Villainous Junior Chapter 4
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 4: Uniform
The little evil dog's face turned red as he stared at Meng Chen for a while, but ultimately admitted defeat and was about to run away with his tail between his legs.
Meng Chen. "Wait."
Xue Lang screeched to a halt and turned back. "Wh-what do you want!"
Meng Chen advised. "In the future, if anyone asks you to do something, don't force yourself. Just come find me."
"Mind your own business!" Xue Lang grumbled, then lowered his head and disappeared in a flash.
Meng Chen watched the young man's panicked figure rush away like a wolf chasing a pig, and couldn't help but chuckle softly again. Only then did he make a hand sign to dry his wet clothes before returning to Qixue Residence.
Yin Chi was surprisingly still there, standing motionless in front of the banana tree in the courtyard. When he saw Meng Chen return, his peach blossom eyes immediately fixed tightly on him.
The lingering smile in Meng Chen's eyes gradually disappeared. He walked straight towards the house without looking sideways, passing by Yin Chi and saying coldly, "Go reflect under the Cold Sky Waterfall for five hours."
Yin Chi's body stiffened, then he suddenly turned around and asked in disbelief. "What?"
The young man seemed too lazy to repeat himself and stepped into the house. Yin Chi gritted his teeth and followed, blocking the young man's path. "Senior Brother, you're punishing me for a disciple who just joined!?"
He couldn't believe it no matter what, even suspecting that he had misheard.
He knew best how much Senior Brother cared for him. When he first came to Tianji Peak, the residual poison in his body hadn't cleared, and he had to drink large bowls of medicine every day. Moreover, most cultivating disciples had already abstained from food, so there wasn't much good food on the mountain. He couldn't eat anything and grew thinner by the day. Senior Brother was even more anxious than him and specially went to the mortal market to buy him meat pies. He had been a beggar for many years, and to him, those meat pies and buns were the most delicious things in the world.
He grabbed the meat pie and ate it ravenously. Senior Brother watched him from the side, his eyes full of concern, reminding him to eat slowly while feeding him water. Such a clean person, he didn't mind at all when his sleeves were smeared with grease.
Later, as his body gradually improved, Senior Brother was still worried. Every time he had a headache or fever, Senior Brother would be extremely nervous. He knew Senior Brother was soft-hearted and often pretended to act coquettishly. Even if the other saw through his little tricks, he would only indulgently tap his head.
In this world, only Senior Brother could be so good to him.
So, Senior Brother only needed him as a disciple, that was enough.
But unexpectedly, Senior Brother had quietly taken in another disciple, and now he was going to punish him for that disciple's sake!
Why?
Senior Brother had only met that Xue disciple once, why on earth would he do this!?
The gentle facade the young man had been maintaining finally crumbled. The anger and jealousy in his eyes almost became tangible, and the low pressure surrounding his body surged, causing the banana leaves outside the window to tremble and shake.
Meng Chen looked at him calmly. "You think you shouldn't be punished?"
Yin Chi gritted his teeth and stared at him deeply.
"Xue Lang is only at the Foundation Establishment level. If he were to be doused under the Cold Sky Waterfall for an hour, at best his foundation would be destroyed, at worst he would lose his life," Meng Chen said. "If he dies at the hands of a fellow disciple on his first day of joining, what would others think? How would the Disciplinary Hall deal with it?"
The anger in Yin Chi's eyes faltered.
"So... it's not for Xue Lang, is it?" Yin Chi gradually came to his senses, his eyes slowly brightening. "Senior Brother, you're afraid that if an accident happened, I would be punished by the Disciplinary Hall, right?"
Meng Chen didn't say anything and walked past him into the inner room. But that silent demeanor, in Yin Chi's eyes, was clearly an implicit agreement.
Yin Chi couldn't help but smile widely.
He knew it, Senior Brother cared about him the most! What was that Xue Lang? How could he compare to him?
Thinking about it now, when he heard the news earlier, he was blinded by jealousy and indeed went too far. Senior Brother punishing him was intentionally letting him suffer a bit to learn his lesson.
After understanding this, the twisted dark emotions in his heart completely dissipated. The young man's beautiful face once again revealed a smile without any shadow. He quickly followed, carefully tugging at the young man's sleeve, apologizing in a gentle voice. "Senior Brother, don't be angry. I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so impulsive, and I shouldn't have lost my temper at you. I'll go accept my punishment right away!"
Although the power of the Cold Sky Waterfall was terrifying, he could grit his teeth and endure it for five hours.
The key was, this was Senior Brother's instruction. Even if he had to suffer a bit, what did it matter?
The young man ran outside. When he reached the window and saw the banana leaves he had damaged, he paused slightly, then turned back and said apologetically. "Senior Brother, I accidentally destroyed your banana tree earlier. After I finish my punishment, I'll go to Eldest Senior Brother to get some Shenling Water. I'll definitely help you restore them!"
The young man left with light steps, and the room returned to silence.
Meng Chen lowered his gaze, his crow-wing-like eyelashes concealing the emotions in his eyes.
Before, he thought the people on Tianji Peak, although not related by blood, were his closest family in this life.
Later, he realized how ridiculous he had been. Those so-called family members were actually a group of cold and terrifying monsters.
