After the Villain Lost His Cultivation - Chapter 2

This sickly guy lies in nine and a half out of ten things he says. The black cat couldn’t immediately tell if he was talking nonsense, but it didn’t stop the cat from skillfully cursing him: ‘’You’ll die sooner or later because of this reckless mouth of yours.’’

Xi Jianglan burst into loud laughter.

The ‘Twelve Houses’ is a dilapidated clinic, with a tangled mess of vine-like plants that resemble ghostly claws blooming in the corners, creeping up the walls, and reaching the eaves, where they bear pitch-black flowers.

Looking at this clinic, it seems less like a place of treatment and healing and more like a haunted house.

The signboard is missing half of it.

As he opened the door, a gust of wind swept through the corridor, causing Xi Jianglan’s frail body to sway slightly. He couldn’t help but cover his mouth and stifle a few coughs.

He entered the the dimly lit clinic and was about to light the lamp with a torch. Suddenly, a voice came from the darkness, like a poisonous snake lying in wait.

“Xi Jianglan, you really are hiding well.”

“Hiss—”

The torch happened to produce a flame that illuminated the narrow clinic.
Xi Jianglan’s hand stiffened and the pale fingertips turned an unnatural bluish white from the pressure.

The cat on his shoulder immediately fluffed up in panic, scrambling to hide behind Xi Jianglan’s neck.

The entire wall of the medical hall was lined with medicine shelves. A man, dressed in a white robe with black patterns of ghostly symbols sat relaxed at the desk, absentmindedly handling a worn wooden box.

Upon closer inspection, the box contained various types of forged jade tokens.

The man picked up a half-finished jade seal with a mythical beast Xiezhi design and said with a click of his tongue, ‘’Not bad, you’ve even managed to replicate the Xiezhi Sect’s jade seal quite well, excellent craftsmanship. Does Sheng Jiao know you’re parading around pretending to be him?’’

Xi Jianglan was stunned.

Had he been following me all along?

Xi Jianglan’s gaze fell on the ghost blade shrouded in black mist on the table. Trying to remain calm, he said, “Just a small thing to make a living… Feng Yu, long time no see. Has your ghost blade found a master?”

“Isn’t that so?” Feng Yu snorted. “In just six years, the once high and mighty young master of the Xi family has become a completely debilitated invalid. So, what’s so surprising about my ghost blade finding a master?

Xi Jianglan coughed.

On the desk was a Rhino Horn Lamp, an artifact used for transmitting messages across the thirteen provinces. It was quite expensive. The ornate characters floated above the flame of the lamp, resembling fireflies in flight.

Feng Yu idly touched the rhino horn lamp and said with a half-smile, ‘’Tell me, if I were to reveal your presence here to Sheng Jiao, would you still be alive?”

Xi Jianglan: ‘…’

I would need at least eighteen lives to survive.

The black cat asked cautiously, ‘’An old acquaintance?'”

Xi Jianglan’s lips moved slightly: ‘’An enemy, enemy.'”

The black cat thought to itself, “Why do you have so many enemies?” but still held on to a glimmer of hope and asked, “How deep is the grudge?”

Xi Jianglan maintained a smile and cautiously glanced at the black mist wrapped ghost blade on the desk, fearing that Feng Yu might suddenly erupt and cut off his head with a single stroke.

“Have you seen the scars on his beloved blade? Aren’t they beautiful? I did that.”

Black Cat: ”…”

The black cat kicked off with its hind legs and ran away.

Xi Jianglan: ”…”

Six years ago, the Xi family was at its peak, with a prestigious lineage and control over the three regions of Zhongzhou.

At the age of thirteen, Xi Jianglan entered Tianyan Academy to study in Zhuzinghai. His classmates were among the most talented people of their age, and Feng Yu was one of them.

He is the eldest son of the Feng family in Fengzhou, capable of controlling evil spirits and understanding the realms of Yin and Yang. His temperament is devious and morose.

