After the Villain Lost His Cultivation - Chapter 24

Black Cat: “But Sheng Jiao clearly said…”

“I always top the list in the Tianyan Academy’s Tianyan Innate Mark: Origin and End class,” Xi Jianglan said quietly. “Among the eight people in Zhuxingzhai, I am the only one favored by the dean. Do you think it’s because of my face and my mouth full of nonsense?”

Black Cat: “…”

You also know that you are talking nonsense!

Xi Jianglan stared at the slightly trembling peach pit and said calmly, “No matter how mysterious the innate mark is, it is just a derivative of the Tianyan spiritual vein..like the spiritual essence concentrated countless times in natural spiritual fluid. The innate mark is also formed by the interweaving of countless fine Tianyan spiritual energies. As long as you find the order… well, found it.”

The black cat was horrified.

Is it so easy to find the order of thousands of Tianyan spiritual energies?

How long has it been?

The black cat looked at Xi Jianglan with almost horror and swallowed hard.

It had always heard that this man was a genius no less talented than Sheng Jiao, but perhaps because it had seen Xi Jianglan’s useless appearance for too long, it always subconsciously thought this man was a good-for-nothing playboy who had fallen on hard times and could only find joy in misery.

But now…

The black cat’s fat neck swallowed twice more, and it asked timidly, “What exactly is your Innate Mark?”

Xi Jianglan laughed and scolded, “Fool, I dare to say it. Do you dare to believe it?”

Black Cat: “…”

The Abandoned Immortal Bone transformed into a transparent barrier to shield the backyard. Xi Jianglan sat casually by the pond, while more and more strands of purple spiritual power gradually extended from the fingertips of his five fingers, intertwining and probing into the peach pit.

He looked relaxed, but the heavy consumption of the Abandoned Immortal Bone caused sharp waves of pain to surge through his meridians, and fine beads of cold sweat had already seeped out from his forehead.

The black cat watched in fear.

Even Sheng Jiao, hailed as the “Lord of the Heavenly Dao,” couldn’t separate the Innate Mark. Where on earth did Xi Jianglan get the confidence to defy the Heavenly Dao’s laws with this tattered body, forcibly held together by the Abandoned Immortal Bone?

A crisp crack of splintering wood echoed.

The black cat turned to look and saw that the tiny peach pit seemed to have shattered, with winding cracks spreading out in all directions.

The already fused Third Watch Snow resembled a vine being forcibly ripped away from a stone wall. Its fine, black “roots” were pulled out inch by inch. Because the fusion was too thorough, it was painstakingly difficult to pull out even one root. Yet, as soon as a root was finally removed, it wriggled desperately, struggling to latch onto the painted boat again, unwilling to part.

There was no other choice. Xi Jianglan had to divert his focus, shattering part of the painted boat each time he pulled out a single thread of the Innate Mark.

The Abandoned Immortal Bone was consumed even faster.

After a while, the black cat seemed to sense something, and its fur stood on end. It shouted sharply: “Xi Jianglan! The Abandoned Immortal Bone is almost depleted. If you want to live, stop now!”

Xi Jianglan looked as if he had been fished out of water. The painted boat and the Third Watch Snow had been mostly separated. The cold air was biting at his face, and the water in the small pond had frozen into a thick layer of ice.

“What’s the rush?” Xi Jianglan’s long hair was already frosted white. His lips trembled from the cold, but he still managed a smile. “It’s not completely gone yet, is it?”

The black cat nearly went mad: “You’ve only separated half of the innate mark, and the Abandoned Immortal Bone is already running out! How can you continue to sustain it?! That little girl has no real connection to you, why go to such lengths for her?!”

Xi Jianglan replied indifferently, “Did I eat her pastries for three years for nothing?”

“Then just give her spirit stones!” The black cat jumped up and down. “Even without the innate mark, she can still live a good life. If you feel she’s truly pitiful, why not just take her in as your adopted daughter and protect her until she grows up safely! Why risk your own life?”