They were cold-blooded and heartless, selfish and cruel, hiding who knows how many vicious and poisonous methods behind their seemingly perfect masks. And before he had the ability to completely fight back, he had to have enough patience to deal with those people.
–In order to break his own shackles and be completely free, and also to protect that boy who looked fierce but was the only one who truly cared for him.
Night fell.
The immortal crane that had long resided on Tianji Peak circled and flew into Qixue Residence. It elegantly folded its wings and landed on a corner of the eaves, letting out a clear, dignified cry. After waiting for a moment and seeing no one come out, not even a candle flame, the crane tilted its head, seeming somewhat dejected, and flew away gloomily, flapping its wings.
Yin Chi walked into the courtyard, his face pale, his body soaked with cold water, and ice shards still unmelted on his collar.
Actually, a very basic incantation could dry his clothes and make him feel less uncomfortable, but Yin Chi didn't do so. He walked to the door, took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, poured the Shenling Water inside onto the banana leaves, then gently pushed open the door and entered the room.
The candles in the room had been extinguished, and vision was dim. His sense of smell thus became exceptionally keen.
Yin Chi closed his eyes and took a light breath. He felt his nose and chest were filled with a faint orchid fragrance. Though it was a refreshing and cool scent, it rushed into his heart and lungs like a raging fire, burning his chest hot, making him forget even the pain of being frozen by the Cold Sky Waterfall.
He stepped towards the innermost chamber, all the way to that person's bedside.
"Senior Brother," he called in a hoarse, quiet voice, "are you asleep?"
In the darkness, he couldn't see clearly, but there seemed to be a white form lying motionless on the bed.
"Are you still angry with me?" Yin Chi said, then sneezed with a shiver. His voice trembled slightly from the cold, sounding particularly pitiful. "Senior Brother, I really know I was wrong. I listened to you and obediently stayed under the waterfall for five hours. Several parts of my body are badly frozen, it really hurts..."
There was still no movement from the bed. Yin Chi felt as if ants were biting his heart, and he couldn't help but take a step forward. "I'm too cold. Can I sleep with Senior Brother tonight?"
Unable to wait for a reply, he lost patience. His courage swelled with desire in the darkness, and he directly pounced onto the bed.
Anyway, Senior Brother would never truly be angry with him…
There was a dull "thud" as he landed on a hard, empty bed board. Looking closely, he realized that the white he had seen earlier was actually a thin blanket.
Yin Chi: "..."
Where was the person???
****
"Why are you here??"
Xue Lang opened the door, his face full of shock.
Perhaps because it was night, Meng Chen had changed out of the sky-blue uniform Taixuan disciples wore for class, and was wearing plain-colored clothes. His entire demeanor seemed even more pure and otherworldly, reflecting the soft, clear moonlight behind him, as if a moon god had descended to earth.
Meng Chen smiled slightly at him and politely asked, "May I come in to talk?"
Xue Lang stared at him, initially wanting to immediately drive this uninvited guest away, but his body reacted faster than his mind, and his hand had already involuntarily opened the door wide.
Very wide, almost to the point of breaking the door hinge.
Meng Chen couldn't help but smile again as he stepped into the room.
Xue Lang: "..."
A flash of regret passed through his eyes, but at this point, he couldn't drive the person out again. He could only turn back to close the door and follow Meng Chen inside.
"Are you comfortable living here?" Meng Chen looked around for a moment and asked, "Is there anything you're missing?"
"No," Xue Lang said impatiently. "For cultivators, what's there to be so particular about? You're just fussy."
Meng Chen didn't argue with him, but simply handed over a small bundle he was carrying. Xue Lang eyed the bundle suspiciously, reached out to take it, and opened it to find a neatly folded set of sky-blue uniforms.
"Taixuan Sect disciples need to wear uniforms for daily classes and practice. This is prepared for new disciples who entered this year. I brought it back for you," Meng Chen explained. "Try it on and see if it fits?"
Without even trying it on, just at a glance, Xue Lang could tell that this uniform was exactly his size.
But that was precisely the problem…
"How do you know my size!?"
Meng Chen blinked and said, "Didn't they record the height and weight when new disciples entered?"
Xue Lang thought about it, and indeed they had.
He secretly let out a sigh of relief, inwardly cursing himself for being paranoid and overthinking.
"Of course, this morning at the Cold Sky Waterfall, when you were bare-chested, I also saw," Meng Chen said. Seeing the perfectly normal young man suddenly visibly stiffen, he thought that boys of this age usually had strong self-esteem and cared about others' opinions, so he carefully added, "Your physique is good, looks very strong."
This compliment was genuine. Meng Chen recalled Xue Lang's physique and even felt a bit envious.
Perhaps due to his own constitution, despite practicing swordsmanship daily, his body was still somewhat slender. Xue Lang's was different; his shoulder and abdominal muscles were solid and beautiful, surely the result of diligent exercise.
After he finished praising, he noticed that his little junior brother's expression seemed a bit off.
That handsome face visibly deepened in color, and the hand holding the uniform clenched tighter and tighter, with more and more force, and then with a "rip" sound—
A large hole tore from the collar.
