After the Villain Lost His Cultivation - Chapter 19

“Sheng… Sheng what?”

If this was Sheng Jiao’s binding silk, it would be no different from a butcher’s knife hanging over his neck.

Xi Jianglan’s entire body stiffened, terrified that the red string might suddenly tighten and dismember him on the spot.

“Help…” He didn’t dare move anymore and called out to Heng Yudu, “Brother, help me.”

Heng Yudu was just about to save him when Feng Yu, sitting on the wheelchair’s armrest, slapped Heng Yudu’s hand and said mockingly, “Why save him? Isn’t this the binding heart silk that your beloved cherishes? Why are you hiding?”

“But Sheng Wuzhuo has a twisted personality, if he can’t have me, he’ll destroy me. If he catches me, I will definitely die without a grave.” Xi Jianglan babbled nonsense, but inside, his mind was in utter chaos, on the verge of collapsing.

”Didn’t Shang Yuan say Sheng Jiao was in seclusion at Xiezhi Sect?!” How could he already be at Evil Qi Road in just half a day?

Help!

Feng Yu was confused. “Seclusion?”

Heng Yudu reached out to hook the illusory red string and smiled, “…persistent as ever.”

Xi Jianglan was extremely afraid of Sheng Jiao and was about to speak, trembling, when he saw the red string suddenly sway. With a sharp “snap,” it wrapped tightly around him, and the end even coiled several times around his pinky finger.

Heng Yudu was about to intervene, but Changing Moon darted toward the red string and suddenly opened its sharp beak to grab it.

“Ah!”

The thought that this red string belonged to Sheng Jiao made Xi Jianglan instinctively feel that he was about to be strangled to death.

But after waiting for a while, he didn’t feel any pain in his body. Tentatively, he opened his eyes and realized that the red string had vanished at some point.

He stretched out his hand and hooked his pinky, but found no string.

The glass bird was still flapping its wings beside him. Xi Jianglan immediately understood and grasped Heng Yudu’s hand with tears of gratitude. “Brother, I didn’t expect your cultivation to have advanced so much over the years. You can even repel Sheng Jiao now.”

Heng Yudu: “…”

Heng Yudu fell silent. He hadn’t even acted just now.

Lacking any spiritual power and completely unaware of the truth, Xi Jianglan was overjoyed, as if he had found a sturdy support to cling to. He crouched down in front of Heng Yudu, behaving in a rare, obedient manner to gain favor.

“Brother, please give me a few more Changing Moon for self-defense.”

Heng Yudu explained, “Don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t the one who repelled the binding heart Silk just now.”

Heng Yudu always gave lengthy explanations, and Xi Jianglan had long since begun treating anything he said after ‘don’t misunderstand’ as nonsense. He replied dismissively, ”Alright, I get it. Please, Brother, just give me a few more.”

Heng Yudu had no choice but to catch a few of the glass birds flying around and, according to Xi Jianglan’s wish, imbue them with several Changing Moon language spirits, storing them for him.

Xi Jianglan, as if holding life-saving talismans, happily stuffed the glass birds into his robes for emergencies.

”The effect still lasts for a month, right?”

”Mm.”

Xi Jianglan became even more cheerful.

At that moment, the wooden puppet finally staggered over. It bowed respectfully to Xi Jianglan, and its previously cold, indifferent tone now sounded noticeably more deferential.

”Apologies for the delay, young immortal. Lord Ying requests that you proceed to the painted boat to rest briefly, he will be here shortly.”

Xi Jianglan, carefree as ever, was about to walk over when Feng Yu stepped forward and pulled him back.

Xi Jianglan stumbled and almost fell, complaining unhappily, “Can you slow down a bit? If I get hurt, can you afford to pay for it?”

“Ying Qiao’er is not a good person,” Feng Yu whispered in his ear. “Tianyan Academy’s Lixianghai is overrun with demonic ghosts, and Ying Qiao’er is the leader among them. He is sinister and unrestrained, ruthless in his actions without considering the consequences. Now that you have lost all your cultivation, aren’t you afraid he might take advantage and abduct you?”

