Villainous Junior Chapter 37
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 37: Love Gu
Zenwu Sect Leader rose from his seat in shock. "God Transformation? He actually broke through to the God Transformation realm!?"
He turned his head to look at the Taixuan Sect Leader, only to find that the other also had a shocked expression.
Zenwu Sect Leader: "...What are you so shocked about? Don't tell me you didn't know!?"
"I... I really didn't know," the Taixuan Sect Leader coughed, saying a bit sourly, "This child isn't my disciple, so of course he's closest to his master."
Although the Sect Leader was extremely surprised, he understood Meng Chen's diligence and potential. With Zhongli Jing's guidance, reaching this level wasn't impossible.
Meng Chen's successful breakthrough was indeed thanks to Zhongli Jing's words that night. He realized his mentality had been problematic, and his rapid progress was due to taking shortcuts earlier by cultivating the Xuanjue technique. Since he decided to abandon this method, his future cultivation speed would certainly slow down. If his state of mind wasn't stable, progress would be even more difficult.
So he cleared his mind of distractions and prepared to let things take their natural course. Unexpectedly, while meditating the night before the competition, he accidentally broke through the barrier and successfully transitioned to the God Transformation realm.
The sword tip steadily stopped less than an inch from Lu Yuanshan's chest, then withdrew. Lu Yuanshan also put away his knife and looked deeply at Meng Chen. "I am not your match."
Meng Chen didn't say anything polite or modest in response, knowing Lu Yuanshan didn't need such words. He only said to him, "Let's fight again next time we have the chance."
Lu Yuanshan's eyes lit up. He nodded heavily, cupped his hands towards Meng Chen, and walked down from the arena.
Only then did the Taixuan Sect disciples suddenly burst into enthusiastic cheers, welcoming Meng Chen back like a returning hero. Xiao Guan stared at Meng Chen with bright eyes, shifting his bottom to make room beside him, intending to invite Meng Chen over to share his cultivation experiences. But then he watched as Meng Chen walked past him without a glance and sat down next to Xue Lang.
Xiao Guan: "..."
He hugged one of Zhao Jingchen's arms beside him and said wistfully, "Junior Brother Zhao, you're still the best."
The confused Zhao Jingchen: "...?"
Xue Lang also didn't expect Meng Chen to come back and sit directly beside him. He nervously placed both hands on his knees, rubbing them twice, and secretly glanced at Meng Chen, muttering in a low voice, "How can you be so powerful?"
Meng Chen: "Isn't being powerful a good thing?"
Xue Lang: "...Of course it's good."
But, the stronger you are, the more useless I seem.
I also want to stand in front of you forever, like how you protect me, even if it means using my flesh and blood to shield you from wind and rain, to block swords and knives.
But it seems you don't need that at all...
Xue Lang turned his head away, lowering his eyes somewhat dejectedly.
The young man's eyes were naturally very spirited, but whenever he felt down, the corners of his eyes would droop slightly, looking just like a little puppy with drooping ears. It appeared both amusing and pitifully endearing, making people want to comfort him.
Meng Chen raised his hand and gently rubbed the top of Xue Lang's head. "You're already very powerful too."
When Xue Lang first joined the sect, he was only at Foundation Building. In just a few months, he had reached the seventh layer of Golden Core, which was already a terrifying cultivation speed. Meng Chen himself had benefited from the Xuanjue technique, if he were to purely compare speed with Xue Lang, he might not necessarily win.
But Xue Lang pouted. "I'm still far behind compared to you."
Meng Chen: "Then work hard to catch up. When you surpass me someday, I'll give you a reward, like..." He paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "granting you one wish."
Xue Lang's ears immediately perked up. He suddenly turned to look at Meng Chen, thinking of something, his eyes showing a hint of hidden nervousness and anticipation. "Can... can you promise anything?"
Meng Chen averted his gaze, looking at a small flower blooming in the cracks of the stone at his feet, and softly murmured an affirmative "Mm."
Xue Lang's mouth immediately broke into a wide grin. Then, realizing he was smiling too foolishly, he quickly closed his mouth. However, that happy feeling couldn't be contained and kept bubbling out from his upturned corners of his mouth.
New disciples had already gone up to the arena to spar. With Meng Chen and Lu Yuanshan's high-level match opening the event, everyone's fighting spirit had been ignited. Although their cultivation levels weren't as high, their attitudes were extremely serious. Their eyes burned with intense fighting spirit, creating a lively atmosphere with constant cheering from the sidelines.
The battles were intense and exciting, making time pass especially quickly. When the Sect Leader announced the end of today's sparring, everyone was surprised to find that it had already gotten dark. They reluctantly left the arena, ready to go back and digest what they had learned that day.
