Chapter 5: Entering the Heart Tribulation Illusion and Losing Memories — Good Brothers Turning into Enemies…
Xiao Jianming felt a momentary trance.
Gripping his sword, blood dripped steadily down the blade. Subconsciously, he cast a spell to wipe it clean.
Not far away, a colossal demon beast crashed to the ground, its massive bulk kicking up a cloud of dust. Xiao Jianming didn’t even spare it a glance as he flew straight up on his sword.
He remembered that he was the Chief Disciple of the Xuanji Sect, the number one immortal sect in the world, and a paragon of the sect. He had come here on his master’s orders to eliminate demons.
Ten years ago, during a heavy snowstorm that sealed the mountains, he had staggered forward alone, clutching the relic his mother left him. The demons filling the mountains lurked in the shadows, coveting his flesh and blood, yet they feared the pressure radiating from the relic in his hand and dared not approach.
Just as he was about to freeze to death, he met the current number one Sword Venerable of the cultivation world. The Sword Venerable, gentle and kind by nature, not only took him in and cleaned him up, letting him eat his fill, but also accepted him as a disciple, teaching him worldly principles and the way of the sword.
To repay the Sword Venerable’s kindness, he cultivated desperately, eventually becoming the sect’s Chief Disciple.
“Dashixiong, you’ve returned.” The disciples who saw him bowed with smiles, their eyes full of admiration and awe.
“Dashixiong has advanced in rank again!”
He nodded slightly in acknowledgement and walked back to his residence.
His small courtyard had been personally selected by his master. Located halfway up the mountain, deep within a peach forest, every spring would bring a brilliant display of red clouds. Peach blossoms would drift into the yard, accompanied by waves of refreshing fragrance.
There was also a crooked old peach tree in the yard where he usually practiced his swordplay.
Once he finished his practice, the Sword Venerable sent a sound transmission talisman with instructions: “It is our sect’s turn to host the Immortal Alliance Conference this time; you will preside over it. As your teacher, I have summarized some key details for you; come and collect them.”
Xiao Jianming accepted as usual.
But he felt… that this wasn’t right.
Everything before him seemed to be what he wanted, yet he remembered that he seemed… not destined to live such a smooth and unhindered life.
And what he sought was not something so simple.
As if to verify his doubts, although his fellow disciples held respect, admiration, or jealousy toward him, it was always like looking at flowers through fog or the moon in water; everyone kept a respectful distance, avoiding him like the plague.
And when the Sword Venerable, who treated him like a son, saw him, a strange glint would always shine through those kind eyes, as if calculating something—appearing sincere, but in reality, heartless.
He could sense the emotions of those around him; the spiritual energy they radiated carried malice, more or less.
There was only one person who was different.
That person lived in a dilapidated wooden hut in the back mountains, raising a child. Although his appearance showed not a trace of villainy, he would occasionally bare his teeth and make grotesque faces, then grin and ask the child, “Xiao Zhao, Xiao Zhao, look quickly—do I look like a villain this time?”
That pretentiously vicious face was truly ugly.
But he was the only person from whom Xiao Jianming felt no malice.
One day, a group of fierce, evil-looking men barged into that small wooden hut, clamoring for compensation. Only then did Xiao Jianming learn that the person’s parents had lost money doing business, owed debts everywhere they couldn’t repay, and had actually committed suicide, abandoning the two brothers to struggle with the debt.
That person put on a fierce front every day only because he wanted those people to come at him and not touch his younger brother.
Unfortunately, it was useless. The group grabbed his brother, threatening to chop off the child’s hand if the money wasn’t repaid. The person went to stop them but was shoved into the muddy water, his simple white robes instantly becoming filthy.
Xiao Jianming watched coldly.
Yet, there was still not a shred of malice.
Xiao Jianming felt a sudden, inexplicable irritation. His long sword unsheathed.
With one strike, he eliminated that group of eyesores. Xiao Jianming lowered his eyes to look at the person and couldn’t help but mock, “Possessing a Golden Core in vain, yet you can’t even defeat mortals.”
