s wooden face already had several cracks, which healed gently when he touched them. He methodically leaped down from the second floor, floating like a peacock displaying its feathers.

 

Peacock Ying gazed at Xi Jianlan with complete tenderness: “I’ve already booked passage.”

 

“Oh.” Xi Jianlan was too lazy to buy it himself. Looking at the several riverboats in the distance, he casually asked: “Which floor?”

 

Please don’t let it be the lower level like last time—that tiny room could suffocate someone.

 

Ying Zhuo smiled: “Not which floor.”

 

Xi Jianlan looked at him in confusion.

 

Ying Zhuo pointed to an enormous, exquisite painted boat nearby: “The entire boat.”

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

Sheng Jiao frowned.

 

Xi Jianlan loved luxury and extravagance. Just seeing how he could transform Sheng Jiao’s “prison cell” into a luxurious, refined paradise for sleeping showed that despite his downfall over the years, he still loved comfort and luxury over simplicity.

 

Recalling the tiny cabin on the riverboat last time, Sheng Jiao’s expression grew colder.

 

Normally, Xi Jianlan would have turned back triumphantly to glare at Sheng Jiao, his lively eyes full of “look at him, then look at you” disdain.

 

But this time he was silent for a while, then said disapprovingly: “This is too extravagant and wasteful. It’s better to be frugal.”

 

Ying Zhuo, who was waiting for praise: “……”

 

Ying Zhuo said in shock: “Shixiong, what’s wrong with you?!”

 

Lezheng Jiu and Feng Yu also said in amazement: “Are you still Xi Jue?! Have you been possessed?! Sheng Jiao, quickly subdue this demon!”

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

Sheng Jiao: “……”

 

Xi Jianlan coughed dryly and changed the subject: “…But since you’ve already arranged it, only a fool wouldn’t take advantage of a good deal. Let’s go up and play cards.”

 

Only then did Ying Zhuo become happy.

 

Watching Ying Zhuo circle around Xi Jianlan like a tail-wagging dog, Feng Yu whispered to Lezheng Jiu: “I really admire Ying Qiao’er. When Xi Jue was at Evil Qi Road, he nearly cut his neck off—completely severed head from body, so tragic. But after just a few days, he’s fearlessly circling Xi Jue again. Does he have some masochistic disorder?”

 

“Who cares if he’s sick.” Lezheng Jiu said coldly. “Tell me why I want to kill him so badly—even Sheng Jiao doesn’t make me this angry.”

 

Feng Yu deeply agreed.

 

Moments later, the huge, exquisite painted boat slowly spread its enormous mechanical wings powered by spiritual energy and flew into the sky.

 

Like a giant eagle heading south.

 

Ying Zhuo led Xi Jianlan to the most luxurious and refined quarters on the top floor of the boat, saying as they walked: “Xi Minghuai’s old lover is at a Southern Territory pleasure house. This boat doesn’t need to land and stop—we can go directly into the Nine Heavens and enter the Hongchen Shijun Tower.”

 

Xi Jianlan stopped in his tracks, his lips moving slightly: “Go where?”

 

“Hongchen Shijun Tower.”

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

Ying Zhuo looked puzzled: “Hongchen Shijun Tower is renowned throughout all the Southern Territory pleasure boats. A few years ago, they even had a devastatingly beautiful courtesan named Lan Jiaojiao who became famous overnight. Shixiong must have heard of her, right?”

 

Xi Jianlan: “…………”

 

“Oh, ah, mm.” Xi Jianlan pretended to be calm. “I’ve… heard of it.”

 

He walked methodically to the carved lattice window, casually opening it, his every movement elegant and graceful.

 

The top floor of the riverboat didn’t use cheap ivory windows like the lower levels, but the highest-grade barriers to block the high-altitude cold. When the window was pushed open, no fierce wind rushed in.

 

Xi Jianlan poked his head out to look at the sea of clouds below, saying cheerfully: “How wonderful. If I jumped from here, I’d definitely die without a trace left.”

 

Ying Zhuo: “???”

 

Shixiong?!

 

Author’s Note:

 

Xi Jianlan: Might as well die!

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)