Xi Jianglan turned a deaf ear.

“You!”

Seeing that he was unmoved, the black cat circled around in frustration for a long time. Suddenly, it shot Xi Jianglan a hateful glare, then turned into a wisp of black mist and vanished on the spot.

Xi Jianglan didn’t even glance at it, still keeping his eyes lowered.

What the black cat said was indeed true. After most of the Third Watch Snow had been separated, the Abandoned Immortal Bone was completely exhausted. Because Xi Jianglan had forcefully mobilized his spiritual power, his meridians were now aching with a faint, searing pain.

The meridians withered like dry wood crumbling, and in an instant, a cold, deathly aura appeared on Xi Jianglan’s face.

Yet, he seemed oblivious to the pain. Though his body trembled from the cold, he continued to methodically channel his intermittent spiritual energy.

Suddenly, he tilted his head, allowing his frost-covered long hair to fall from his shoulders, revealing his slender nape. His hand swiftly moved backward, as if forcefully extracting something.

“Bang!”

Xi Jianglan’s knuckles turned pale blue and white. Without even looking, he flung it harshly into the frozen pond.

The black cat let out a sharp cry as it was thrown straight across the ice, its sharp claws leaving several stark white scratches on the surface.

”Shh.” Xi Jianglan raised a finger to his crimson lips, his eyes fox-like, both wicked and soft. ”Be good, don’t get in the way.”

The black cat struggled to its feet, gritting its teeth. ”We’re going to die!”

The Abandoned Immortal Bone completely disintegrated. The purple spiritual energy flickered for a moment before a burst of golden energy erupted, its brilliance flaring wildly like a sweeping tempest, surging mightily into the peach pit.

With countless crisp crackling sounds, the peach pit seemed to be scorched by raging flames, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into powdery ashes, silently falling grain by grain from between Xi Jianglan’s fingers.

Xi Jianglan’s lips were unnaturally red. He stepped forward lightly and blew a soft breath.

The remaining ashes whirled away with the wind, and in his clean palm, a faintly swirling snowflake slowly emerged.

It was “Third Watch Snow.”

The black cat lay listlessly on the ice, staring at the snowflake in terror. Its lips trembled for a long moment, yet no words came out.

The Innate Mark, which even Sheng Jiao had declared impossible to separate, had been flawlessly extracted in mere moments?

If his Innate Mark hadn’t been destroyed… then what kind of monster was he?

At this thought, the black cat shuddered violently. It gazed at Xi Jianglan with fear for a long while, then suddenly bolted.

“Tch.”

Xi Jianglan glanced at the fleeing black cat and let out a soft laugh. He shook off the frost clinging to his hair and, with an easy movement, lightly vaulted over the ruined backyard wall.

The barrier had already dissipated. At some unknown point, Sheng Jiao had appeared, standing there in silence, his gaze cold and indifferent as he watched Xi Jianglan leave.

Qin Banban’s pastry shop was close to the medical clinic, and Xi Jianglan arrived in an instant.

When Qin Banban’s Innate Mark was extracted, perhaps Ying Zhuo had numbed her pain with spiritual energy. During the day, she had seemed fine, but now, as silence enveloped everything, that faint trace of spiritual energy had dissipated, and the pain began to creep in, piercing through her entire body like countless needles.

The little girl’s face was as pale as paper. She lay weakly curled up on the bed, looking as though she was clinging to her last breath.

Xi Jianglan stood on the wall of the pastry shop, gazing down at the half-closed window below. With a casual flick of his robe, he sat down in a leisurely manner.

He bent one leg, resting his hand on his knee, and with a light flick of his finger, the snowflake drifted down, slipping through the gap in the window and slowly merging into the still-unhealed wound on the back of Qin Banban’s neck.

Qin Banban shuddered all over, as if choking, and coughed violently a few times.

When she finally calmed down, her breathing was noticeably smoother.

Xi Jianglan still sat lazily on the wall, tilting his head back to admire the bright moon in the sky.