Xi Jianglan asked curiously, “Why would he want to kidnap a sickly person like me?”

Feng Yu gritted his teeth. “To make you into a puppet!”

“Turning a living person into a puppet?” Xi Jianglan replied irritably, “Are you crazy, or is Qiao’er crazy?”

“His innate mark is the Heavenly level ‘Weaving Under the Eaves’, which can silently spread puppet threads throughout your meridians and turn you into a marionette!” Feng Yu was exasperated. “How do you have the nerve to get close to someone so sinister?”

Xi Jianglan frowned.

Although he remembered Ying Qiao’er as a very obedient and well-behaved child, at most a bit cold and antisocial, he still trusted his fellow classmates from Zhuxinghai more than those from other halls.

“It does sound dangerous,” Xi Jianglan mused for a moment, “But I still have to go.”

Feng Yu yelled angrily, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

Heng Yudu, understanding that Xi Jianglan was doing this for the Third Watch Snow, finally spoke up, “You can go, but avoid getting too involved with Ying Zhuo.”

Feng Yu was incredulous. “Heng Yudu! Even you—”

”I’ll go with you.” Heng Yudu ignored Feng Yu’s anger, ”You must stay by my side at all times.”

Xi Jianglan chuckled, ”How come after all these years, you still have that unbreakable worry?”

Heng Yudu looked at him, his good mood preventing him from arguing back.

Feng Yu was furious and said, ”Go ahead, go ahead! All of you! I’m leaving!”

Just as he was about to leave, Xi Jianglan playfully hooked his arm around Feng Yu’s shoulder, saying, ”Where are you going? Old Madam Heng is not fit for travel and is a fragile glass person. If something happens, won’t it be up to Young Master Feng to save the day? How can we do without you?”

Feng Yu’s anger instantly dissipated, and he sneered, ”Didn’t you just say that Ying Qiao’er was well-behaved? Why are you scared now?”

Xi Jianglan replied, ”People change. I haven’t seen him for six or seven years, what if he really wants to make a move against me?”

This person is incredibly smart but somewhat clueless when it comes to matters of love.

Feng Yu snorted a few times, ”If you’re worried about trouble, why don’t you just not go?”

”That’s not really an option.” Xi Jianglan said, ”There might be clues about the Xi family’s innate marks in the painted boat. I must go.”

Feng Yu knew that he was stubborn and reluctantly said, ”Fine, I’ll go with you to see the fun. If you get captured by Ying Qiao’er, I will definitely push Heng Yudu away without even looking back at you.”

”Alright, alright.” Xi Jianglan nodded, ”The lives of the two young masters are definitely more precious, so we should run first.”

Feng Yu coughed as he was taken aback by Xi Jianglan’s words.

After the agreement was reached, the three of them headed towards the painted boat.

Just as Xi Jianglan placed one foot on the edge of the boat, he suddenly sensed an unnatural fluctuation of spiritual power behind him, as if some formation had activated.

But there had clearly been nothing there just moments ago.

At the same time, Heng Yudu seemed to sense something and instinctively raised his hand to grab Xi Jianglan, who was only half a step ahead.

”Jianglan…”

In the next moment, Heng Yudu’s hand suddenly fell into thin air, and he looked up in surprise.

Though they were merely half a step apart, it felt as if they were in entirely different worlds. It was as if their hands had skimmed across the water’s surface, leaving wet marks on their fingers.

Heng Yudu’s pupils shifted suddenly, his dark eyes unexpectedly transforming into beautiful, dazzling glass.

He said in a low voice, ”Break—”

The spiritual energy of ”Changing Moon” surged out like a sponge suddenly stirred into a violent storm and massive waves. The residual waves even shattered the puppet that stood respectfully beside it, but when they fell on the shimmering water surface before him, they sank like a stone dropped into the sea, making no movement at all.

