AVL Chapter 51

The illusion fell into deathly silence.

 

Probably because Sheng Jiao’s bearing was too “Emotionless Path,” Liu Changxing didn’t realize what the Sect Master’s silence actually meant and was still looking at Sheng Jiao with a face full of motherly love.

 

Expecting fingertip blood.

 

Sheng Jiao: “……”

 

Sheng Jiao’s face was like still water as he slightly turned his head.

 

Xi Jianlan curled up in a ball, guiltily peeking out a pair of eyes from between his arms, just meeting Sheng Jiao’s gaze.

 

Xi Jianlan: “……”

 

Xi Jianlan’s face was a picture of misery, his bare feet frantically curling as he bit his teeth and silently mouthed to Sheng Jiao:

 

“Shut up!”

 

Sheng Jiao: “…………”

 

Liu Changxing noticed Sheng Jiao’s gaze and turned to see Xi Jianlan fiercely baring his teeth. He immediately said coldly: “Xi Jue’er, bury your head! You still have the face to glare at others—what kind of thing did you do?!”

 

Little Jue’er was full of grievances he couldn’t voice, sullenly burying his head in his arms without making a sound.

 

Liu Changxing didn’t notice anything wrong and was still waiting for the emotionless, desireless Lord Heaven’s Way to break the formation.

 

After a long silence, Sheng Jiao said coolly: “Have him return my spiritual power to me, and I’ll break the formation.”

 

Xi Jianlan, who was secretly peeking out with one pair of eyes, was stunned and looked at him incredulously.

 

“Huh?” Liu Changxing frowned. “Jue’er sealed your spiritual power?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Liu Changxing didn’t quite understand the love-hate relationship between these two, frowning: “But even if you get it back, you can’t use spiritual power in Encountering Peach Blossoms. I tried with my sword—I couldn’t even split a tree…”

 

Sheng Jiao said coldly: “That’s you.”

 

Liu Changxing: “……”

 

Liu Changxing’s tears fell again: “You’re humiliating me again.”

 

Sheng Jiao coldly closed his eyes, looking like he wouldn’t break the formation unless given spiritual power.

 

No wonder he was ostracized by all of Zhuxing Zhai back then.

 

Whenever Liu Changxing was criticized for “poor swordsmanship,” he would definitely cry, but Sheng Jiao was completely unmoved by his tears. He could only walk to Xi Jianlan with tears on his face.

 

“Jue’er, quickly return the spiritual power to Sect Master Sheng.” Liu Changxing sat down, suppressing the urge to scold him as he persuaded: “Xun Niang is still outside with unknown fate. Let’s get out of here first.”

 

Xi Jianlan’s eyes widened, not expecting Sheng Jiao to actually scheme against him. He said incredulously: “I… he! Even if I give him spiritual power, he can’t split open this illusion.”

 

“Who asked him to split the formation?” Liu Changxing said strangely. “He’s already agreed—once he gets spiritual power, he’ll use fingertip blood to break the formation.”

 

Xi Jianlan: “…………”

 

Xi Jianlan was extremely anxious: “How do you know his fingertip blood will work?!”

 

Liu Changxing said displeasedly: “Do you think he’s like you, losing his vital essence at such a young age from pleasure-seeking?”

 

Xi Jianlan: “???”

 

Xi Jianlan tasted the bitterness of being unable to speak his grievances for the first time. So angry his eyes turned red, that red mole almost seemed to bleed, his lips trembling incoherently: “He… but he! I… I!”

 

Xi Jianlan was about to cry like Liu Changxing.

 

But Sheng Jiao, the real culprit, sat calmly meditating.

 

“I won’t give it!” Xi Jianlan’s lips trembled as he spoke recklessly: “I’d rather die than give it. Let’s all die here together—I didn’t want to live anyway.”

 

Liu Changxing pinched his earlobe and gently pulled it, saying displeasedly: “Don’t throw childish tantrums—if you’re worried about Sheng Jiao’s Tianyan pearls harming you, gege guarantees here that even if I risk my life, I’ll protect you and not let him hurt you at all.”

 

Xi Jianlan was so anxious he kicked his feet. He’d never suffered such frustration of “knowing it’s a trap but being forced to jump in, unable even to explain.”

 

Seeing the person who dug the trap still meditating calmly, Xi Jianlan gritted his teeth and decided to go all out, saying coldly: “Lord Heaven’s Way has long lost his vital essence too. Even returning his spiritual power won’t help.”