The Abandoned Immortal Bone seemed to have caused no side effects to him. He even had the leisure to swing his legs, humming an unknown tune under the moonlight, completely at ease.

Perhaps the moonlight was too dazzling. Xi Jianglan’s eyes stung slightly, and when he lowered his head, two teardrops unexpectedly fell onto the back of his hand.

He muttered something under his breath and was about to brush away the unworthy droplets when he felt a slight chill land on his knuckles.

It was a snowflake.

Xi Jianglan was momentarily dazed, his gaze shifting to Qin Banban’s room below.

A chill that didn’t belong to this season slowly seeped out, dispelling the heat of the night. Before long, a light snow began to fall in the backyard of the pastry shop, fluttering down and blanketing the ground, intertwining with the radiant moonlight.

Xi Jianglan reached out and caught a handful of snow. After a moment, he suddenly laughed.

“Third Watch Snow” has arrived, allowing him to tread freely in the realm of dreams.

Xi Jianglan had sat on the wall of a household for half the night, waiting until the Third Watch Snow had fully integrated into Qin Banban’s meridians. Only then did he cast a barrier to isolate the snow, then gathered his thin robes and slowly made his way back to the Twelve Houses.

The medical clinic had already been cleaned up, but the box containing the fake jade token was now empty. It seemed that the upright and principled Sect Leader Sheng could not tolerate such counterfeit items and had disposed of them all.

Xi Jianglan glanced around, following the lingering aura to the backyard.

Under the osmanthus tree, Sheng Jiao sat cross-legged, meditating with his eyes closed.

The Tianyan Beads coiled around his wrist, glowing faintly with a serene blue light under the bright moonlight.

The osmanthus flowers were in full bloom, their sweet fragrance filling the backyard.

Sheng Jiao had sensed Xi Jianglan’s return, but he remained unmoved, continuing to circulate his spiritual energy through his meridians as if even a mountain collapsing before him would not faze him.

Until a faint, icy aura gently approached him.

Xi Jianglan knelt properly, placing his hand on Sheng Jiao’s knee, and leaned in softly, whispering, ”Sect Leader Sheng?”

Sheng Jiao did not respond.

Xi Jianglan tried again, ”Lord of the Heavenly Dao?”

The mingling scents of frost and osmanthus blossoms created an indescribable fragrance, one that could linger in the memory for years, enchanting and alluring.

Sheng Jiao remained as still as a mountain of ice, unmoving.

Xi Jianglan was too close, so close that their breaths almost intertwined, becoming indistinguishable.

Suddenly, he whispered, ”Sheng Jiao.”

Sheng Jiao’s hands, hidden in his sleeves, twitched slightly. Finally, he opened his icy eyes without a sound.

Xi Jianglan, as though emerging from an icy cavern, wore thin robes and seemed oblivious to the cold. His eyes, filled with amusement, gazed at Sheng Jiao. ”Will you only respond when I call you Sheng Jiao?”

Sheng Jiao remained silent.

Xi Jianglan, skilled in bickering with even the most tight-lipped of companions, had no trouble with casual conversation. Seeing Sheng Jiao’s expressionless face, he chuckled softly, then lazily leaned forward, resting his head on Sheng Jiao’s knee and muttering in a low voice.

”If someone in Zhongzhou wanted to kill me, would you save me?”

Having just come from the freezing cold and with the backlash of the Abandoned Immortal Bone stirring within him, Xi Jianglan’s body began to burn with fever. His cheek pressed against Sheng Jiao’s knee, and even through the thick layers of clothing, the heat was palpable.

It was as if he were trying to melt an iceberg.

After a long silence, Sheng Jiao replied, ”No.”

Xi Jianglan laughed, his entire body shaking with mirth.

But then Sheng Jiao added, ”No one will kill you.”

Xi Jianglan was momentarily stunned. He tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing as he looked directly into Sheng Jiao’s unfathomable eyes.

”What about you?”

