Chapter 3: Turbulence in Liufang City — My Life is Over
The crowd surged onto the boat like a tide. As they passed the pair, most cast gossipy glances—some openly, others furtively.
On the surface, Su Huan appeared as calm as ever, but inside, his inner self was already wailing with a mournful face, tears flowing like a spring.
Please, I beg you! Can’t you see that I actively corrected the records (cleaning up the original host’s mess)? Stop trying to kill me!
“Senior Brother.”
Xiao Jianming walked side-by-side with him, calling out in a low voice. A smile played on his lips, and his eyes shone like stars as he looked at Su Huan. He looked every bit the obedient youth—a stark contrast to the gloomy, cold-blooded, neck-strangling, life-demanding black-hearted figure from a month ago. They seemed like two completely different people.
Su Huan, however, broke out in goosebumps and immediately quickened his pace, only to have his wrist suddenly seized.
Xiao Jianming lowered his eyes in dejection, his crow-black lashes trembling slightly. His tone was like that of a pitiful boy abandoned by his lover: “Why does Senior Brother hide the moment he sees me? Has Senior Brother grown to detest me because of what happened before?”
Su Huan instantly felt a barrage of condemning gazes land on him like invisible blades.
Su Huan: “…”
He gave a fake smile. “How could I possibly detest Junior Brother?”
So you want to act? As if I’m not a professional actor myself!
Taking a deep breath, when he spoke again, Su Huan’s eyes were glistening with tears. His voice was filled with heart-wrenching pain. It looked like he was whispering, but in reality, everyone could hear him clearly—
“It’s just that after painful reflection, I feel we can’t go on like this!”
The surrounding disciples instantly perked up. The smile on Xiao Jianming’s face froze; he opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Su Huan’s sigh: “Alas, Junior Brother Xiao!”
Su Huan waved his hand, putting every ounce of energy into a tone of utter grief. “Although you like me, I don’t like you! Matters of the heart cannot be forced. Even though I didn’t report you to Eldest Senior Brother last time, and I don’t blame you, I will not indulge your nonsense any longer or let you continue down this wrong path!”
“I beg of you, Junior Brother Xiao, please stop… liking… me!”
Having delivered that final sentence with resounding force, Su Huan immediately sprinted toward his Senior Sister like a baby bird returning to the nest for its mother. Glancing back at the end, he saw that the smile had indeed vanished from the Black Lotus’s face, replaced by a dark expression.
Back within the protective circle of his Third Senior Sister, Su Huan held his head high like a victorious rooster. Hah, little brat, he thought. Trying to compete with me? You haven’t watched enough TV dramas.
Gasps could be heard all around. City Lord Liu, walking at the very front, looked back in confusion. “What is the matter, everyone? Is the reception banquet not to your liking?”
Su Huan raised his face slightly. “Not at all.” They were just shaken by my performance, that’s all.
City Lord Liu fished a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead, bowing obsequiously. “If there is any negligence in our hospitality, I hope the Immortals will inform me immediately. I will have my subordinates correct it at once; I would never dare to be slighting.”
Su Huan hurriedly waved his hand. “No need, no need.”
Feng Jiangyue suddenly spoke up, “City Lord Liu, there is no need for this. We are not those corrupt ne’er-do-wells who hold high positions but do nothing for the people.”
City Lord Liu was stunned. His thick lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing. However, for the rest of the journey, his back was no longer bent like a shrimp.
Su Huan noticed this and recalled a line from the original novel: “Across the Seven Continents and Four Seas lie a hundred noble clans; once one enters the Immortal Gate, golden bones wither.”
In the novel, the Black Lotus couldn’t stand the filth and nastiness hidden beneath the sanctimonious façade of the various Immortal clans. That was why, even when he had the power to save the world in the end, he chose to let the cultivation world proceed toward destruction—even actively pushing it along—while he alone shattered the boundary to become a god.
Before this sentimental mood could fully spread, Feng Jiangyue plopped down next to him and asked with a serious expression, “Junior Brother, was what you just said true?”
Of course it was a lie. But Su Huan hesitated for a split second before nodding. Compared to that utterly ridiculous rumor, he much preferred seeing the Black Lotus eat humble pie.
Seeing his hesitation, Feng Jiangyue sighed with realization. “As expected, you were just speaking out of anger.”
Su Huan’s face was full of question marks.
