Villainous Junior Chapter 23
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 23: The Past
Three days later, the Taixuan Secret Realm officially opened.
As dangers and opportunities coexisted in the secret realm, compared to exploring alone, most disciples chose to form small teams to enter the realm, so they could look after each other in case of unexpected situations. At present, an exploration team of ten people was entering the realm one after another.
"Before I came in, I heard an elder say that to reduce disciple casualties, the elders had labeled various areas in the realm according to danger levels," one disciple said as they walked. "Green labels were the lowest risk areas, accessible to Foundation Establishment realm cultivators. Orange labels indicated higher risk, suitable for Golden Core realm to explore. Red labels represented extremely dangerous areas, only accessible to high-level Golden Core disciples in groups or Nascent Soul disciples. As for black labels... the elders said, if you want to come out alive, stay far away from those places."
Another person timidly shrank his head and exclaimed, "Then those black label areas, wouldn't they only be accessible to high-level Nascent Soul cultivators or even higher?"
"Yes, even the three senior brothers from Tianji Peak probably wouldn't dare to take risks lightly there," the previous disciple said. "Don't think too much about it. We're all newcomers, so it's good enough to honestly go to the green areas for experience. In my opinion, no matter how good treasures or secret manuals are, they're not as important as our own lives."
The others nodded in agreement, and some laughed and said, "We have a big group, and with Xue Lang here, perhaps we could try exploring the orange areas too."
These people were new disciples who had entered Taixuan Sect together this year. They had previously gone down the mountain together for experience, and their relationships had grown much closer. So for this secret realm exploration, they had actively gathered together again.
"Speaking of which, Xue Lang's luck is really incredible. When he first entered, he was invited to Tianji Peak by Senior Brother Meng. Last time when he was stung by the Thorn Demon, I was so scared, fearing for his life. But the next day, hey, he directly broke through from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core!"
The speaker was the person who had shared a room with Xue Lang at the inn last time. The other disciples obviously knew about this too, and they all sighed in admiration, jokingly asking the silent youth in the group. "Where does your luck come from? Can you share some with us?"
But the youth had been walking with his head down, lost in his own thoughts. Only when someone nudged his arm did he look up, his expression somewhat dazed. "What's the matter?"
"You've been distracted since earlier," someone asked with concern. "Are you alright?"
Xue Lang slowly shook his head. "...It's nothing."
All his worries were unnecessary.
After all, that person had said they were no longer involved with each other.
—
Meng Chen ignored the black label floating in mid-air and entered this domain alone.
This place was called "Black Water Pool". Legend had it that a "Mermaid Silk Robe" was hidden inside, made from mermaid scales, extremely sturdy, and an excellent protective magical artifact. But obtaining it was not easy, because there was a vicious beast in the Black Water Pool, as large as a mountain and extremely brutal. It especially enjoyed eating humans alive. To get the treasure robe, one first had to get past this beast.
The further he went, the colder the air became. Passing through a patch of withered woods, he indeed saw a pool of water stretching across in front, blocking the path forward. The pool water was pitch black, as if gathered from ink. The water surface was waveless and calm, with dragonflies occasionally flying low over it, appearing very leisurely.
In the past, people were often deceived by this peaceful and tranquil scene, thinking the monster in the pool was not present. They harbored false hope and tried to cross the pool. Little did they know that the vicious beast was actually lurking underwater, its mouth open wide enough to swallow half the pool, facing upwards. It just waited for someone to walk above its mouth, then it would suddenly leap out of the water, easily swallowing the person whole and gulping them down contentedly into its stomach.
Meng Chen walked to the edge of the Black Water Pool and glanced at the calm water surface. He took out four bright red talisman papers from his bosom and directed them to fall at the four corners of the pool. When the talismans touched the water surface, not only were they not soaked, but they automatically ignited. Meng Chen made a hand seal and focused on injecting spiritual power. The four talisman papers suddenly burst into flames with a "boom" and quickly spread into four lines of fire, surrounding the entire pool.
The black water was reflected red by the firelight. Gradually, the water surface was no longer calm, bubbling slightly with a gurgling sound. The entire Black Water Pool had actually been boiled!
With a "splash" accompanied by an angry and pained roar, a huge black water column shot up into the sky. Meng Chen stepped back twice, avoiding the splashing pool water, and looked up at the giant beast that had broken through the water.
The giant beast was over ten meters long, completely black with light cloud-like patterns. Its tail was thick, long, and strong, covered with hard barbs. Judging by its appearance, it turned out to be a Yin Cloud Crocodile!