 

Liu Changxing was stunned and turned to look.

 

Peach blossoms flew as Lord Heaven’s Way sat with straight back, completely composed. Even being “framed” like this, he remained calm and peaceful.

 

Sheng Jiao had clearly been struck by Shentian She’s thunder tribulation, forcibly losing his seven emotions and six desires, his heart like withered wood. Yet all thirteen provinces speculated whether he’d truly achieved great success in the Emotionless Path.

 

Just looking at this emotionless, desireless, ancient-well-like bearing, one couldn’t imagine what this snow-mountain-cold-stone aloof flower would look like when moved by desire.

 

Wouldn’t the sun rise from the west, heaven collapse and earth crack, Tianyan destroyed?

 

After just a moment’s hesitation, Liu Changxing turned back decisively: “Impossible. Anyone might, but Sheng Jiao absolutely couldn’t. Jue’er, your own dao heart isn’t firm and you failed to preserve your vital essence—how can you try to drag innocent people down with you to be scolded?”

 

“Whether Sheng Wuzhuo lost his vital essence or not, don’t I know clearly?” Xi Jianlan was about to cry from anger: “He he!—Sheng Wuzhuo, speak!”

 

Young Xi Jue had been quite innocent then, thinking Sheng Jiao was emotionless and desireless. Having him actively kiss him once was already like an iron tree blooming, Heaven’s Way showing mercy—don’t hope for too much, just make do.

 

Until that rainy night…

 

He was battered by the storm all night like a leaf and couldn’t even get up the next day.

 

Only then did Xi Jue realize that though this unromantic blockhead Sheng Jiao had no emotions, his six desires were quite complete.

 

Sheng Jiao said nothing about this, not even opening his eyes, only saying: “Give me spiritual power.”

 

Xi Jianlan was so angry he wanted to pounce and hit him, cursing: “Give your grandfather!”

 

Liu Changxing quickly stopped him.

 

“He really did!” Xi Jianlan gripped Liu Changxing tightly. This time his pitiful state wasn’t an act, his eyes slightly red: “Gege, believe me.”

 

“Oh,” Liu Changxing said. “You little liar don’t have half a true word in your mouth. I don’t believe you.”

 

Xi Jianlan: “…………”

 

Xi Jianlan never expected his past misdeeds would boomerang back to stab him, leaving him in pain with unspeakable suffering, wanting to slap himself.

 

Three people couldn’t gather two drops of virgin fingertip blood.

 

Liu Changxing didn’t dare confront Sheng Jiao directly and could only urge Xi Jianlan to quickly agree to Lord Heaven’s Way’s conditions—returning spiritual power and taking Sheng Jiao’s fingertip blood to break the formation was the right path.

 

With Xi Jianlan’s vengeful temperament, how could he accept such frustration? He coldly flicked his sleeves and sat cross-legged.

 

“Let’s just waste time then,” he said coldly. “Let’s see who can outlast whom.”

 

Liu Changxing frowned: “All three of us are in the illusion while Xun Niang is alone—she might be in danger.”

 

Xi Jianlan said indifferently: “I don’t care if she lives or dies.”

 

“…” Liu Changxing said in surprise: “Didn’t you just guarantee you’d protect her and Xi Minghuai?”

 

Xi Jianlan said with a half-smile: “I’m a little liar without a single true word—of course I was deceiving her too.”

 

Liu Changxing: “……”

 

Liu Changxing looked at him in shock.

 

Meeting Liu Changxing’s gaze, Xi Jianlan was stunned for a while, then turned away with a mocking smile: “Don’t you all know my true nature clearly? The Tianyan pearls judged my guilt correctly. I came here for Xi Minghuai’s memory. Now that I have it, why should I care if she lives or dies? In your hearts, aren’t I just a sinister villain who’ll use any means to achieve his goals? Now you’re…”

 

The continuous self-mocking words were like a sharp blade without a hilt—hurting others while wounding himself all over.

 

Xi Jianlan didn’t even know what he was saying, only wanting to drive away the unspeakable shame and humiliation in his heart.

 

Even if he had to fill it with pain, he was willing.

 

But before he finished speaking, Liu Changxing suddenly reached out and tightly embraced his slender body.

 

Xi Jianlan was stunned.