Meng Chen was called away by the Sect Leader, probably to inquire about his progress. Xue Lang was also preparing to return to Luosong Residence to continue cultivating, when he suddenly heard someone calling his name.
He turned his head to see a Cuixia Peak disciple waving at him. He recalled that her name seemed to be Liu Xuanxuan.
He walked over and saw Liu Xuanxuan surrounded by several female disciples, busily working around a large pot about half as tall as a person. The pot was filled with a thick white soup that smelled fragrant.
Liu Xuanxuan ladled out a large bowl of soup, put it in a food box, and handed it to Xue Lang. Xue Lang hesitated for a moment. "I'm not hungry."
Liu Xuanxuan laughed at his response. "This is for Senior Brother Meng! You're close to Senior Brother Meng and live nearby, so please take this to him."
Xue Lang understood and accepted the food box, looking curious. "What is this?"
Liu Xuanxuan added more firewood under the large pot. "It's soup made from Jingyun White-clawed Chicken."
Xue Lang was stunned.
He remembered that the Jingyun White-clawed Chicken was a mid-level spirit beast, which should require at least peak Golden Core realm to deal with, and wasn't easy to catch.
"It really wasn't easy to catch," Liu Xuanxuan sighed. "We mobilized dozens of sisters and used swarm tactics to finally manage to kill that chicken. But that chicken was truly fat. Just plucking the feathers and draining the blood took an entire afternoon."
Xue Lang looked at the seemingly gentle and kind-hearted senior sisters from Cuixia Peak and imperceptibly took a small step back.
"Our cultivation levels aren't high, so we can't bring glory to our sect in the sparring competition. We can only encourage and cheer for the senior brothers and sisters who are competing," Wan Qiu said in a soft voice. "This chicken soup is very nourishing. Senior Brother Meng must have been exhausted from his battle with Lu Yuanshan today, so please take a bowl to him, Junior Brother Xue."
Xue Lang nodded. "Thank you for your hard work, Senior Sisters."
"It's no trouble," Liu Xuanxuan said with a smile. "We're planning to make some qingtuan tonight. Would you mind bringing some to Senior Brother Meng tomorrow as well?"
Xue Lang thought for a moment and asked, "Senior Sister, could you teach me how to make qingtuan?"
****
After receiving earnest encouragement and a long talk from the Sect Leader, Meng Chen came out to find it was already completely dark. He returned to Qixue Residence, bathed and groomed himself, then mentally replayed his battle with Lu Yuanshan from earlier that day, quietly identifying several areas where he could improve and committing them to memory.
Usually, he would have meditated and cultivated for another three hours, but today's battle with Lu Yuanshan, though seemingly won easily, had actually consumed a large amount of his energy, leaving his body somewhat fatigued. So he decided to be a bit lazy for once and went to bed before the hour of Xu (7-9 pm).
In his dream, his body seemed to be entangled by something, becoming unusually heavy, constantly falling and descending... Until it suddenly stopped at a certain point. Meng Chen was startled awake by this strange sense of loss of control. He abruptly opened his eyes, only to find that he was no longer in Qixue Residence.
This place seemed to be a palace. Although the decorations were exquisite and beautiful, the light was dim. Blue-green ghost fires danced in the air, and smooth skulls were scattered on the ground. Everything exuded an eerie and ghostly atmosphere.
Is this a dream?
Meng Chen saw the person walking out from the darkness while he was still alarmed and uncertain.
He slowly furrowed his brow, realizing this was probably not a simple dream.
"Senior brother." When Yin Chi saw him, he still beamed with joy like usual, but he seemed to have become thinner, and his skin was paler. Under the reflection of the ghostly blue flame, that smile inexplicably took on an eerie quality, chilling to the core.
"Senior brother, congratulations on breaking through to the God Transformation Realm." Yin Chi's peach blossom eyes stared unblinkingly at Meng Chen's face, as if he could never look enough. "But actually, I'm not happy at all. Because the more powerful Senior brother becomes, the farther away it means you are from me..." Jealousy and resentment gradually spread in his eyes as he reached out his hand towards Meng Chen.
Meng Chen immediately stepped back two paces, avoiding the touch.
Yin Chi froze for a moment, his fingers suspended in mid-air, and said softly, "Senior brother, are you now unwilling to even let me touch you?"
Meng Chen remained silent with a cold expression, discreetly observing the surrounding environment.
"Senior brother, this is indeed in your dream," Yin Chi withdrew his hand and told him. "You don't need to avoid me like a snake or scorpion, because I can't touch you right now. But it won't be long now. Soon, I will bring Senior brother over, and then..."