Everyone followed City Lord Liu to their seats. The banquet was filled with music and dancing, and the surrounding disciples happily tasted the delicious delicacies City Lord Liu had specially prepared for them. Few paid attention to their corner.
Suddenly, Feng Jiangyue waved to Xiao Jianming and smiled. “Junior Brother, come here, sit here.”
Su Huan turned pale with fright and immediately grabbed his Senior Sister who was about to stand up to give away her seat. However, Feng Jiangyue winked at her and smiled at Xiao Jianming, who had already walked over. “Couples fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot of the bed. You two have a good chat.”
Xiao Jianming nodded in thanks, a grateful smile on his face. “Many thanks, Senior Sister.”
Feng Jiangyue waved her hand. Previously, when she saw this kid probing her Junior Brother’s Purple Mansion, Su Huan hadn’t resisted much, and their spiritual energies faintly showed a trend of blending. She understood then that the rumor of “mutual affection and private exchange” was likely true.
Besides, if her Junior Brother hadn’t allowed it, how could a Qi Refining cultivator succeed against a Golden Core?
Sigh, Junior Brother is grown up; I can’t keep him forever.
However, the Sword Venerable’s disciple was a decent match for her Junior Brother.
Feng Jiangyue left, satisfied.
Su Huan got anxious and tried to stand up too, but Xiao Jianming pressed down on his shoulder. He looked at Su Huan with a wronged expression. “Shixiong, don’t be angry with me anymore, okay?”
Yet, his eyes revealed a chill, as if he would kill Su Huan the next second if he tried to escape again.
Shivering, Su Huan could only watch helplessly as the other party sat down next to him.
Xiao Jianming poured a cup of wine, the corners of his mouth hooking up slightly. “Just now, Shixiong said… who likes whom?” There was little mirth in his eyes; his tone was dangerous.
Su Huan turned his head in grief. “It’s me!”
Only then did Xiao Jianming say with realization, “So it turns out Shixiong loves me but cannot have me.”
Su Huan: “…”
Angry, Su Huan picked up his chopsticks to grab some food, intending to turn his rage into appetite, when he heard the person beside him say leisurely, “If you don’t want to die, don’t eat anything.”
The tip of Su Huan’s chopsticks trembled, and a piece of fragrant pork belly fell onto the table.
At the banquet, City Lord Liu was holding wine and giving a toast, sincerely praying for them to catch the demons soon and return peace to Liufang City. Looking at his fat head and big ears, he looked like a corrupt official no matter how you sliced it.
Su Huan’s eyes widened. He actually poisoned the food? I didn’t expect this City Lord to truly be a bad guy!
Noticing his gaze, City Lord Liu gave a simple, honest smile and raised his glass to him.
A chill ran down Su Huan’s spine. He immediately wanted to inform his Senior Sister, but Xiao Jianming held him down.
Xiao Jianming was playing with a glazed golden ball in his hand. He smiled at Su Huan, tilting his head, and said rather wickedly, “So Shixiong trusts me this much.”
Su Huan froze, only then realizing he had been played. He widened his eyes in disbelief, yet felt it wasn’t unexpected. After all, the other party was a black-hearted white lotus.
Xiao Jianming chuckled low. He lowered his eyes to glance at the spinning glazed golden ball in his hand, shining and radiant… Xiao Jianming suddenly stopped smiling.
Su Huan felt he was baffling and fickle.
With the mindset of not wasting food, he was just about to pick up the pork belly from earlier to eat it when he saw City Lord Liu walking up to him with a wine cup, smiling as he toasted him. “Is the Immortal satisfied with today’s food?”
Having just misunderstood the man, Su Huan stood up in embarrassment to return the toast. “Satisfied. If I were in the sect, I wouldn’t be able to eat such a rich spiritual meal.”
This wasn’t flattery. Everyone on Lichen Mountain practiced inedia, but he was the only one unaccustomed to it. He would often search for food to satisfy his cravings, but his own cooking skills were mediocre. Since transmigrating, he hadn’t had many good meals. Today’s meal was indeed the best one.
City Lord Liu nodded with a smile and struck up a conversation. Upon learning Su Huan was only twenty, he showed surprise and laughed, “For the Immortal to reach the Golden Core stage at such an age, with a heart so visibly sincere, your future on the path of immortality is limitless.”
Su Huan raised his head proudly.
City Lord Liu laughed heartily, then turned to smile at Xiao Jianming. “Is this Immortal satisfied with today’s food?”
