After the Villain Lost His Cultivation - Chapter 23
The painted boat was almost falling apart after being beaten twice by Xi Jianglan.
The moon had already set.
The water and sky rippled gently, and the painted boat suddenly shrank to the size of a peach pit, falling directly into Xi Jianglan’s palm.
Sheng Jiao held him in his arms and descended to the long street without saying a word.
Xi Jianglan toyed with the miniature boat as if nothing had happened. A strand of purple spiritual power, as thin as a hair, slowly penetrated into the painted boat, now reduced to a fraction of its original size.
The “Third Watch Snow” had indeed merged with the painted boat, and the root-like innate mark were magnified and stretched, resembling growing vines densely covering the painted boat, inch by inch taking root.
It is easy to fuse the innate marks, but separating them from such a lifeless object would be an extraordinarily difficult task.
Xi Jianglan seemed lost in thought. He moved his five fingers deftly, letting the peach pit flip up and down across his knuckles, accentuating his slender and pale fingers.
Sheng Jiao carried him horizontally as they walked through the bustling long street of Evil Qi Road. Despite this undeniably “indecent” posture, the passersby acted as though they hadn’t seen anything, not even sparing a glance.
After all, Sect Leader Sheng still had his dignity to maintain.
The mess at Evil Qi Road would be handled by Heng Yudu. Sheng Jiao, with an expressionless face, carried Xi Jianglan back to the Wuyin City.
Leaving the water barrier behind and arriving at the banks of Yuchuan, there was a slight bump. Xi Jianglan leaned into Sheng Jiao’s arms and mumbled something indistinct, but no one knew what he said.
It was already the dead of night, the bright moonlight cascading down like heavy snow under the daytime sun.
The waters of Yuchuan flowed gently, accompanied by the croaking of frogs and the chirping of cicadas.
Sheng Jiao lowered his gaze to the person in his arms and was suddenly taken aback.
It was strange. Just moments ago, the two of them had been on the verge of a deadly fight, yet Xi Jianglan seemed to have forgotten the fear of being killed. His hands curled around his waist, and he was already sleeping peacefully in Sheng Jiao’s arms.
Six years on the run didn’t seem to have changed Xi Jianglan’s appearance much. He still seemed as flamboyant, as carefree and full of nonsense as he was in his youth, making people love and hate him in equal measure.
But at this moment, he was sleeping peacefully, his brows and eyes softened. Even the bit of forced arrogance and detestable demeanor seemed to melt into his sleeping face, making him appear exceptionally gentle and obedient.
Sheng Jiao stood alone on the deserted bank of the Yuchuan River, lowering his gaze to look at him.
Perhaps it was because the Wuyin City was too hot after the summer solstice. Xi Jianglan raised a hand and carelessly brushed away the sweaty hair clinging to his face, his lips parting slightly as if muttering something.
“Sheng…”
Sheng Jiao was about to take a step forward, but when he heard this syllable, he stopped in his tracks.
He hesitated for a moment, then slightly lowered his head and leaned closer to listen carefully.
Perhaps only when Xi Jianglan is asleep can one glimpse the true heart buried deep within him.
Finally, Sheng Jiao heard Xi Jianglan murmur softly:
“Why is Sect Leader Sheng always secretly watching me?”
Sheng Jiao: “…”
Xi Jianglan opened his eyes, mischief brimming in his gaze.
Was there even a trace of sleepiness?
Sheng Jiao instinctively averted his gaze, but as soon as he moved, he realized, wouldn’t this only make Xi Jianglan’s nonsense even more convincing?
When Xi Jianglan saw Sheng Jiao’s gaze freeze, he could no longer hold back and burst into hearty laughter.
Sheng Jiao’s face was frosty, and he suddenly exerted force with both hands.
Xi Jianglan was caught off guard and thrown out by him. He stumbled and unleashed a wave of spiritual power before he managed to steady his body with difficulty, landing lightly on the ground like a swallow.
His legs were perfectly fine.
Sheng Jiao stared at his lips, then looked at his legs. His pupils shrank slightly. Probably enraged, he locked eyes with the grinning Xi Jianglan indifferently for a moment before flicking his sleeve and walking away.
Xi Jianglan couldn’t stop laughing. Seeing that Sheng Jiao was so angry that he had lost his composure, he finally regained some of the feeling they had when they were together in the past.
The “tough guy” who could counter any of his moves and leave him nowhere to hide now seemed like a complete stranger.
“Don’t be angry.” Xi Jianglan followed without thinking, “I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Don’t walk so fast, my legs really hurt, I can’t keep up.”
Sheng Jiao gave him a cold look.
Xi Jianglan felt guilty under his gaze and coughed dryly. “…I had no choice. The search warrants issued by your Xiezhi Sect are everywhere in the thirteen provinces. If I hadn’t been smarter, I’d have been caught and killed long ago. You have to understand me.”