Sheng Jiao’s silence gave Xi Jianglan his answer.

Xi Jianglan laughed again, but this time his laughter seemed to don the carefree mask he usually wore. His eyes, however, were cold and emotionless.

”What a pity.” Xi Jianglan’s waist was incredibly supple, and he clung to Sheng Jiao like a snake, his hands climbing over his shoulders, almost burying his entire body in his embrace. With a cunning malice, he smiled and said, ”With Changing Moon, you can’t kill me now.”

Sheng Jiao remained motionless, his voice cool as he said, ”Get down.”

Xi Jianglan did not move away. Instead, he cupped Sheng Jiao’s face with his feverish hands, leaning in close as if whispering a lover’s secret.

”Master Sheng, save me.”

Though he was clearly pleading for help, Xi Jianglan still carried the air of the aloof and stunning little immortal king of the past. His eyes held an arrogant and ostentatious gleam, as if he were issuing a command rather than making a request.

Sheng Jiao raised his eyes.

Only upon closer inspection did he notice a trickle of blood slowly seeping from the corner of Xi Jianglan’s lips. Blood also flowed from his ears, hidden beneath his disheveled black hair, leaving two streaks of dried, hideous red marks along his neck.

Sheng Jiao’s pupils contracted, and he almost instinctively reached out to hold him.

The Abandoned Immortal Bone had backfired.

The Abandoned Immortal Bone should have shattered his already scarred meridians the moment his spiritual power stagnated, but for some reason, Xi Jianglan had forcibly suppressed it.

Now that he was back beside Sheng Jiao, Xi Jianglan no longer had to hold back. He didn’t even need to cough or retch. A torrent of blood gushed from between his lips, staining his gorgeous red robe in a vivid, ferocious crimson.

The bright, shocking bloodstains were dazzling and horrifying.

The piercing pain made Sheng Jiao’s breath hitch.

Xi Jianglan looked disheveled, but he smiled as he struggled to lean forward and kiss Sheng Jiao on the cheek. Like a beautiful yet seductive ghost, his narrow, long eyes brimmed with affection as he spoke softly.

”Save me, Lord of the Heavenly Dao.”

Whether it was the effect of Changing Moon’s ”Listen, let it be, and protect it,” or Sheng Jiao’s true nature taking over, perhaps even Sheng Jiao himself couldn’t tell the difference, by the time he realized it, his hand was already pressed against the vital point on Xi Jianglan’s wrist. A flood of spiritual power poured into Xi Jianglan’s meridians like a dam breaking.

Xi Jianglan, like a bird with broken wings, could no longer hold on. He curled into a small ball in Sheng Jiao’s arms.

The last trace of clarity vanished. It seemed he knew that Sheng Jiao was the only one who could save him. His fingers turned white as he clutched the collar of Sheng Jiao’s robes, refusing to let go no matter what.

Sheng Jiao stared at the glaring bloodstains, his entire body tense. Even his usually lifeless pupils now shone with an impenetrable divine light.

It felt like heartache, and also like rage.

The Tianyan Beads beside them also became restless, spinning rapidly in place without pause.

The spiritual power of a half-step Mahayana stage cultivator was even capable of bringing the dead back to life. Yet, when poured into Xi Jianglan’s meridians, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean, vanishing without a ripple.

It was only then that Sheng Jiao realized that even without using the Abandoned Immortal Bone, Xi Jianglan might not have lived much longer.

This tattered body had long been like a hollowed-out, withered tree, with only a thin, glossy exterior remaining. In reality, the slightest push could cause it to collapse completely.

With such a frail and crumbling body, how dare he still use the Abandoned Immortal Bone?!

Sheng Jiao’s jaw tightened, and his fingers trembled as he poured even more spiritual power into Xi Jianglan.

Finally, Xi Jianglan, shrouded in an aura of death, seemed to have wandered to the gates of the underworld and back. He gasped for breath a few times, then slowly and laboriously opened his eyes.