Although the two originally disliked each other, they were both severely punished by Sheng Jiao. As a result, they shared a common hatred and similar grievances, spending three days and nights cursing Sheng Jiao together, which forged a deep friendship between them.

However, the ‘brotherly friendship’ didn’t last long. After Xi Jianglan accidentally broke the ghost blade that Feng Yu had proudly flaunted for a long time, that fleeting ‘friendship’ quickly vanished and turned into hatred.

Enraged, Feng Yu controlled evil spirits to chase Xi Jianglan for eight thousand miles.

In the end, it was Sheng Jiao who rescued Xi Jianglan and saved his life.

“How did you find me?” Xi Jianglan tried to ask.

Feng Yu flicked his fingers, and the fireflies on the rhino horn lamp fell into the ashes of the wick, igniting a flickering, ghostly blue flame.

“They told me.”

Xi Jianglan was still wondering who “they” were, when the moment the ghostly flame ignited, countless hideous evil spirits filled the entire clinic, making it even darker than before when there were no candles lit.

Xi Jianglan: “…”

The cold wind, carrying the chill of the evil spirits, howled like the wailing of returning ghosts in the middle of the night. Xi Jianglan, who was already weak and sick, was choked by the cold wind and coughed several times. His face turned pale as snow as he said, “Do you want my life too? Could it be… that you’ve joined forces with Sheng Jiao?”

Feng Yu, who hated Sheng Jiao’s coffin-like face the most, immediately scowled at this remark and coldly said, “Who would join forces with that empty-headed fool?! I only want to kill you to vent my anger and ease the pain of breaking and reforging my Ghost Blade!”

“No need to say more, I understand.” Xi Jianglan sighed deeply, “Sheng Jiao has wanted me dead for years. He even issued a capture order, promising a reward of 120,000 Spirit Stones if you take my body to the Xiezhi Sect, Feng Yu, I understand you, I really do.

Feng Yu: “…”

Feng Yu instinctively felt that something was wrong, but he was still guided by Xi Jianglan’s words. He jumped down from the desk, his white robes with ghost patterns billowing, filled with anger.

“Who cares about these 120,000 Spirit Stones?! This young master is no pauper like Sheng Jiao. Do I have to take your corpse to collect a bounty? Who do you think you are looking down on?”

Xi Jianglan said: “Yes, yes, yes, Young Master Feng is naturally wealthy beyond measure, the richest in all thirteen provinces, but why do you want to kill me?”

Feng Yu ”?”

Feng Yu choked up for a moment.

The other fierce spirits exchanged confused glances.

Feng Yu reacted quickly, grabbing the ghost blade and preparing to strike: ‘I’m killing you out of personal grudge, it has nothing to do with Sheng Jiao!'”

Xi Jianglan looked weak, clearly in a fragile state, but the words he spoke made people grind their teeth in hatred. “You don’t need to explain yourself. Even if you want to use my head to curry favor with sect leader Sheng, I won’t hold it against you. After all, I’m down on my luck right now, not as noble as Sheng Jiao.”

Feng Yu was so enraged by his “consideration” that his head was buzzing. In a fit of rage, he swung the blade at Xi Jianglan’s face.

If that idiot said one more word, he would be transformed into a fierce ghost!

The ghost blade, enveloped in cold energy and a fierce wind, came crashing down, causing Xi Jianglan’s long hair hanging over his shoulders to be blown aside by the strong gust.

Clearly on the verge of becoming a dead soul under the blade, he stood his ground without blinking, his expression unwavering.

“Really… is this the end again, even after coming back to life?”

Feng Yu’s ghost blade froze, his brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” After saying this, Xi Jianglan looked tired and closed his eyes in despair. “There’s no point in saying more, if you want to kill me, go ahead.”

But Feng Yu refused, pulling back the ghost blade with a cold expression. “What do you mean by ‘coming back to life’ and ‘this end’? Explain it to me clearly!”

Xi Jianglan remained silent, presenting an air of resigned acceptance, as if waiting for death. Growing impatient, Feng Yu stepped forward and grabbed Xi Jianglan’s slender neck with his fingers. “Xi Jianglan, we are reunited after such a long time, don’t force me to drag you to hear the ghostly sound.’’