Xi Jianglan continued to step forward with his back to them, as if time had come to a standstill. Or perhaps the mustard seed space within the painted boat flowed differently than that of the outside world, causing each of his steps to be agonizingly slow.

Feng Yu, quick-witted and fast-handed, charged forward recklessly, trying to follow Xi Jianglan.

But no one knew what had been mixed into that layer of water film barrier. As soon as Feng Yu’s hand touched it, a crackling lightning pattern surged along his fingertips all the way up to his forearm.

Feng Yu’s pupils constricted sharply, and he instantly retracted his hand.

His entire arm was now covered in charred lightning patterns.

If he had hesitated even a moment longer, he might have lost his entire arm.

Heng Yudu had never expected that Ying Zhuo would dare to kidnap someone right in front of him. The spiritual power of Changing Moon suddenly erupted from the back of his neck, transforming into hundreds of glass birds.

He whispered, ”Break.”

In an instant, the swarm of glass birds screeched and crashed into the water film.

The spiritual power surged in waves, as if it aimed to shatter the entire painted boat into pieces.

”Be careful.” Suddenly, someone spoke up. ”That’s not a barrier blocking you, it’s the restriction at the entrance to the mustard seed space. If you break it, your life may be in danger.”

Heng Yudu’s spiritual power abruptly stopped, and the birds instantly froze in mid-air, maintaining their ferocious, roaring stances without moving.

Feng Yu suddenly drew out his ghost blade, coldly saying, ”Ying Zhuo.”

Ying Zhuo, dressed in red, lounged lazily against a nearby osmanthus tree. Every move he made seemed to mimic Xi Jianglan’s demeanor. He even lifted his hand to pluck a bunch of osmanthus flowers, nonchalantly staring at the delicate blossoms.

Heng Yudu was wary of causing harm, and with a sullen expression, he took back Changing Moon.

Countless birds flew around him, carrying a chilling aura that was entirely incompatible with Heng Yudu’s temperament, as if they could transform into icy arrows at any moment and pierce the heart of the person opposite them.

”Did you place Xi Qingfeng’s painting in Guchang Temple for the bidding?”

Ying Zhuo smiled.

He had a naturally evil appearance, and only pretended to be gentle and well-behaved in front of Xi Jianglan. At this moment, his scarlet lips looked as if stained with blood, sending a shiver down one’s spine.

”Heng Zhangyuan is a clever man.” Ying Zhuo casually scattered the osmanthus flowers from Mu Tou’s hand. ”The Xiezhi Sect and the Tianyan Academy have been searching for my senior brother for six years, forcing him to hide away and endure so much suffering. I have also searched across the Thirteen Provinces but couldn’t find any trace of him. If it weren’t for Xi Qingfeng’s innate mark painting, how could I have found my senior brother so easily?”

Heng Yudu rarely displayed genuine anger. His gentle demeanor was replaced by icy disdain as he coldly said, ”You are connected to the culprit who slaughtered the Xie family six years ago. If Jianglan found out…”

”Of course, Senior Brother wouldn’t know.” Ying Zhuo interrupted him with a low laugh. ”Senior Brother will no longer suffer from the pain of being displaced and hunted down. I will protect him and won’t let you hypocrites come within even half a step of him.”

Feng Yu, impatient, said, ”What’s the point of talking to someone with such a vile mindset? Just kill him, we can still retrieve Xi Jue!”

Feng Yu and Ying Zhuo both had heavenly level innate marks and they were evenly matched at the academy. At that moment, he didn’t want to waste time listening to Heng Yudu’s slow reasoning and directly drew his ghost blaade.

In an instant, countless wails resounded.

The ferocious ghosts charged forward with a hissing sound, but Ying Zhuo remained completely still, allowing the evil energy to surge toward him.