Sheng Jiao had no intention of understanding and kept moving forward.
Xi Jianglan chased after him again. “Really, I’m serious. I didn’t mean to slander you for no reason, I just made up some romantic entanglements, and those were…”
Zhuxingzhai once had a “wonder” that was regarded by everyone as the “unsolved mystery of Zhuxingzhai of Tianyan Academy,” which always drew amazement whenever it was mentioned.
That was Xi Jue and Sheng Jiao arguing.
Sheng Jiao, nicknamed the “Saw-mouthed Gourd” by Zhuxingzhai, was known for his silence. No matter how major the issue, it was impossible to get Lord Tiandao to say a single word, and even normal communication with him was difficult.
But Xi Jue, with some inexplicable ability, could actually manage to argue with the saw-mouthed gourd all by himself.
…And every time he argued, he did so with sincerity and reason, as though performing a one-man show directed at the silent Sheng Jiao. Sometimes, he would even argue himself into such a fury that he’d collapse backward in anger.
Sheng Jiao, for his part, never argued back.
Even if Xi Jue was extremely noisy, he would just frown, purse his lips, and close his eyes. When he was angry, he would just glare at him.
Everyone in Zhuxingzhai was amazed every time they saw this scene. Six people sat in a row against the wall and watched the fun, each trying to guess how the two people were communicating and arguing.
Six years later, Xi Jianglan reverted to his old ways and started arguing with Sheng Jiao.
Sheng Jiao was probably tired of it, so he paused and touched Xi Jianglan’s lips with his slender fingers.
Xi Jianglan was arguing vigorously when he was caught off guard, and his arguments turned into…
“My heart is not a cold stone, and over time, I will naturally develop feelings for Sheng Jiao…”
Xi Jianglan: “…”
The forgotten shame and embarrassment suddenly emerged and attacked him wildly.
Xi Jianglan’s ears turned red. With his “Abandoned Immortal Bone,” he removed the seal from his lips. He lowered his eyes as if he was trying to sort out the shame that was about to be overwhelmed by embarrassment.
It seemed like a gaze was looking down from above.
Sheng Jiao was looking at him.
As a winner.
“You are so good, Sheng Wuzhuo.” Xi Jianglan looked at his bare toes curled up slightly, and thought expressionlessly, “Six years later, you’ve cultivated to such a degree, you’re practically invulnerable.”
We have to change our tactics, otherwise we will be suppressed by Sheng Jiao and unable to turn around.
Xi Jianglan seemed to have some ill thought in mind. After a short while, he collected his emotions and raised his head, only then realizing that they were at the entrance of the “No Way” alley.
Sheng Jiao seemed to know what he wanted to ask and answered succinctly, “We depart for Zhongzhou tomorrow.”
Xi Jianglan seemed to be deep in thought.
That meant there was still one more night.
The two of them walked to the end of the alley, heading to the Twelve Houses.
Xi Jianglan opened the old, dilapidated door and stepped aside to let Sheng Jiao enter.
For some unknown reason, facing the dim, run-down place that looked almost like a haunted house, the usually thick-skinned Xi Jianglan suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.
Sheng Jiao was now the Sect Leader of Xiezhi Sect, holding great power and authority;
While he, Xi Jianglan, was barely surviving in this filthy corner.
The difference between clouds and mud, nothing more than this.
The dim light flickered, illuminating the narrow and cramped medical clinic.
On the medicine cabinet were various scattered trinkets. A box containing unfinished fake jade tokens was half open, and cobwebs were hanging in the corners. The place looked nothing like a place where people lived.
Sheng Jiao scanned the room, his brows furrowing deeply.
“Leader Sheng, please, make yourself at home,” Xi Jianglan said, knowing his obsession with cleanliness. He forced a smile and quickly added, “It must be that fellow Feng Yu who made me like this. You know how he is, always collecting all kinds of ghosts and evil spirits. His place in Zhuxingzhai is a complete mess. I don’t even like hanging out with him. I’ll clean up right away, it won’t take long.”
Saying that, Xi Jianglan rushed to a pile of cluttered items on the table and swept them off carelessly with his sleeve. The noise of things clattering rang through the room as everything was thrown into the corner.
The table was instantly cleared.
Xi Jianglan clapped his hands and gave Sheng Jiao a well-behaved smile.
Indicating that it was all cleaned up.
Sheng Jiao: “…”
That was indeed quick.
Probably sensing Sheng Jiao’s distaste, the smile on Xi Jianglan’s face stiffened for a moment.
He tried to suppress the subtle embarrassment in his chest, his fingers tightening around his wide sleeves. As his palm brushed against a peach pit, he seemed to change the subject and hurriedly said, “Leader Sheng, is there any way you can detach the ‘Third Watch Snow’ from this painted boat?”
Sheng Jiao frowned deeply: “No.”
The fusion of the innate mark and a dead object, how could it be separated and then returned to the human body’s meridians?