Xi Jianglan’s long eyelashes fluttered.

‘Ghostly Sound’ is a secret technique of the Feng family that uses spells and ghostly sounds to control fierce ghosts and their souls for one’s own purposes.”

Feng Yu’s mind was agile, and while he was tinkering around at Tianyan Academy, he actually managed to turn ‘Ghostly Sound’ into a secret technique for controlling the living.

As long as one hears the “Ghostly Sound,” their body becomes uncontrollable, answering any question asked.

Xi Jianglan had fled across the thirteen provinces for six full years, and even the proud demeanor of a young master had been worn away. He had become quite adaptable, abandoning his former calmness in the face of death and simply saying, “I will speak.”

Feng Yu was surprised.

After four years as classmates, he had never seen the proud Young Master Xi back down.

But now, in such a fallen state, the well-dressed and pampered Xi Jianglan had lost even the slightest trace of his once arrogant temper.

Feng Yu looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face, momentarily at a loss for how to feel, and could only loosen his grip, speaking harshly despite his inner unease: “Then just say it.”

The illness made Xi Jianglan’s face look even more pale and disheveled. He hastily tried to tidy up his messy long hair, still maintaining his composure even though his life was hanging by a thread.

“If I say it, will you believe me?”

Feng Yu replied impatiently, “Just tell me what you have to say.”

Xi Jianglan leaned against the medicine cabinet and staggered to his feet, letting out a silent sigh.

“Do you know… about rebirth?”

With just those two words, Feng Yu’s expression of impatience gradually faded as he furrowed his brow and studied Xi Jianglan.

“You’ve been reborn?”

“Yes.” Xi Jianglan nodded. “In my previous life, I also died at your hands, but by then, you had already become a fierce ghost.”

Feng Yu was taken aback, slammed down the table and shouted, “Nonsense!”

“But that’s exactly what happened.” Xi Jianglan coughed weakly. “In my last life, when you tamed that ghost blade at Tianyan Academy, you suffered a setback due to insufficient spiritual energy and fell before you turned sixteen.”

Feng Yu’s pupils trembled violently!

Xi Jianglan’s eyes showed a hint of sadness. “You became a fierce ghost due to the malevolence of the ghost blade, slaughtering innocent beings at random. When I went with Sheng Jiao to hunt you down, I was devoured by countless ghosts and died with my soul shattered. But somehow I got a second chance at life and was reborn at the age of thirteen.

Feng Yu looked at Xi Jianglan in disbelief, as if trying to determine if what he said was true.

But he quickly regained his composure, his expression darkening.

Xi Jianglan had always been a wastrel, and since they met at Tianyan Academy, Feng Yu had never heard him say a single word of truth. How could he believe in such absurd talk of rebirth?!

Moreover, when Feng Yu had hunted Xi Jianglan in the past, he had already experienced this person’s talent for deceptive words.

This time, he would definitely not be fooled again!

“Hmph.” Feng Yu sneered coldly. “If I believe in your nonsense again, I won’t be called Feng.”

Xi Jianglan seemed to have anticipated this, his expression was still calm. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me, do as you wish. Dying by your hand wouldn’t be so bad, I’m tired of this life of running and hiding.”

Feng Yu looked at him coldly, and the nearby fierce ghosts stirred restlessly, seemingly ready to pounce and tear him apart at any moment.

On the surface, Xi Jianglan seemed indifferent to life and death, but in reality, his palms were sweating.

Suddenly, Feng Yu raised his hand.

Xi Jianglan’s breath caught in his throat.

However, Feng Yu only ordered the nearby fierce ghosts to take a few steps back.

It seemed like he had no intention of killing Xi Jianglan after all.

However, before Xi Jianglan could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw Feng Yu suddenly parting his lips and chanting a few ghostly spells.

That was… “Ghostly Sound”!