The Yin Cloud Crocodile heavily swung its thick tail, stirring up a small hurricane that extinguished all the flames in the pool. It slowly turned its huge head, its yellow eyes viciously fixated on the young man by the water. In the next instant, it suddenly opened its blood-filled mouth full of sharp teeth and pounced towards the youth with a low roar!
The pool water surged and splashed. Meng Chen's toes lightly touched the ground as he leaped high into the air. His long sword made a "clang" sound as it unsheathed. He executed a move called "Milky Way Nine Heavens", chopping down towards the giant crocodile's head.
Swords were typically known as "gentlemen among weapons", but this move was executed with such ruthless intensity that it carried a bit of the domineering spirit of a saber. At the same time, it was infused with the profound power of the Nascent Soul realm. If it were an ordinary vicious beast, it would likely have been split in two immediately. However, the Yin Cloud Crocodile's body was covered in hard scales, and even its head was impenetrable. The sword light struck sparks off the giant crocodile's body, but was forcefully deflected!
Meng Chen flipped and landed, looking at the unscathed Yin Cloud Crocodile with a slight frown.
The Yin Cloud Crocodile narrowed its eyes and swung its tail rather smugly, as if mocking this tiny human's overconfidence.
This crocodile was indeed difficult to deal with. It seemed that giving up would be the wisest course of action, but Meng Chen didn't know how to retreat in the face of difficulty. He advanced with his sword, charging towards the giant crocodile again. The giant crocodile was also angered by this human's repeated provocations. It propped itself up on its front legs, raising its body with a roar, and stretched out its head to bite Meng Chen. This time, Meng Chen didn't dodge. Instead, he moved forward with the momentum and actively leaped into the giant crocodile's mouth!
The giant crocodile was stunned, not expecting its food to deliver itself so willingly. Just as it was narrowing its eyes, preparing to swallow the food contentedly, its body suddenly froze.
Countless tiny sword lights burst forth from between its scales. The giant crocodile opened its mouth in terror, trying to spit out the person it had swallowed, but it was too late.
Hundreds and thousands of sword lights grew increasingly bright, completely engulfing the giant crocodile's enormous body. Before the crocodile could even let out a scream, it was cut into countless pieces from the inside out.
The Black Water Pool was stained red with blood. Meng Chen stood on the remains of the giant crocodile's corpse, looking at the bloodstains on his body with disgust. He took off his blood-soaked outer robe and casually threw it away, then crossed the Black Water Pool and continued inward.
The path ahead didn't encounter any more fierce beasts, becoming eerily calm. Until a deep cave appeared in sight, Meng Chen carefully observed at the entrance for a moment before walking in with his sword in hand.
—
"Wow, there's so much Jade Dew Grass here, we can make lots of Jade Dew Pills!"
Jade Dew Pills had beauty and nourishing effects, which girls especially loved. Lian Zhi was happily crouching on the ground picking herbs when she saw Xue Lang suddenly throw down the herbs in his hand and stand up, turning to walk away.
"Xue Lang," she hurriedly called out, "where are you going?"
"I have something to take care of for a while," Xue Lang's heart had been inexplicably pounding hard since earlier. Without looking back, he said, "I'll be right back."
The other disciples looked at each other in confusion, watching as the young man walked faster and faster, then ran away in big strides, disappearing from their sight.
—
The light in the cave was dim. Meng Chen lit a fire talisman, observing the surrounding environment as he walked.
The air in the cave was dry, the walls clean. He walked for a long time without encountering any traps or poisonous creatures.
It was different from what he had imagined.
Abnormal calmness implied deeper danger. Meng Chen didn't dare relax his vigilance at all. He walked all the way to the end, where he saw a Mermaid Silk Robe quietly placed on a stone platform.
The treasure robe emitted a clear light like moonlight, with a pure aura. It was truly a top-grade treasure. Meng Chen cautiously explored the surroundings, still finding nothing unusual.
Although doubts remained in his heart, Meng Chen still reached out and took the Mermaid Silk Robe. It was only after taking it that he noticed some faint characters carved on the stone platform where the robe had been placed. It read "Heartless Formation".
Meng Chen inwardly cursed his bad luck and immediately tried to retreat. Only then did he realize that his limbs had unknowingly lost all strength, and his vision had become blurry.
With a "clang", the long sword fell to the ground, making a clear, resonant sound.
—
When he opened his eyes again, Meng Chen found himself still in a cave.
However, this cave was different from the one he had entered earlier. It was more spacious and brighter—lit not by cheap oil lamps, but by precious night pearls. The surroundings were extremely luxurious, with a jade-carved bed covered in smooth, soft silk blankets, and several large bookshelves made of golden silk nanmu wood against the wall, fully stocked with rare and ancient scrolls.