His eyes shone alarmingly bright, the excitement and joy in them so intense it bordered on manic. "I will have completely caught you."
"Yin Chi," Meng Chen lost his patience, "what trick are you up to again?"
In his previous life, this person was also crazy, but Meng Chen didn't remember such an incident. He had an ominous feeling in his heart, sensing that Yin Chi in this life seemed to have gone even madder.
"I can't tell you yet." Yin Chi blinked, his expression innocent and full of anticipation, like a pure child waiting to receive a gift. "When the time comes, Senior brother will be mine alone... I won't have to rely on dreams to see Senior brother every day anymore. I want you to stay with me every day, every moment, never to be apart again."
Meng Chen imagined that scene and felt his skin crawl, his expression growing increasingly cold and grim.
"Time is limited, I can't stay long," Yin Chi sighed regretfully, then seemed to think of something and once again revealed an excited smile. "However, I've prepared a gift for Senior brother. I went to great lengths to find this especially for you. You'll definitely like it."
Meng Chen's spirit tensed, and he immediately reached to draw his sword, but this was a dream, and his sword was not at his side. At the same time, he felt an invisible hot current attach to his skin, then silently seep into his blood.
This feeling was very familiar to him.
So familiar that a deep-seated hatred and loathing quickly spread throughout his body along with the hot current. In an instant, a cold killing intent surfaced in the young man's pupils.
Yin Chi's figure, however, had already faded and was gradually disappearing into the air, leaving only his smiling voice lingering intimately by Meng Chen's ear. "Although the effect of the Silk Binding will be weakened by half because it's in a dream, it's still enough for Senior brother to enjoy."
"Once Senior brother gets used to this feeling... you'll come to like it."
Yin Chi's voice finally disappeared completely. At the same moment, Meng Chen suddenly opened his eyes and sat up abruptly from the bed.
The dream had ended, but the heat on his body had not disappeared. Instead, it seemed to be burning more fiercely.
Yin Chi had used some bizarre method to place the Silk Binding on him in the dream. In his previous life, he had been tortured by this gu to the point of despair and breakdown. Although he had never let Yin Chi succeed, that feeling of his body being on the verge of losing control, as if his soul was being dragged into an endless abyss, had once made Meng Chen extremely hateful, ashamed, and self-loathing, even producing thoughts of ending his own life several times.
What he hated most in life was losing control and being powerless.
Now, that feeling had come again.
The young man got out of bed, and in the next instant, his figure had disappeared from the room.
—
Xue Lang hurried towards Qixue Residence with a food box in each hand.
In the evening, he had followed Liu Xuanxuan to learn how to make qingtuan, and it took too long. By the time they finished, the chicken soup had already cooled. He reheated the chicken soup before heading to find Meng Chen, carrying the soup in one hand and the qingtuan in the other.
It was getting a bit late. Would the other person have already gone to sleep?
If he was asleep, should he wake him up?
Maybe not. If he was sleeping this early, it meant he was tired and should rest well.
But if the qingtuan and chicken soup were left until tomorrow, they definitely wouldn't taste good.
Xue Lang was conflicted, inwardly blaming himself for being clumsy and not finishing the qingtuan earlier. As he approached Qixue Residence, he saw a familiar figure flash by in the distance, seemingly heading towards Cold Sky Waterfall.
Xue Lang was stunned. So late, and still going to Cold Sky Waterfall to practice?
Without a word, he chased after. Arriving at Cold Sky Waterfall, he indeed saw Meng Chen enter the pool. Not only that, but he had also submerged his head, his entire body sinking to the bottom of the pool.
Xue Lang drew in a sharp breath and set the two food boxes on the ground. He knew Meng Chen was always diligent, but having just been through a bitter battle during the day, and it being so late, he should have been very tired. Cultivation should be balanced with rest. He couldn't agree with freezing oneself in Cold Sky Waterfall late at night instead of sleeping.
"Um," he cleared his throat and called out, "Stop practicing for now. I brought you some food. Come up and eat a bit?"
Although separated by the pool water, with Meng Chen's hearing, there was no way he couldn't hear his voice.
Yet the water's surface remained calm, without a single ripple.
Xue Lang sensed something was wrong. He took a step forward and called with furrowed brows. "Meng Chen?"
Still no movement.
Xue Lang's expression immediately changed. Without hesitation, he jumped into Cold Sky Waterfall, dove to the bottom, and pulled the young man up.
"What's wrong with you!?" He shivered from the cold water but had no time to care about that, hurriedly checking Meng Chen's condition. Upon inspection, he was shocked. Despite being in the water bottom for so long, Meng Chen's body wasn't cold at all. Instead, it was alarmingly hot, his facial skin even showing a slight redness, which was extremely abnormal.