Xi Jianglan’s pupils contracted sharply. Hearing only two notes, he feigned weakness and staggered as if he couldn’t stand. With quick reflexes, he discreetly removed the earring from his ear.

The earring fell onto his shoulder, then slid along his clothing to the floor.

Crack.

In the next moment, Feng Yu finished reciting the ghostly sound.

Xi Jianglan seemed to be under the control of the ghostly sound, his gaze vacant and hollow as it settled on Feng Yu’s face.

Feng Yu stared at him intently and asked in a deep voice, “Was there a single word of falsehood in what you just said?”

Xi Jianglan’s voice was as calm as a still pond, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

“Yes.”

Feng Yu sneered coldly.

He was indeed a liar through and through, six years had passed, and he hadn’t changed a bit.

But Xi Jianglan continued, “…I didn’t go with Sheng Jiao to kill you, I wanted to save you. But Sheng Jiao believed that you were harming innocent people and that your crimes were unforgivable. He wanted to use divine punishment to turn you into dust so that you would never enter the cycle of reincarnation.”

The cold smile on Feng Yu’s face instantly froze.

“…Then, what about the rest? Was that also a lie?”

“No, everything else is true. There is not a single word of falsehood.”

At this moment, the expression on Feng Yu’s face was nothing short of spectacular.

He instinctively wanted to doubt Xi Jianglan’s fabrications, but he was absolutely confident in his ghostly sound and believed that there could be no mistake.

Could it be that what Xi Jianglan said about rebirth was true?

Had he broken his own ghost blade back then to prevent it from backfiring, thus avoiding the fate of becoming a fierce ghost in his previous life?!

Xi Jianglan, that heartless bastard… Was he really only thinking of him?

For a moment, the murderous gaze in Feng Yu’s eyes gradually wavered.
… He was so shaken that he completely overlooked the way Xi Jianglan’s gaze became sharp for a moment before immediately becoming empty again.

Feng Yu was about to ask again, but Xi Jianglan numbly repeated as if enchanted, “Everything is true, not a single word of falsehood…”

“Everything is…”

Feng Yu was stunned for a moment, and only then did he realize that the current Xi Jianglan was a sickly person with no cultivation whatsoever. How could he possibly withstand the draining effects of ghostly sound?

He immediately began to recite a spell to break the incantation.

After reciting the incantation twice, Xi Jianglan remained vacant and unresponsive.
Feng Yu’s face turned pale with worry as he squeezed Xi Jianglan’s shoulders and sternly shouted, “Xi Jianglan, wake up!

“Xi Jianglan trembled all over, and his scattered pupils finally focused.”

A rare look of annoyance flickered in Feng Yu’s eyes. “You… I…”

Although he and Xi Jianglan had always been at odds, they had been classmates for four years and had faced dangers together during their training. A certain bond of friendship still remained, enough that he wouldn’t really wish for his life.

Xi Jianglan’s gaze weakly drifted to the fierce ghosts that still lingered around them. Suddenly, his pupils constricted and he staggered against the medicine cabinet, breathing heavily before suddenly spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Xi Jianglan!”

Remembering the earlier phrase about dying from being “devoured by countless ghosts”, Feng Yu’s expression became extremely grim. He quickly made a hand gesture, causing all the fierce ghosts to disappear into the darkness.

Xi Jianglan pressed his lips together, bright red blood seeping through his fingers as if it would never stop flowing.

Feng Yu raised his hand and placed it on Xi Jianglan’s back, channeling a gentle stream of spiritual energy into his meridians. It was only then that he was shocked to discover that Xi Jianglan’s meridians were completely shattered, and even the inner elixirs he usually relied on were nowhere to be found.

He looked like he had one foot in the grave.

Feng Yu gasped, “You…”

During their time at Tianyan Academy, although Xi Jianglan was a spoiled brat, he was a prodigy comparable to Sheng Jiao. Now, Sheng Jiao is already the leader of the Xiezhi Sect across the thirteen provinces, while Xi Jianglan was…

Xi Jianglan shook his head with all his might, coughing up blood as he stammered, “Water, back… back courtyard…”

Feng Yu’s thoughts were in disarray, leaving him no time to think of anything else. He immediately got up and ran to the back courtyard to fetch water.