Sheng Jiao silently let out a breath of relief.

But before he could fully relax, Xi Jianglan’s next words stunned him.

”The Abandoned Immortal Bone…” Xi Jianglan’s eyes were vacant, unfocused, as he stared blankly at Sheng Jiao’s face and murmured, ”I want the Abandoned Immortal Bone.”

Sheng Jiao’s entire body stiffened.

Xi Jianglan wasn’t truly conscious. His dried-up meridians, having tasted the sweetness of the Abandoned Immortal Bone, were driving him to seek survival in a dazed state.

Sheng Jiao gripped his hand tightly, his lips moving softly, ”Xi Jue…”

”Sheng Jiao.” Xi Jianglan, lost in a haze, had no idea what year it was or what grievances and entanglements existed between him and Sheng Jiao. It was as if they were still back at the Tianyan Academy. He clutched at Sheng Jiao’s collar, mumbling incoherently, ”Go buy me the Abandoned Immortal Bone, won’t you? Please? I’ll let you copy my answers during the Dean’s class quiz.”

Sheng Jiao’s expression turned grim. He grabbed Xi Jianglan’s hand and pressed it down onto his knee, his face dark as he continued to channel spiritual power into those withered meridians.

No matter how much Xi Jianglan pestered him, Sheng Jiao remained unmoved.

Perhaps out of desperation, Xi Jianglan began calling out random names.

He called out the names of all seven members of the Zhuxingzhai, even sweetly addressing each of them as ”brother” in an attempt to curry favor.

Seeing him like this, Sheng Jiao felt a dull ache tighten in his chest.

Finally, he reached out and gently tapped Xi Jianglan’s lip with his finger. 

He activated the innate mark of “Way of Heaven”, and countless intricate golden patterns, like vines, spread from the back of his neck across his entire body. These patterns then condensed into a thin strand of golden spiritual energy, seeping out from the tip of his finger.

The Abandoned Immortal Bone was a false imitation of Tianyan, and Sheng Jiao had no intention of seeking it for Xi Jianglan. Instead, he decided to give him the genuine Tianyan spiritual energy.

Every strand of Tianyan spiritual energy was a priceless treasure. Once consumed, it could never be replenished. The great families of Zhongzhou would go to great lengths to protect it, yet Sheng Jiao didn’t hesitate in the slightest. With an expressionless face, he brought the strand of Tianyan spiritual energy to Xi Jianglan’s lips.

The moment the Tianyan spiritual energy appeared, Xi Jianglan instinctively reached out with his fingers, clutching Sheng Jiao’s hand. He pressed his lips to the tip of Sheng Jiao’s finger, biting down gently to absorb the spiritual energy.

For Xi Jianglan, this spiritual energy, though not the false imitation of the Tianyan, was even more intoxicating. It flowed like a gentle stream into his parched and cracked meridians, breathing life back into his body.

He felt as though he had been completely revived.

Seeing that Xi Jianglan’s desperate craving for the Abandoned Immortal Bone had been alleviated, Sheng Jiao cut off the flow of the Tianyan spiritual energy.

Xi Jianglan, who had been happily nibbling on Sheng Jiao’s finger to absorb the spiritual energy, suddenly found it gone. He bit down on the fingertip in confusion, as if urging for more.

”Why is it gone?” Xi Jianglan thought hazily.

Sheng Jiao remained unmoved. He pinched Xi Jianglan’s chin, intending to pull his hand away, but Xi Jianglan, like a creature guarding its food, clutched his wrist tightly with both hands, shaking his head wildly. His long hair flew around him as he protested.

”No…” he gasped urgently, his words slurred. ”Don’t stop.”

Sheng Jiao’s fingers trembled slightly. He lowered his gaze unnaturally and said in a low voice, ”Let go.”

But Xi Jianglan refused. He leaned forward again, biting the finger, moving from the fingertip to the knuckle, then pressing his scorching lips to Sheng Jiao’s wrist, nibbling and searching as if trying to find where the Tianyan spiritual energy had come from.