Meng Chen opened his eyes. Seeing who had come, his pupils trembled slightly. He immediately pushed away Xue Lang's supporting hand and turned his head, saying softly, "Don't mind me."
Xue Lang had been full of concern, but now these three words ignited his anger. "Don't mind you? I've said before that you don't keep your word! Who was it that solemnly swore earlier, promising that from now on you'd let me take care of you!?"
Meng Chen closed his eyes and bit his lip. Whether from using too much force or for some other reason, his lip color quickly turned bright red, shockingly vivid in the night.
Xue Lang increasingly felt something was wrong with him. Without another word, he rushed forward and forcibly carried him ashore, unhesitatingly pressing his fingers to Meng Chen's pulse.
"You—" The young man's face changed drastically. He suddenly clenched his teeth, his eyes exploding with bone-deep viciousness. "Who did this!?"
Although he didn't know medical arts, he could read basic pulse conditions. Given Meng Chen's pulse and his current abnormal state, what had happened was completely clear—
He had been poisoned by Love Gu!
Although Xue Lang was burning with rage, he had no time now to pursue the culprit. He immediately moved to carry Meng Chen, intending to find the Sect Leader for treatment.
"Don't go!" Meng Chen immediately reached out, tightly gripping his collar. "This poison... only the one who administered it can cure it. I'm fine, it will pass in a while. Don't go."
He was telling the truth. Only Yin Chi could cure the Silk Binding. Going to see the Sect Leader would be useless.
Moreover, he didn't want anyone to see him in such a wretched state.
Xue Lang froze, helplessly stopping, watching Meng Chen with burning anxiety.
Although Cold Sky Waterfall's water was cold, it could only lower surface temperature. Now out of the water, Meng Chen suddenly felt like a fish on land, his whole body desperately dry, as if he had been put on a blazing fire rack, about to be burned alive the next instant.
He struggled to take a few breaths, blue veins rising on his slightly reddened neck. For a moment, even his eyes turned red. "Xue Lang, let go of me."
He wasn't rejecting Xue Lang's goodwill. The young man's embrace had once made him feel secure, but at this moment, it had turned into another kind of poison.
Young people are full of vitality. Although he had been shivering from the cold in the icy pool just now, after coming ashore for just a moment, his cold body temperature began to rise. Meng Chen was held in Xue Lang's arms, tightly pressed against his firm chest. The warm body temperature transmitted continuously through the soaked clothes, like a small flame, gradually igniting into a big fire, making the raging poison in Meng Chen's body even more frenzied.
Looking at the young man's restrained expression, Xue Lang immediately realized the problem. He released the person in his arms, walked to Cold Sky Waterfall, and plunged in. After freezing himself until his lips turned white and every inch of skin became icy cold again, he immediately climbed ashore, shivering as he pulled Meng Chen back into his embrace.
The cold air slightly cleared Meng Chen's mind, and his eyes showed a hint of bewilderment. "What... are you doing?"
"Cooling down. Although it doesn't cure the root cause, at least it can make you feel a bit better."
Meng Chen reached out to push him away. "I'll go myself..."
"No. Staying in Cold Sky Waterfall for such a long time like you did earlier will only cause a more severe backlash from the poison, causing too much damage to your body." Xue Lang grasped his hand, resolutely holding him tighter. "This way of cooling down at least provides some buffer."
As he spoke, he noticed his body temperature starting to rise again. He immediately released Meng Chen and once more plunged into the pool.
"Xue Lang, come up!" Meng Chen called out in a trembling voice, struggling to prop himself up to pull him. Xue Lang quickly climbed up, pressing Meng Chen back into his embrace with his chilled body. "Be good, don't move... Just endure a little longer, it'll be over soon."
In the past, he had always been like an easily agitated little wolf pup in front of Meng Chen. But at this moment, although his actions were forceful, his tone was gentle, like a patient and reliable adult comforting a sick, feverish child.
He held Meng Chen for a while, then jumped into the pool for the fourth time.
Meng Chen's eyes slowly turned red.
"I'm not cold, really." Seemingly understanding the young man's gaze, Xue Lang tried to make his frozen face smile, controlling his frantically chattering teeth as he spoke. He embraced Meng Chen with his icy body temperature, gently rocking him soothingly. "I often come here to practice. This bit of cold is nothing. Really..."
Meng Chen reached out, grasping the young man's ice-encrusted collar, pressing his burning cheek against his chest, hiding the glimmer of tears at the corner of his eyes.
A barely audible murmur disappeared into the quietly passing night wind.
"Fool..."