The person froze, his face full of confusion. Then, as if remembering something, he scrambled up and beamed brilliantly at the child. “Right, Xiao Zhao! I’m cultivating immortality now; I can earn money to treat your illness! Are you happy?”
The child named Xiao Zhao, eyes brimming with tears, laughed as soon as he heard him speak. Two rows of neat white teeth were missing a front tooth, leaving a gap, so his speech was leaky: “Happwy! Bwother is the bwest!”
Xiao Jianming was stunned.
It was clear this person’s life was arduous, yet he couldn’t understand—why did this person harbor no resentment in his heart?
Thinking this, he asked it aloud.
The person paused, then smiled shyly. “Resentment? That’s useless. As long as Xiao Zhao and I are living well, that’s enough.”
Xiao Jianming remained silent. But in his heart, he scoffed: Fool.
Let’s see if he feels hate after I kill that child.
Thinking this, the tip of his sword slowly turned.
Just then, the child beside the person tugged at his sleeve and pouted toward Xiao Jianming. A look of chagrin appeared on the person’s face. He then cupped his fists in a salute filled with the air of the martial world. “I am Su Huan! Many thanks to this hero for the rescue. Great kindness needs no words of thanks; I’ll treat you to wine another day…”
Xiao Jianming thought of something and lowered his head, his pitch-black lashes obscuring the look in his eyes.
He sheathed his sword. Seemingly unaware that he was also just a half-grown youth, he pretended to be aloof and said, “I am Xiao Jianming.”
Later, the entire sect knew that their genius Dashixiong had made a young friend.
However, that was already five years ago.
Ever since the little tyke beside the youth disappeared, the two had become like strangers, never speaking another word to each other.
It was the first clear day after a spring rain. The tips of the grass hung with undried raindrops, crystal clear and trembling.
Su Huan carried a bag of sugar lotus seeds—Su Zhao’s favorite—and many assorted pastries. He slowly climbed halfway up the mountain, pushed aside the curtain of green grass hanging over the tombstone, lit the incense candles, and touched the slightly damp stone tablet with his fingertips, smiling. “Xiao Zhao, I’ve come to see you.”
As usual, he rambled on about interesting things that had happened recently:
“Ah-Huang, raised by Senior Brother Wei, learned to control fire and finally stopped singing Senior Brother’s hair.”
“Did you know? Two days ago, when the Sect Master discussed holding the Immortal Alliance Conference, Master Chongjiang was so scared he went into seclusion again. It nearly drove Senior Sister Feng crazy; she cursed at his cave entrance about being an unworthy teacher and irresponsible, and she even grabbed Senior Brother Yin to be my father…”
Speaking of this, Su Huan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “If Senior Brother Wei hadn’t been there, us brothers would have gained an extra dad.”
He paused, the smile in his eyes fading into a baseless silence. He lowered his eyes and whispered, “There’s one more thing. Before Master Chongjiang went into seclusion, he took in a final disciple. He’s the same age as you and also loves sweets.”
“A six-year-old milk baby, teeth not even fully grown, yet clamoring all day to attend the Immortal Alliance Conference…”
Su Huan paused, then smiled slowly. “Xiao Zhao, you always said big brother is the best. Now that big brother is going to participate in the Immortal Alliance Conference, if I don’t bring back first place, wouldn’t I be letting down your expectations for me?”
“Pfft, hahaha…”
A burst of mocking laughter came from the end of the waist-high grass, along the desolate mountain path. Several Xuanji Sect disciples had heard his words and jeered one after another:
“Did you hear that? This guy actually delusions of taking the top spot?”
“Truly doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. He can’t even beat Dashixiong within the sect, yet he wants to take first place in the Immortal Alliance?”
“Exactly, he should take a piss and look at his own reflection…”
The expression on Su Huan’s face faded. He retorted silently in his heart: Xiao Jianming has never fought me; who knows who would win or lose? I’ve been cultivating bitterly all these years; I’m amazing too.
But he didn’t say it out loud, because the experience of the past five years told him that speaking up would only invite doubly harsh ridicule and unnecessary trouble.