At the critical moment, the puppet that had been standing quietly by suddenly made a familiar sound…

“Break.”

In an instant, the intertwined black and red spiritual power transformed into several birds, flapping their wings and instantly colliding with the evil ghost’s yin energy.

With a dull bang, a burst of spiritual power collided and swept away all the snowflakes within several meters into the distance.

Heng Yudu’s pupils shrank dramatically.

Even Feng Yu was shocked.

The wooden puppet had used…

It turned out to be Heng Yudu’s “Changing Moon”?!

No, it only resembled “Changing Moon,” not the true spiritual level innate mark power.

Even so, an ominous premonition arose in Heng Yudu’s heart as he looked at the wooden puppet that had uttered the word “Break.”

The puppet seemed to have suffered a heavy blow, turning into fine wood chips from the inside out, quickly piling up into a small mound.

“Tsk.” Ying Zhuo said calmly, “It’s useless. It was wasted after just one use.”

Heng Yudu sensed the residual spiritual power of the wooden puppet and, after a moment, whispered, “Did you use… Abandoned Immortal Bone to create the innate mark?!”

The Abandoned Immortal Bone was a fake Tianyan spiritual vein.

The fake “Changing Moon” just now was an artificially created fake innate mark.

Not knowing what he was thinking of, Heng Yudu inhaled silently and looked at Ying Zhuo in astonishment.

An Innate mark is a gift from the Heavenly Dao, how can it be easily created by humans?

Ying Zhuo said leisurely, “Back when I was in Tianyan Academy, everyone said that my innate mark were useless. Only my senior brother did not disdain me and patiently guided me.”

Ying Zhuo will always remember that snowy afternoon.

He had been wantonly bullied by the people from Lixianghai, hiding alone under the osmanthus tree behind Tianyan Academy, crying. At that time, the young boy Xi Jue, who was picking osmanthus flowers from the tree, swung his legs and patiently comforted him…

“Stop crying, little brat. Your crying is giving me a headache.”

Xi Jue, wrapped in a thick crane cloak, was surrounded by the fragrance of osmanthus. A black rattan whip hung from the osmanthus branches, and his trouser legs were rolled up, revealing his slender calves, only that smooth, flowing calf seemed to have been struck by lightning, covered with strands of ghostly blue lightning patterns.

He seemed to feel no pain, folding his arms and muttering condescendingly, with a bright look in his eyes, extravagant and unrestrained.

“What’s the point of crying? If someone bullies you, just fight back… What the hell, the eavesdropper is too weak? Hahaha, just because they say it’s weak, do you think you’re weak? Then you deserve to be bullied. Go away, I’m in a bad mood right now, don’t cry in front of me.”

Years later, Ying Zhuo still remembered every detail.

The corners of Feng Yu’s lips twitched.

This Ying Qiao’er… I’m afraid his brain doesn’t work very well.

“Once I can create a spiritual level innate mark, maybe Senior Brother will be able to recover his cultivation.”

Ying Zhuo gazed tenderly at Xi Jianglan, who remained still in the painted boat, his eyes full of barely concealed greed and possessiveness.

Heng Yudu said coldly, “A fake is still a fake. How could mere humans create a innate mark from the gift of heaven?”

Ying Zhuo smiled, “You must be aware that there are only thirteen spiritual level innate mark across the Thirteen Provinces. But now, only one spiritual level innate mark remains unawakened. Just imagine what the noble families of Zhongzhou might do for this innate mark. How far do you think they’ll go?”

Heng Yudu’s face darkened.

In truth, ever since Rang Chen declared that “there are only thirteen spiritual level innate marks,” Zhongzhou had been on edge.

The Qu family was the first to feel the pressure.

Because of that rumor of uncertain origin, and with deliberate provocation and encouragement from other noble families in Zhongzhou, over the years, the Qu family’s Tianyan spiritual vein had been largely depleted.

Feng Yu frowned, “What exactly are you talking about? Isn’t this about Xi Jue?”