Even a child from Tianyan Academy would know the answer to that.
Xi Jianglan’s gaze instantly dimmed.
Sheng Jiao still stood by the door, seemingly unwilling to stay in such a dirty and messy place for the night. His gaze lingered on a pile of clutter, and his brows furrowed slightly.
“I…”
Xi Jianglan’s expression darkened even further. He seemed to want to say something but pressed his lips together and simply said, “Leader Sheng, please do as you wish.”
With that, he almost fled to the backyard.
Sheng Jiao was still looking at the unfinished Xiezhi pattern seal in the corner when he saw Xi Jianglan’s pale face and him stumbling away. He instinctively took a step forward.
It seemed like he wanted to explain, but after hesitating for a long time, he lowered his hand.
Five Tianyan beads slipped from his sleeve, circling around Sheng Jiao a few times, as though impatient with his hesitation to bring down celestial thunder on the guilty party.
Sheng Jiao’s gaze remained cold. He stretched out his finger, tapping the Tianyan bead, and gave an order.
The Tianyan beads, a divine artifact granted by Tianyan, were highly coveted and revered, their status unmatched.
But at that moment, the five beads froze in mid-air for a moment. After a long pause, they began to tremble…
Then they scattered to every corner of the clinic, cleaning up the debris and cobwebs in shame and anger.
In the backyard, Xi Jianglan plucked a handful of osmanthus flowers and ate them. He sat by the small pond, his gaze lowered as he watched the koi fish swimming. Their delicate forms seemed like they would topple with the slightest breeze. His eyes were vacant as he stared at the water’s surface, lost in thought.
A black cat emerged silently from the nape of his neck and gracefully landed on the ground.
It licked its paw and said, “What, feeling embarrassed now?”
The black cat had followed Xi Jianglan for many years, but this was the first time it had seen the usually heartless Xi Jianglan look so lonely and sad.
Xi Jianglan blinked, looking confused, and asked, “What?”
“You.” The black cat jumped to his side, sneering, “The moment Leader Sheng showed that look of disdain, your expression was unlike anything I’ve seen before…”
Before it could finish, its peripheral vision caught the water surface of the small pond.
That wasn’t a reflection, but a magic illusion array that allowed a glimpse into the clinic in the front yard.
In the dirty, dilapidated clinic, Sheng Jiao stood impassively at the table, his slender fingers putting away several scattered prescriptions.
One of the pieces of paper was clearly larger than the others. He hesitated for a moment, then pulled that sheet out and set it aside, finally feeling at ease.
The Tianyan beads worked tirelessly, using their spiritual power to tidy up the mess. Wherever they passed, it was instantly cleaned and made to look brand new.
Xi Jianglan stuck his tongue out to lick the osmanthus flowers from his palm. His fox-like eyes curved slightly, and he smiled wickedly.
“Seems like Leader Sheng really bought into this act of weakness. He even helped me clean up. Tsk, it’s decided, this will be my method for dealing with him from now on. Hmm? What did you just say, unlike anything I’ve seen before… what?”
The black cat: “…………”
The black cat was silent for a long time, likely scolding itself for falling for this man’s tricks again.
It faintly said, “…I’ve never had such thick skin before.”
Xi Jianglan: “…”
Xi Jianglan, too lazy to bother with it, turned his head and glanced at the peach pit beside him.
The black cat licked its lips, its eyes burning as it stared at the peach pit. It suddenly kicked off and rushed forward like a black shadow.
Xi Jianglan casually raised his hand, letting the cat miss, and lazily said, “What’s the fuss?”
The black cat gracefully jumped back to the ground, disgruntled. “Even if it’s a Heavenly level innate mark, it’s of no use when fused with this mustard-seed artifact. It can’t be separated anyway, so you might as well give it to me to eat.”
Xi Jianglan chuckled softly and gently pinched the small peach pit between two fingers. Strands of purple spiritual energy began to emerge from his fingertips, curling like the tips of vines.
The remaining Abandoned Immortal Bone slowly made its way into the narrow, exquisite painted boat.
The moment the spiritual power in the meridians was exhausted, the backlash would follow, but Xi Jianglan seemed completely unafraid, continuing to consume the purple spiritual power of the Abandoned Immortal Bone without hesitation.
The black cat always felt that Xi Jianglan’s smile was less than innocent, so it frowned and asked, “What are you laughing about?”
Xi Jianglan patted its head, his voice soft and gentle.
“Who said it can’t be separated?”
The black cat was stunned.
→ The term “Saw-mouthed Gourd” (锯嘴葫芦) in chinese metaphorically describes Sheng Jiao lack of speech, suggesting that he is difficult to communicate with, or even “mute” in a figurative sense.
As I promised, I asked for your opinions in the previous chapter about the terms we should use, and everyone wants to keep it as it is, so it’s all good. The previous chapter was intense and really long (for me to translate), but very satisfying that, now, that they’re facing each other directly.😅