 

Liu Changxing was broad-shouldered. Xi Jianlan, who hadn’t grown much, was almost completely enveloped. Hot tears slid down Liu Changxing’s cheeks, dripping into Xi Jianlan’s hair and rolling to the ground.

 

“Good Jue’er,” Liu Changxing said through tears, choking up: “You’ve suffered so much.”

 

Young Xi Jue had been arrogant and proud, spoiled and wild. Liu Changxing had never heard him speak such self-deprecating words.

 

Xi Jianlan was dazed for a while, his eyes slightly reddening as his trembling hands embraced Liu Changxing’s broad back. He buried his face in Liu Changxing’s chest, sobbing: “Gege…”

 

Liu Changxing stroked his disheveled hair gently: “Mm.”

 

Sheng Jiao watched coldly from the side.

 

Xi Jianlan trembled slightly all over, his voice tearful: “Please believe me—Sheng Jiao really is a pleasure-seeking lecher too.”

…And he enjoyed the courtesan Lan Jiaojiao that everyone coveted but couldn’t obtain.

 

Liu Changxing: “…………”

 

Liu Changxing said quietly: “Jue’er, are you looking for another scolding?”

 

Xi Jianlan immediately pushed him away with disgust: “Fine if you don’t believe me. Let’s just wait here for Xun Niang to break open the formation from outside.”

 

Liu Changxing frowned: “I’m afraid she’s too busy protecting herself.”

 

“I left someone to protect her.” Xi Jianlan wiped the fake tears from his face and glared coldly at Sheng Jiao. “Even without Lord Heaven’s Way’s precious ‘virgin fingertip blood,’ we can still get out in a quarter hour.”

 

Sheng Jiao remained silent.

 

Peach petals rustled down from overhead, carried by the wind into the invisible sky.

 

“Real peach blossoms?” Outside “Encountering Peach Blossoms,” the black cat transformed into a youth, crouching beside the wooden carved peach blossom painting and picking up a petal. “Where do peach blossoms come from in this season?”

 

The vast inner room was already in ruins. The spiritual power that had come to assassinate Xun Niang had been consecutively torn apart and devoured by the black cat, who had enjoyed a satisfying meal.

 

Xun Niang sat in a corner, adjusting her severely injured meridians without a word.

 

Though Endless Period had clearly taken human form, he still crouched there like a cat, elegantly licking his paw. His features, which closely resembled Xi Jianlan’s courtesan face, showed curiosity: “When will they come out?”

 

Xun Niang closed her eyes and said softly: “This formation is hard to enter but easy to exit. Once they find the glass orb storing the memory, they’ll be out in no time.”

 

Endless Period said: “Oh.”

 

He turned back into a black cat and continued licking his paws, but after licking all four paws clean, the people inside still hadn’t come out.

 

Endless Period had never been separated from Xi Jianlan for so long. Like a delicate vine losing its support, he anxiously chattered: “Why aren’t they out yet? He won’t be in trouble, will he? Xi Jianlan? Jianlan!”

 

It ran over and stood on its hind legs, reaching out with its paws to pat the wooden carving.

 

Xun Niang finally finished adjusting her breathing, gently opening her thick lashes and frowning at the peach blossom painting.

 

Nearly half an hour had passed—they should have come out long ago.

 

Could it be that those three people couldn’t gather two drops of fingertip blood?

 

Xun Niang was stunned for a while, then her lips twitched: “Your master…”

 

The black cat bristled: “He’s not my master!”

 

Xun Niang went with the flow: “Are Xi Jue and Sect Master Sheng… really dao companions?”

 

The black cat licked its paw disdainfully: “You heard him talking nonsense.”

 

If Xi Jue really were dao companions with the Xiezhi Sect Master, why would he have fallen to such a state all these years?

 

Xun Niang frowned, originally wanting to blame Xi Jianlan for deceiving her.

 

But on second thought, it was better if they weren’t dao companions—otherwise this formation might never open.

 

The black cat patted the painting impatiently: “Can’t we just let them out directly?”

 

Xun Niang shook her head: “This illusion was created to hide Xi Minghuai’s memory. When I set it up, I never planned for people to enter. Even I would find it difficult to forcibly open it a second time in the same day.”

 

The black cat frowned.

 

“Let’s wait a bit more,” Xun Niang said. “They must be delayed by something.”

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)