“Yes, I’m talking about Senior Brother,” Ying Zhuo replied gently, “I…”

Just as he was about to continue, his black and red pupils suddenly contracted. Another puppet immediately rushed towards him and uttered the word “Protect”. A black, glass-like shield formed a barrier around Ying Zhuo.

The puppet shattered.

The next moment, a silent thunderbolt struck directly at Ying Zhuo’s forehead, but it was completely blocked by the barrier.

The thunder patterns crackled, and the Tianyan Bead on Sheng Jiao’s wrist wildly danced with the movement of his wide sleeves. Countless heavenly bolts struck Ying Zhuo’s barrier in silence, shattering the jet-black glazed layer, which crumbled and fell apart.

Feng Yu, who was initially been worried about Xi Jianglan, instinctively felt relieved when Sheng Jiao arrived.

Whenever Xi Jianglan or anyone from Zhuxingzhai faced danger, Sheng Jiao’s arrival always felt like a stabilizing force, making those present feel an innate sense of security.

Heng Yudu frowned and said, ”Wuzhuo.”

Feng Yu smoothly switched to his “watching the scene unfold” mode and took a step back to avoid being caught up in the confrontation between these two powerful figures.

At the sight of Sheng Jiao, even the usually mad and crazed Ying Zhuo showed a flicker of fear in his pupils. The wooden right hand seemed to throb with a phantom pain, constantly reminding him of how this man had used the Tianyan Bead to burn it into charred ruin.

”Sheng Jiao,” Ying Zhuo said, completely lacking the relaxed demeanor he had shown when talking to Heng Yudu. His entire body was tense, as if he was facing a mortal enemy, and he coldly said, ”It seems that even hundreds of confinement cages couldn’t delay you for a moment.”

Sheng Jiao had always lacked patience with others and was too lazy to even speak. The Tianyan Bead crackled and once again summoning the silent lightning to strike Ying Zhuo.

The fake protective barrier surrounding Ying Zhuo was clearly inferior to Heng Yudu’s genuine “Changing Moon.” After only a few strikes, fine cracks began to appear.

Ying Zhuo curled his lips into a smile and said, “Back then, you from Zhuxingzhai tried to stop me from turning my Senior Brother into a puppet. Now, Hezhou City will become your burial ground.”

After he said this, his figure disappeared like a flash of lightning, vanishing on the spot in a way all too familiar.

The Way of Heaven struck nothing but air, charring the ground into blackened ash.

Feng Yu sensed that something was terribly wrong. “What does he mean, Hezhou City will become a burial ground?”

Heng Yudu suddenly shouted, “Let’s go!”

The moment he finished speaking, the entire world spun, as if a ship had been hit by massive waves. Torrents of water came crashing down from a distance, sweeping through Hezhou City as countless people screamed and tried to flee.

Sheng Jiao abruptly reached out, pressing down firmly on Heng Yudu’s wheelchair to keep him from being thrown out.

Heng Yudu was still shaken. “He really intends to destroy all of Hezhou City?”

Thousands had come to Hezhou City today, and Ying Zhuo was truly insane enough to attempt such a thing?!

In the backyard of the antique shop, Ying Zhuo, humming a light tune, extended his wooden hand and gently pushed the Hezhou model at the center of the pond into the water.

A faint “plop” echoed out.

Ying Zhuo’s eyes were filled with joy. He didn’t even look at the Hezhou City submerged in the water. He raised his hand to tie up his messy long hair and casually said, “There’s no need to lift the ban on Hezhou City today.”

The owner of the antique shop was momentarily stunned: “You… you won’t let anyone out either?”

Ying Zhuo laughed heartily, as if he had heard the greatest joke, his eyes both beautiful and sinister.

He said softly, “No one can come out.”

The shopkeeper’s hand trembled.

Ying Zhuo finished tying up his long hair, casually playing with an exquisite painted boat carved from a peach pit in his hand as he left the alley leisurely, his robe fluttering.