If one ignored the confined environment, this place looked more like the lavish chamber of some noble or aristocrat.
Looking at this familiar scene, Meng Chen's face turned extremely ugly. He immediately looked down and indeed saw a thin golden chain attached to his right ankle, meandering on the ground and extending deep into the wall.
The scene he didn't want to revisit even in dreams reappeared before his eyes. Meng Chen's hands began to tremble uncontrollably. He tried to mobilize his spiritual power, but as expected, his meridians were completely empty. Not only had his spiritual power disappeared without a trace, but he barely had any strength left, too weak to even clench his fists.
His limbs had now been crippled.
——
Meng Chen remembered that it all started when demonic cultivators disturbed the residents of a border town. The civilians sought help from Taixuan Sect, and the sect leader ordered him to lead a team of disciples to investigate the situation.
To avoid alerting their targets, the team, including him, had only eight people. After reaching the border town, he ordered everyone to split into four groups, investigating along different routes, agreeing to regroup after two hours.
Then, things spiraled out of control.
He inexplicably lost consciousness during the investigation. When he regained consciousness, he was holding his sword, which was covered in blood. Four junior disciples were scattered around him, their bodies already cold.
While he was still in shock and confusion, the sect elders who had received the distress signal had already arrived in person, along with two disciples from the investigation team. The two disciples wore expressions of terror and horror, pointing at him with trembling jaws. "Senior Brother Meng, I saw with my own eyes Senior Brother Meng kill Zhang Yao and the other three!!"
Seeing his fellow disciples dead before him had already left Meng Chen heartbroken and at a loss. He never imagined he would be identified as the killer. He immediately denied instinctively. "I didn't!"
The Disciplinary Elder looked at him gravely and said to that disciple, "Recount what you saw in detail, without a single false word!"
The disciple suppressed his fear and recalled, "After we arrived at the border town, Senior Brother Meng had us split into pairs to investigate separately. When Duan Yi and I returned to the meeting point after our investigation, we saw Senior Brother Meng kill three people in succession from afar, finally stabbing his sword into Zhang Yao's heart!"
Duan Yi also nodded vigorously beside him, "It's absolutely true, we're not lying! Our cultivation level is far below Senior Brother Meng's, we knew going up would only be sending ourselves to death, so we immediately fled and hid, and sent a distress signal to the sect."
Apart from these two disciples, another disciple who was in the same group as Meng Chen also survived. However, that disciple had fainted during the investigation, and the elders found him in an alley after they arrived. When he woke up, he looked confused and had no idea what had happened during that time.
After hearing the accounts of these three people, the elders turned their gaze to Meng Chen, asking urgently, "What exactly happened?"
Meng Chen was one of Taixuan Sect's most outstanding disciples. The elders had observed his usual behavior and mostly believed in his character, not thinking he would harm his fellow disciples.
He had no motive to do such a thing.
Unexpectedly, after a long silence, Meng Chen said, "I don't remember."
Under the elders' astonished gazes, Meng Chen truthfully said, "Like Junior Brother Tong, I inexplicably lost consciousness for a period of time. When I woke up, I saw that the four junior brothers... had already been killed."
Elder Bu Yunjian of Wuzhao Peak walked to the bodies of the killed disciples, carefully examining the wounds, and said concisely, "All died from a sword piercing the heart. The swordsman's control over spiritual power was masterful, only possible for those above the Nascent Soul realm. The Taixuan Sword Technique was used, and traces of Ice Soul essence remained at the wound sites. The attacker must have a water spirit root."
All of these points matched Meng Chen perfectly.
If Meng Chen had firmly denied it, perhaps someone was deliberately framing him. But Meng Chen said he didn't remember.
The faces of several elders gradually grew solemn. Yu Nian had always liked Meng Chen as a disciple and couldn't help speaking up for him. "Even if... even if Meng Chen killed them, he had lost consciousness at the time, doesn't that prove he was being controlled? This might be a plot by demonic cultivators! We absolutely can't fall for their trap and harm our own people!"
As the elders hesitated, one person spoke softly, "It rained last night, there's standing water on the ground."
The speaker's voice was clear and pleasant, like jade beads clinking together. It was a woman. Looking over, they saw it was Elder Bai Bi of Cuixia Peak. Her expression was cold, her voice flat and calm. Yu Nian heard this and suddenly realized. "Right, we can use the Tracing Technique to recreate the scene at that time!"
The "Tracing Back Technique" was an extremely profound technique that only those above the Refining Void Realm could perform. As long as there were things like water or mirrors nearby that could reflect images, it could recreate the scene within an hour.