Even with a will as unyielding as stone, Sheng Jiao couldn’t help but feel his arm go numb from Xi Jianglan’s relentless ”gnawing.”

His gaze darkened, and he exerted a bit of force, forcibly prying Xi Jianglan’s mouth away from his wrist.

Xi Jianglan, however, was not done. He wanted to continue making a fuss.

Sheng Jiao moved swiftly, extending his arms to tightly trap Xi Jianglan in his embrace, leaving only his bent legs kicking wildly outside. In the chaos, Xi Jianglan even kicked the osmanthus tree, causing golden osmanthus flowers to rain down on the two of them.

”No…” Xi Jianglan, trapped in the arms of someone much larger than himself, felt the oppressive weight of being dominated and the tension and humiliation of being unable to escape. He instinctively struggled with all his might, murmuring, ”The Abandoned Immortal Bone… Mmm… No!”

He shouted incoherently, not even knowing what he was saying.

Seeing him in such a disheveled state, Sheng Jiao’s heart clenched.

Cold and merciless was the Tianyan.

But he was only “Way of Heaven.”

Heng Yudu and Feng Yu had been busy all night, finally cleaning up the aftermath of the incident in Hezhou City.

”You actually believe that?” In the alley of No Way, Heng Yudu turned around, suppressing a laugh. ”He said Sheng Jiao once confessed his love to him, but he heartlessly rejected him?”

”Yeah.” Feng Yu, holding a ghost lantern, replied seriously, ”He described it so vividly, it sounded real.”

Heng Yudu burst into laughter. ”Just like how you believed he was truly reborn.”

”That matter is ironclad proof, definitely not some baseless rumor!” Feng Yu glared at him. ”My Ghostly Sound can’t possibly be wrong!”

Heng Yudu shook his head helplessly.

Feng Yu continued, ”Xi Jue also said that Sheng Jiao, unable to have him, tried to force himself on him. It’s so intense, do you think Xi Jue’s flirtatious nature finally pushed the stoic Sheng Jiao to his limit, making him decide to, you know, cough cough hehe?”

Heng Yudu: ”…”

What on earth is cough cough hehe?

”Don’t listen to Jianglan’s nonsense.” Heng Yudu, afraid of disturbing others, muffled the sound of his wheelchair’s wheels and gently opened the door to the Twelve Houses Clinic. In a soft voice, he said, ”Sheng Jiao is a child blessed by the Tianyan. ‘Way of Heaven’ has made his heart as cold as stone, devoted to justice and righteousness. He is the absolute embodiment of fairness. Back then, although he treated Jianglan with special care and affection, it was only because of their deep bond as long-time classmates. It had nothing to do with romantic feelings. If he truly fell in love, the Tianyan spiritual veins would probably perish…”

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint ”mmph mmph” sound came from inside the clinic.

Heng Yudu and Feng Yu turned their heads in confusion to look.

Inside the clinic, Sheng Jiao stood expressionlessly beside the only narrow soft couch. The binding silk in his hand had already taken its true form, tightly restraining the person on the couch by their arms and legs, pinning them to the bedpost.

That person was none other than Xi Jianglan.

Heng Yudu: ”…”

Feng Yu: ”…”

Xi Jianglan, dressed in red, was covered in tears, struggling desperately as if trying to escape. But he could only be trapped on the narrow couch, his waist taut and trembling uncontrollably. His mouth was mumbling, seemingly pleading pitifully for something.

”Mmm… Immortal Bone…”

Sheng Jiao stood there, looking down at him with a gaze so cold it could freeze even the ”Third Watch Snow.” The dim light of a small lamp illuminated half of his icy face, making him look like a soul-reaping envoy who had come to claim a life in the dead of night.

Hearing the voices, Sheng Jiao turned his head coldly, his sharp eyes filled with a hint of ruthless hostility and killing intent.

Heng Yudu: ”…”

Feng Yu: ”…………”