The shopkeeper hurried to the backyard for a look.

The Hezhou City had already sunk into the muddy waters.

“Huh?”

Xi Jianglan had just been on the painted boat just moments ago. He vaguely sensed that something was wrong and was about to turn around to check, but when he did, he noticed that Heng Yudu and Feng Yu, who had just been there just now, had disappeared without a trace.

What was going on?

Just as Xi Jianglan was about to step down to investigate, a wooden puppet suddenly grabbed his wrist and forcefully pulled him onto the painted boat.

“Wait…”

“The master has ordered that the little immortal lord must to enter the painted boat.”

Xi Jianglan paused and stared at the wooden puppet calmly, and after a while, he smiled lazily.

“Alright.”

Having hidden for so many years, Xi Jianglan was audacious to the extreme and didn’t care about his current situation. He elegantly straightened his cloak and slowly walked towards the painted boat.

The atmosphere of “Third Watch Snow” lingered in this painted boat.

Upon entering, he found that this painted boat resembled a residence, with winding corridors on both sides, osmanthus trees that still in bloom on snowy days, and the central pavilion that was elegant and luxurious.

Xi Jianglan observed his surroundings calmly when he suddenly heard a series of footsteps.

It seemed as if someone was joyfully running and instantly appeared before him.

Xi Jianglan was taken aback.

Ying Zhuo, in a striking red robe, rushed forward, the hem of his robe fluttering like a young man in fine clothes riding a horse. He quickly rushed into Xi Jianglan’s arms.

”Senior Brother!”

Xi Jianglan’s frail body was almost knocked to the ground, and he barely took half a step back to steady himself.

”Qiao’er?”

The young masters of the thirteen great families all had elegant names to match their status when they came of age, except for Ying Zhuo, who was unique. He used ”Qiao’er” as his courtesy name, which earned him no small amount of ridicule in private.

(N/T= Qiao’er is often considered a more feminine or delicate name)

But Ying Zhuo seemed to be proud of this name. When he heard Xi Jianglan calling him, the smile on his handsome face was hard to hide: “Senior Brother, it’s me!”

Xi Jianglan looked at him jealously.

Clearly, when Ying Qiao’er was at Tianyan Academy, he had still been a half-grown child who barely reached his shoulders. How had he grown so tall after not seeing him for so many years?

Xi Jianglan, who hadn’t grown much since he was seventeen, was so angry that he wanted to chew on a spirit pill again.

”Senior Brother, Senior Brother.” Ying Zhuo could wrap an arm around Xi Jianglan and hold him in his embrace, wishing that he would never let go. Since Xi Jianglan couldn’t see his expression, his sinister eyes were filled with burning possessiveness, but his tone was exceptionally sweet.

”I’ve finally found my Senior Brother.”

Xi Jianglan was almost strangled to the point of spitting blood by the force of his strong hug. He grabbed Ying Zhuo and said, ”Let go. You’re going to strangle me to death.”

Ying Zhuo belatedly realized that Xi Jianglan now had no spiritual power, and immediately panicked and let go of him.

Xi Jianglan coughed a few times and looked at him.

The painted boat seemed to be moving in the water, and the fleeting scenery outside was vaguely visible.

“Where are your two Senior Brothers?” Xi Jianglan asked casually. “Hasn’t it been a long time since you last met? Why didn’t you let them on the painted boat?”

Ying Zhuo smiled and calmly said, ”I’m afraid the two brothers will look down on this small painted boat.”

Xi Jianglan seemed to be used to his self-mockery but still replied helplessly, ”You can now make mustard seeds as exquisite as those in Hezhou City, why are you saying such things again?”

Ying Zhuo smiled at him obediently and said, ”I was wrong, please don’t take it to heart, Senior Brother.”

”Well, that’s right.” Xi Jianglan praised him, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifting to Ying Zhuo’s right hand.