Just as the incense candles burned out, Su Huan stood up to leave. But those people wouldn’t let him off. They followed behind him, seemingly casually but speaking loudly and deliberately for him to hear:
“If you ask me, the top spot of this conference will definitely go to the Xuanji Sect. However, the candidate can only be one person.”
A companion beside him played the straight man: “Who?”
The disciple glanced out of the corner of his eye at Su Huan, who was only looking down at the path, and shouted, “Naturally, it’s Dashixiong!”
“Dashixiong possesses the Heavenly Spirit Root, the most talented in history, the youngest Nascent Soul genius in a century. The title of Number One in the Immortal Sects naturally belongs to him!”
After saying that, he sighed exaggeratedly. “As for some people… truly ungrateful. Dashixiong was kind-hearted; seeing him lonely in the sect, he made friends with him. Who knew this person turned out to be the venomous snake in ‘The Farmer and the Snake’? Not only did he not cherish it, but he also dared to openly break ties with Dashixiong for no reason. Truly heartless, unjust, and shameless…”
Su Huan stopped.
That disciple clamored even more aggressively, clearly there to pick a fight. “Look, he’s getting anxious after just a few words! What, want to fight? I’ll oblige you…”
A spring breeze brushed past the treetops, revealing a figure.
The moment he saw clearly who it was, the disciple instantly went mute.
It took a good while before he stammered, “Da… Dashixiong…”
Xiao Jianming was leaning against the tree, holding his sword. He looked down, his thin lips parting slightly to spit out two cold words—
“Noisy.”
The few disciples who had come to trouble Su Huan didn’t dare say another word. The disciples on the left and right tugged fearfully at the sleeves of the one in the middle, wanting to leave quickly. Who knew their ‘good brother’ would stand rooted to the spot for a long time.
It seemed he couldn’t understand why the seemingly noble and moon-bright Dashixiong, who had clearly broken ties with that villain Su Huan, was still willing to speak up in his defense. It was as if he had been bewitched. His expression was full of indignation.
He couldn’t comprehend—it was clearly all Su’s fault, so why was Dashixiong willing to be so warm to a cold shoulder? A rush of hot blood surged to his head, and he gritted his teeth, shouting a question: “Dashixiong, Su Huan failed you so; why do you still protect him?!”
As soon as the words fell, the wind settled, and the trees went still.
Su Huan turned around, looking at him in astonishment, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
What is this guy saying? He hadn’t heard Xiao Jianming defending him; that tone was clearly just disgust that his ears were being disturbed.
This person was just like that—moody and unpredictable.
The disciples on the left and right looked terrified upon hearing this. One hurriedly tried to cover his mouth, begging in a whisper, “Stop talking! Dashixiong hates it most when people ask him that. If you ask again, he’ll get angry…”
The other echoed in a low voice, trying to drag him away, “Have you forgotten how Dashixiong got angry before…”
After saying that, he couldn’t help but shiver, wanting to flee the scene even more.
But that disciple broke free from the two, staring stubbornly at the person in the tree, faintly revealing a paranoid attachment, as if he wouldn’t rest without an answer.
Seeing this, Su Huan couldn’t help but silently applaud his courage in his heart. However, he didn’t want to stay in this tense situation. Taking advantage of everyone’s attention being on the figure sitting in the tree, he quietly inched toward the path down the mountain.
Suddenly, he saw Xiao Jianming let out a light sneer. The man sat entirely within the tree’s shadow, his expression obscured, his tone frosty and indifferent—
“Who is that?”
“I don’t know him.”
Su Huan instantly froze in place.
Unable to recover his senses for a long time.
Author’s Note:
Before falling in love—
Xiao: Who is that? I don’t know him.
Su: …
After falling in love—
Su: Who are you? I don’t know you.
Xiao (wiping cold sweat frantically): Well, everyone has a phase of youthful arrogance…
Su: →_→
Xiao: (Instantly kneeling to beg forgiveness) Wifey, I was wrong!!!
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