So Disciplinary Elder Fu Yan personally cast the spell. Everyone watched as a "water mirror" about half a person's height appeared in the air. Images gradually appeared on the mirror, one of which was Meng Chen. He walked from afar and, as a disciple approached to report the investigation results to him, he unexpectedly drew his sword and killed the disciple under his blade without warning. Then, while the other disciples were still in shock and before they could react, he silently killed two more in succession.
The last remaining person was Zhang Yao. Looking at Meng Chen's cold expression, he also realized that the other might be under some kind of control. With reddened eyes, he called out in a trembling voice. "Senior Brother Meng, wake up! It's me, Zhang Yao!!"
Unexpectedly, Meng Chen actually responded.
"Immortals and demons walk different paths. From now on, don't call me senior brother anymore." After saying this, he raised his sword and struck, killing the fourth person. The young man flicked the blood droplets off his sword, turned his face expressionlessly, and a faint, ominous red light flashed in his pale eyes.
The image disappeared, leaving everyone greatly shaken, looking at Meng Chen in disbelief.
He had actually turned to the demonic path!
The Tracing Back Technique couldn't be faked, and Meng Chen had personally said "Immortals and demons walk different paths," proving he was clear-minded at the time, not unconscious during the killings as he claimed!
Although the elders were emotionally unwilling to believe it, the facts and evidence were right before their eyes. Throughout history, there were numerous examples of immortal cultivators turning to the demonic path, with a large proportion being powerful cultivators or young geniuses. They craved power and breakthroughs, gradually turning it into an obsession. If their mental state wasn't stable, a single misstep could lead them onto an evil path with no return.
Now, it seemed Meng Chen had also taken this road.
Fu Yan's face was ashen as he shouted. "Do you have anything else to say!"
"It wasn't me," Meng Chen's expression was somewhat pale after watching the water mirror, but his eyes were determined as he repeated clearly, word by word, "I don't remember what happened, but I absolutely did not kill anyone while conscious, nor did I say those words."
But now, his words were no longer trustworthy.
When a person turns to the demonic path, their mental state undergoes a drastic change. The exterior might still be the same person, but what lies beneath the skin is uncertain.
Who could discern truth from lies in the words of a demon?
Fu Yan strode forward, placing his palm on Meng Chen's shoulder to examine his aura, and indeed detected a faint demonic energy. The last glimmer of hope was extinguished. Extremely disappointed, Fu Yan struck the young man's shoulder with his palm, forcing him to kneel heavily on the ground, then waved his hand to release demon-suppressing chains, binding the young man.
"Taixuan Sect disciple Meng Chen, having fallen to the demonic path and harmed fellow disciples, is to be immediately escorted back to Taixuan Sect and imprisoned in the dungeon. I will immediately report to Immortal Lord Zhongli, requesting his swift return to personally cleanse the sect!"
Meng Chen was imprisoned in the Taixuan dungeon. As a disciple of Tianji Peak, it was most appropriate for Zhongli Jing to handle him personally. Moreover, Zhongli Jing was at the Great Perfection realm and could use the "Soul Capture Technique" to invade Meng Chen's mind with his divine sense, personally checking if he was lying or had truly turned demonic. If Meng Chen was innocent, his name must be cleared; if not, then there was nothing more to say.
Unfortunately, Zhongli Jing had just entered closed-door cultivation. He had always been focused on seeking the Dao, ignoring worldly matters. Once in seclusion, no one could contact him. The elders had no choice but to assign people to guard the dungeon strictly, waiting for Zhongli Jing to emerge before deciding on further action.
Who would have thought that just three days later, Meng Chen would be rescued from the Taixuan dungeon.
Even Meng Chen himself hadn't expected this turn of events.
The dungeon environment was dark, and when he was imprisoned, all his spiritual power had been sealed. His eyesight and hearing were not as keen as before. He only vaguely heard some commotion, then saw a group of black-clothed people cut through the chains and break into the cell, drugging him unconscious and taking him away.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw Yin Chi's face full of concern.
"Senior Brother, you're awake!" Seeing him open his eyes, Yin Chi immediately sighed in relief, then asked concernedly, "Are you dizzy? I'm sorry, I didn't expect those useless people to be so heavy-handed, using so much anesthetic..."
Meng Chen heard this and, connecting the cause and effect, immediately guessed what he had done. He felt both angry and anxious. Disregarding his dizziness and blurred vision, he sat up at once and urgently said, "Don't do anything stupid! How could you possibly break into Taixuan's dungeon!? If Elder Fu discovers this, a hundred lashes won't be enough for you! Quick, before this gets out of hand, take me back!"