Qin Banban mentioned that a man with a wooden hand had taken away her spiritual innate mark, but Ying Zhuo’s right hand was intact and did not look like it was made of wood at all.

Xi Jianglan suddenly remembered what Feng Yu had said: ”One of his hands was destroyed by Sheng Jiao.”

What did that mean?

Ying Zhuo gently hooked his hand around Xi Jianglan’s sleeve and softly said, ”It’s been so many years since we last met, I’ve missed you so much, Senior Brother.”

Xi Jianglan came back to his senses. He was very familiar with such words and casually replied, ”I miss you too, Qiao’er.”

Even though he knew that Xi Jianglan’s words were completely unreliable, Ying Zhuo still revealed a satisfied smile, completely devoid of the crazy and sinister look he had shown before when facing Sheng Jiao and Heng Yudu.

”Brother, did you come to see me specifically this time?” Ying Zhuo asked.

Xi Jianglan casually fabricated a lie: ”Of course! I’ve been in Wuyin City for two or three years, and this is the first time I’ve learned that Hezhou City is yours. If I had known earlier, I would have come to play with you as soon as possible.”

Ying Zhuo’s eyes curved, and he put his arm around Xi Jianglan’s shoulders, leading him forward as he chatted, ”It’s not too late now, I heard that the people from the Xiezhi Sect are still searching for you. You might as well hide here, I’ll definitely risk my life to protect you.”

Xi Jianglan nodded while sizing up Ying Zhuo, thinking: “This doesn’t seem right. Didn’t Feng Yu say that he was ruthless? Why does he look no different from when he was at Tianyan Academy?”

A wisp of black mist emerged from behind Xi Jianglan’s neck, transformed into a black cat, and silently landed on the ground, sniffing around the vast painted boat.

Xi Jianglan glanced at it inconspicuously.

Suddenly, Ying Zhuo asked, “What are you looking at, Senior Brother?”

Xi Jianglan was taken aback.

He had only glanced away for a moment.

The coldness in Ying Zhuo’s eyes flashed away, and when Xi Jianglan looked at him again, he immediately returned to a gentle and well-behaved demeanor, smiling with his eyebrows and eyes curved like a child who has yet to grow up.

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Xi Jianglan replied casually, “It seems you have a lot of paintings here?”

Ying Zhuo said dismissively, “These paintings aren’t anything special, please follow me this way, Senior Brother.”

Xi Jianglan was half pushed and half reluctantly led by him to the spacious room on the top floor of the painted boat, where exquisitely carved magical instruments adorned the space. White gauze with long ink characters hung down, gently swaying in the breeze, creating an ethereal and fairy-like atmosphere.

Ying Zhuo forcefully yet gently pressed Xi Jianglan down onto a soft chair and moved a small stool to sit beside him. He held Xi Jianglan’s wrist with his fingers and gently probed his spiritual power into Xi Jianglan’s meridians.

Xi Jianglan instinctively wanted to pull back his hand.

Ying Zhuo’s grip was like an iron clamp, yet he wore a faint smile, saying innocently, “I’m just checking your pulse, Senior Brother, there’s no need to worry.”

Although he affectionately called him “Senior Brother,” Xi Jianglan felt a vague sense that something was amiss.

However, he was too oblivious to matters of affection and could not see the covetousness hidden in Ying Zhuo’s gentle eyes.

The spiritual power flowed softly into Xi Jianglan’s meridians, gradually through the battered and torn pathways little by little.

The black cat had already run back: “I’ve searched through those innate mark paintings, but I couldn’t find the so-called ‘Third Watch Snow.’ Did you misperceive it?”

Xi Jianglan frowned.

The essence of ‘Third Watch Snow’ was clearly present in this painted boat, how could it be missing?

“Go look again.”

The black cat pouted, but still obediently left.

While Xi Jianglan was deep in thought, Ying Zhuo had already withdrawn his spiritual power.