But just as Feng Yu walked away, the trembling Xi Jianglan suddenly changed from his fragile appearance, ready to spit blood, and quickly crawled up and frantically searched the ground. He finally found the delicate earring.

Xi Jianglan wiped it with his sleeve and deftly put it on his ear.

The dead silence that had just enveloped him finally dissipated, and faint sounds slowly emerged. He raised his hand to fiddle with the earring for a while, and only then did the sounds at his ear become completely clear.

It turned out to be a magical artifact that helped him hear everything around him.
Xi Jianglan lazily fiddled with the delicate earring and muttered softly, “Only that big fool Feng Yu would believe in something like rebirth.”

If it were anyone else, they certainly wouldn’t be swayed by such absurdity.

The black cat returned, its gaze resembling that of a disdainful scoundrel. “I’ve never heard a single truthful word come from your mouth. In the entire Thirteen Provinces, your ability to lie is truly unparalleled and unbeatable.”

Xi Jianglan humbly replied, “You’re too kind, too kind. I’m merely ordinary and somewhat invincible.”

The Black Cat: “…”

The black cat was speechless. Just as it was about to saunter away, the Rhino Horn Lamp on the table suddenly burst with purple light. A palm-sized message-homing bird flew out from the flames, circling the Rhino Horn Lamp and letting out a sharp cry.

The cat immediately stopped and chased after the bird uncontrollably.

Xi Jianglan raised an eyebrow slightly.

The rhino horn lamp connected the entire thirteen provinces and would only emit purple light and summon the messenger birds during important events. While Feng Yu was still searching for water in the backyard, Xi Jianglan didn’t hold back and tried to cast the Ghost Binding Technique.

The Rhino Horn Lamp suddenly brightened, and several message-bearing fireflies floated in the air.

Xi Jianglan smiled slightly.

Back at Tianyan Academy, the technique Feng Yu used to activate the rhino horn lamp was the Ghost Binding Technique, and he never expected it to remain unchanged after all these years.

The messages from the rhino horn lamp were all about important events in the thirteen provinces. Xi Jianglan casually selected a few that caught his interest, quickly finding the one that emitted purple light.

“Shocking! Sheng Jiao has appeared in Wuyin city.”

A series of small words below questioned the authenticity of the message.
“Isn’t the ‘Lord of Heavenly Dao’ in the southern region? Don’t lie.”

“If you send more than ten false messages, you’ll lose your rhino horn lamp, so be careful.”

“I’ve heard this news leaked from within the Xiezhi Sect, it’s one hundred percent reliable!”

The black cat, having missed the bird, licked its paw with an air of restraint. “So your impersonation of Sheng Jiao has been exposed?”

Xi Jianglan extinguished the rhino horn lamp, acting as if nothing had happened. “After all, no one dares to ask the sect leader about his true whereabouts, so what do I have to fear?”

Seeing his familiarity with the situation, the black cat asked, “Why are you so certain?”

“Sheng Jiao never pays attention to the rhino horn lamp.” Xi Jianglan continued to sit on the ground, playing dead while he waited for Feng Yu to return and take care of him. He lazily added, “Three years ago, I impersonated him to show my presence at the brothel in the southern region, and the message bird of the rhino horn lamp flew for three days without him having a clue.”

The black cat: “???”

Pretending to be Sheng Jiao… and going to a brothel?

When this bastard dies, I must run far away to avoid being splattered with blood.

The glowing bird flew for quite a while before finally returning to the rhino horn lamp, falling silent.

Xi Jianglan was completely focused on pretending to be weak, thinking about how to deal with Feng Yu later, hoping to trick him into helping him kill Sheng Jiao so that he would not have to live in constant fear.

…He didn’t notice that behind the message marked with the explosive purple light, a stamp with the word “True” slowly appeared.