These were just pleasantries, but who knew Xiao Jianming would say, “Dissatisfied.”
City Lord Liu paused, hurriedly apologizing, “Forgive my negligence, Immortal. I don’t know what suits the Immortal’s taste; shall I have someone prepare another portion for you?”
Xiao Jianming said, “No need. I’m not used to eating it.”
City Lord Liu gave an awkward smile and stopped minding the two, going to exchange pleasantries with others.
Su Huan was bewildered. Seeing that Xiao Jianming really didn’t touch a bite of food, he didn’t dare eat either. He even secretly messaged Feng Jiangyue telling her it was better to be cautious, but Feng Jiangyue didn’t think much of it, comforting him instead: “Rest assured, even if everyone betrays the Immortal Sects, Liufang City will absolutely not be among them.”
When the feast ended, the boat just happened to dock. City Lord Liu personally led the way again, settling them into the City Lord’s Manor.
As luck would have it, Su Huan was arranged next door to Xiao Jianming, while Feng Jiangyue was placed in the room furthest from the two of them.
In the dead of night, with the moon dark and the wind high, Su Huan watched in horror as the Black Lotus suddenly barged into his room. He felt it was both logical yet unexpected, and sorrowfully wrapped his blanket tighter around himself.
Eek, my life is over!
Xiao Jianming raised a barrier with a single step, ripped away his blanket, and smiled slowly in a low voice. “Senior Brother has been hiding from me for so long. Now that I’ve finally caught you, this Junior Brother needs to properly settle the previous scores with Senior Brother.”
Su Huan swallowed. “What do you want?”
In the dim light, Xiao Jianming’s cold eyes were dark and bright. He unhurriedly pulled out a dagger, raising an eyebrow. “Naturally, to return to Senior Brother, one by one, what Senior Brother wanted to do to me before.”
Su Huan shrank his neck in fear. Wasn’t that the original host’s attempt to dig out the other party’s Spirit Root?
He hesitated and said, “That’s not good, is it? Mine is definitely not as good as your original one.”
Hearing this, Xiao Jianming laughed. “Senior Brother is truly naive. Even if it is useless to me, that’s not necessarily true for others.”
Xiao Jianming approached him step by step, smiling. “With Senior Brother’s Spirit Root talent, it would be a rare commodity with a high price and no market supply in any black market.”
Xiao Jianming played with that golden glazed ball in his right hand. He thought the youth would panic, be afraid, and spawn vicious, murderous thoughts like those other people… but there was nothing.
He only saw Su Huan struggle with it for a moment before sighing with resignation. “Then go ahead.”
Su Huan closed his eyes and waited for the knife, thinking since it’s come to this, I’ll just lie flat and rot. Without a Spirit Root, he could go back to the original host’s hometown to be a rich, idle young master. That would be quite wonderful, too.
Thinking of it this way, giving up cultivation wasn’t actually impossible.
However, after waiting for a long time, the only thing that came was the question: “Why?”
Su Huan opened his eyes, only to see confusion surfacing in Xiao Jianming’s pitch-black eyes as he asked again, “Now that I am going to take your Spirit Root, why don’t you resist?”
Su Huan curled his lip, thinking, Because I can’t beat you.
Xiao Jianming lowered his eyes. “Do you not hate?”
Su Huan was stunned. He actually followed the thought carefully, and finally reached a conclusion: He was a big slacker.
Seeing no response, Xiao Jianming pressed the knife against his neck and asked, “What is Senior Brother thinking about right now?”
Su Huan subconsciously blurted out, “I’m thinking that after I go back, I won’t have to endure the hardships of cultivation anymore. I can return to my hometown and honestly be an idle young master.”
Xiao Jianming froze, then chuckled low. “Senior Brother is so interesting.”
He flipped his hand and put away the knife, smiling as he whispered softly, “Killing you so easily would be letting Senior Brother off too lightly… I should lock Senior Brother up and have you entertain me every day. If I get bored one day, then I’ll kill you.”
Su Huan’s jaw nearly dropped at his words. He almost blurted out: Brother, your thoughts are that dirty?!
But Xiao Jianming’s eyes suddenly sharpened. He reached out to cover Su Huan’s mouth, mouthing silently: Shh, don’t make a sound.
At this moment, a knocking sound came from the room next door, accompanied by Feng Jiangyue’s familiar voice: “Junior Brother, are you asleep?”
Su Huan’s eyes went wide.
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