He breathed softly, his eyes reddened as if he was trying hard to hold back something.

“Qiao’er?” Xi Jianglan stammered, “I… am I… on the verge of death?”

Why does this feel so much like mourning?

Ying Zhuo gently shook his head, as if comforting a child, and said softly, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I will help you restore your cultivation as soon as possible.”

Xi Jianglan smiled, leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and exuded a lazy demeanor.

“How can a spiritual level innate mark be restored so easily? You don’t have to exert yourself.”

“It’s alright to spend some effort on my brother’s matters.” Ying Zhuo took off Xi Jianglan’s heavy cloak. “It’s getting late. Do you want to rest for a while?”

Xi Jianglan nodded vaguely, “Hmm, that sounds good.”

Ying Zhuo laughed and was about to remove his earrings to avoid discomfort while he slept.

Suddenly, Xi Jianglan asked, either intentionally or unintentionally, “I heard that Hezhou City is selling innate mark paintings?”

Ying Zhuo’s smile remained unchanged, and he replied in a casually gentle tone, “Yes, if Evil Qi Road can sell fake Tianyan, it’s not surprising for me to buy and sell some innate marks as well.”

Xi Jianglan’s expression was also indifferent as he lazily turned over and said, “Since my innate mark has been taken away, can you find me a replacement innate mark to use?”

This was the first time since their reunion that Xi Jianglan looked at him so seriously.

Six years had passed, and those beautiful yet unfeeling eyes seemed to have not changed at all, filled with the extravagance and wantonness that Ying Zhuo loved the most, as well as the alienation and indifference that seemed forever out of reach of his heart.

Ying Zhuo nodded as if enchanted: “Senior Brother, whatever innate mark you want, I can find it for you.”

Xi Jianglan laughed: “I like winter. Do you have any innate marks related to snow?”

A brief stillness crossed Ying Zhuo’s handsome face, but it quickly returned to normal, and he lowered his voice softly, saying, “Senior Brother is joking again. I remember that every year when it snowed at Tianyan Academy, you were so cold that you shivered and ran to other people’s rooms in Zhuxinghai in the middle of the night to sleep closely together.”

Xi Jianglan: ”…”

Oh no, I forgot about that.

“…But Senior Brother has never came to Lixianghai to look for me.” Ying Zhuo said softly, his tone sounding like a complaint, but upon closer listening, it was filled with sadness and grievance.

Xi Jianglan: ”…”

Ah, Lixianghai and Zhuxinghai had always been at odds. If he had run to Lixianghai in the middle of the night, he would definitely have been caught by those in Zhuxinghai and hung up to be punished.

While Xi Jianglan was still pondering how to explain, Ying Zhuo suddenly laughed again, holding onto the armrests of the soft chair with both hands and slightly tilting his head to look at Xi Jianglan, despite being an extremely assertive person, this gesture somehow made him seem inexplicably docile.

“But it’s alright now,” Ying Zhuo said gently, “Since Senior Brother knows my feelings, we can stay together forever and never be apart.”

Xi Jianglan was taken aback: “Huh?”

What feelings?

Ying Zhuo tilted his head: “Brother, how come you forgot what you just said?”

Xi Jianglan thought carefully for a long time before he remembered what he had said.

“Your master has deep feelings for me and has longed for me but is unable to obtain me…”

Xi Jianglan: ”…”

Xi Jianglan was completely confused this time and stared into Ying Zhuo’s eyes in shock.

“Feelings?”

In a flash, Xi Jianglan seemed to realize something, instinctively leaning back and falling against the soft back of the chair.

He looked at Ying Zhuo in astonishment.

Deep feelings…

He is yearning for me but is unable to obtain?

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If I’m not mistaken, this is the third longest chapter in the entire novel. I’m going to go bald, lol. If there are any mistakes, please be patient, you can report anything on Dragon Holic Discord if you want, I would aprecciate! Kisses, kisses. ^^