Yin Chi hurriedly reached out to support him, saying with concern, "Don't move so hastily, your head must be hurting... I won't do that. The dungeon is dark and cold, and who knows how long you'd have to stay there. I won't let Senior Brother suffer like that."
Meng Chen knew his junior brother had always been willful and reckless. He could only patiently advise, "I know you're worried about me, but the innocent have nothing to fear. Since I didn't do those things, I have nothing to be afraid of. Now that you've forcibly broken me out, won't it just confirm my guilt?"
Yin Chi looked at him for a while, then said, "Senior Brother, the people I sent intentionally left traces of demonic cultivation. Your charges can no longer be cleared."
Meng Chen didn't understand what he meant at all. "...What do you mean?"
"I've wanted to take Senior Brother away for a long time," Yin Chi smiled and said softly. "There are too many disgusting things in the sect, always restlessly eyeing Senior Brother. And this false accusation and framing, who knows what vicious person did it. Those elders are even more laughable. They usually praise you as the sect's most promising disciple, but when something happened, not one of them was willing to believe you."
"But I'm different. I'll always believe in you, I'll never harm you..." Yin Chi held Meng Chen's hand, his beautiful almond eyes full of hope. "So, Senior Brother, will you come with me?"
Meng Chen finally noticed something was wrong with him.
Only then did he look around at his surroundings. This was a completely unfamiliar cave, enclosed and with no visible exit. Luminous pearls were inlaid in the surrounding walls for lighting. Common items like tables and chairs were all present. Against the wall were even several rows of bookshelves filled with books, and a few pots of precious flowers placed in corners for decoration.
Such meticulous and thoughtful arrangements could not have been completed in just a day or two.
In other words, this place had been prepared before he entered the dungeon.
Seeing his expression, Yin Chi knew he had realized something, so he frankly admitted, "Senior Brother guessed correctly. I prepared this place a month ago. But I always felt it was missing many things. I wanted to bring everything you like most. Now that you're here, tell me if you need anything, and I'll get it for you right away."
Meng Chen shook off his hand and called out his full name. "Yin Chi, what madness are you up to?"
"I'm not mad," Yin Chi said seriously. "I've wanted to do this for a long time. Actually, I had originally planned to fake Senior Brother's death, but the ancestral hall of Taixuan Sect has life tablets for every disciple, so that would have been easily discovered. The person who framed you this time is hateful, but they coincidentally helped me - the sect all thinks you've turned to demonic cultivation, and now they think you've defected with demonic cultivators. When they can't find you, they'll probably give up."
"So for now, Senior Brother will have to bear with staying here for a while. When things quiet down outside, I'll take you away." Seeming to recall some long-anticipated scenes, joy that couldn't be suppressed flowed from the youth's eyes. He couldn't help reaching out to smooth Meng Chen's slightly disheveled hair, saying gently, "Then, no matter where we go, it will be just you and me, Senior Brother."
His fingers intentionally or unintentionally brushed against Meng Chen's cheek, with an abnormally high temperature, bringing a strange tingling sensation. Meng Chen's heart trembled, and he immediately pushed away his hand. An unbelievable guess rose in his mind. "You..."
Yin Chi, seeing his shocked expression, couldn't help but smile. His smile carried a hint of coquetry and complaint: "Senior Brother is really too slow, only realizing it now. You've always treated me like a child, saying I'm like your little brother..."
"But I don't want to hear that at all." He stared intensely at the face before him that he had longed for day and night, never getting enough. "I want to be with Senior Brother. I want to make you mine."
The youth shed his disguise of innocence and harmlessness, revealing his long-hidden passionate desire. For the first time, his gaze fell so openly and willfully on the lips of the person in front of him. His heart surged with heat, passionate and intense, and he couldn't help but lean in for a kiss.
With a crisp "slap", the sound of a sharp slap rang out in the air.
Meng Chen lowered his hand, disappointment and anger filling his entire chest. "So, for your own selfish desires, you could disregard our years of brotherhood, and knowing I was framed, you still kicked me when I was down, letting me bear the evil reputation of cultivating evil ways and killing fellow disciples!?"
"Yin Chi, do you have no conscience!?"
Yin Chi paused for a moment, slowly turning his slapped face back, and said softly: "I know this is unfair to you. But Senior Brother, I had no choice."
"I've had enough. If I stayed at Tianji Peak for a lifetime, you would always treat me as your junior brother. I'm tired of this game of brotherly affection," he said. "I know you might regret saving me back then, but it's too late now - I was born with a worthless life, I can give up everything, but I can't give up you."
From the moment the young man had held him in his arms when he was near death, gently wiping the blood from his face, in this life, his eyes could never accommodate anyone else.
