Villainous Junior Chapter 42
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 42: Bai Bi
Tong Zhong's body collapsed lifelessly, without a trace of breath remaining.
Meng Chen smoothly pulled out his sword. The sword was no ordinary weapon - its blade remained spotless, as bright as snow, without a single trace of blood.
The realization of Tong Zhong's abnormality came from Xue Lang's warning. Before coming to the border town, he and Xue Lang had carefully gone over the details of his previous life. When Xue Lang learned that Tong Zhong was among those going to the border town with him, and that they had even acted alone as a pair, his expression immediately changed. He slammed the table and stood up abruptly. "That person is trouble!"
Meng Chen was slightly surprised. "How so?"
Xue Lang gritted his teeth. "He's a pervert!"
Meng Chen's impression of Tong Zhong only extended to the incident of framing Xue Lang in the Taixu Illusion Realm, so he asked. "What kind of pervert?"
But Xue Lang refused to elaborate, only seriously telling him. "In any case, Tong Zhong's attitude towards you is very abnormal. Whether he's the mastermind or not, you must be extra cautious around him."
Meng Chen took this to heart and, at Xue Lang's strong insistence, wore the sharkskin robe he had given to Xue Lang. The sharkskin robe was a top-grade defensive magical item, impervious to fire and poison, and could nullify most attack talismans. It was precisely because of this that he was able to resist Tong Zhong's puppet talisman this time, and turn the tables to expose Tong Zhong's true face.
However, Meng Chen didn't believe that Tong Zhong's use of the puppet talisman on him was to manipulate him into killing other disciples, thus framing him as a demonic cultivator.
Firstly, Tong Zhong had no motive to do so; secondly, the power of the puppet talisman depended on the caster's cultivation level. In his previous life, although Meng Chen hadn't reached the God Transformation Realm, he was at the Nascent Soul Stage, while Tong Zhong was only a Foundation Establishment disciple. It was already quite remarkable that he could use the puppet talisman to temporarily put Meng Chen's consciousness to sleep, let alone drive him to kill; thirdly, in his previous life, when Tong Zhong was found, he was also in an unconscious state. If this wasn't Tong Zhong's own act, it indicated the presence of a third person at the scene.
Meng Chen pondered for a moment, then decisively reattached the puppet talisman to his back. He then sat down in the corner of the wall, his eyes lifeless as he lowered his head.
Not far from this alley, on a rooftop, three figures were furtively lying down, only half of their heads visible, with their eyes wide and alert.
Xiao Guan, looking at Meng Chen pretending to be dead in the corner of the wall, asked with a confused face. "What is he doing?"
Zhao Jingchen, considering how Meng Chen had just acted to expose Tong Zhong's true nature, said uncertainly, "Waiting for the rabbit by the tree stump? It seems Senior Brother Meng is still waiting for someone to take the bait."
"...Oh." Xiao Guan nodded, his expression still somewhat dazed. "But why are you two so calm? Tong Zhong's words just now shattered my mind. From what he said, he... he likes Meng Chen? That kind of like???"
Zhao Jingchen: "It seems so."
Xiao Guan's expression cracked. "But... but aren't they both men!?"
Xue Lang, who had been intently watching the situation in the alley while clinging to the eaves, finally reacted. He turned his head and glared at Xiao Guan disapprovingly. "What's wrong with men? Are you discriminating based on gender?"
"...Not really." Xiao Guan scratched his head, his expression conflicted. "I've heard before about same-sex cultivators forming Dao companions, but this is the first time I've seen something like this around me. It's a bit, a bit..."
"Stop with the 'a bit'." Xue Lang interrupted him, his gaze returning to focus on Meng Chen's figure in the alley. "Be quiet, be careful not to alert them."
"Ha, you don't need to worry about that." Xiao Guan smiled. "The 'Zizai Ding' that Jingchen borrowed from Elder Yu Nian is a sacred-grade magical item. Unless a Mahayana Realm expert is here, we absolutely won't be discovered."
Two days ago, Meng Chen had approached him and Zhao Jingchen, saying he wanted to ask for their help.
They were both very surprised at the time, after all, having been fellow disciples for so many years, the number of times Meng Chen had actively spoken to them could be counted on one hand, let alone asking for their help. Surprised as they were, he and Zhao Jingchen agreed without hesitation and seriously asked what they needed to do.
Meng Chen then asked Zhao Jingchen to borrow the Zizai Ding, which could conceal one's form, aura, and voice, from his master, and asked them to come to the border town together.
Xiao Guan had thought that Meng Chen was worried about dealing with demonic cultivators and wanted him and Jingchen to help, but he didn't expect that after arriving at the border town, Meng Chen would ask them to follow Xue Lang's lead. Xue Lang then led them, under the cover of the Zizai Ding, to silently tail Meng Chen.
Xiao Guan and Zhao Jingchen were initially confused, until they saw Tong Zhong's treacherous move against Meng Chen.
"I used to think Tong Zhong seemed quite honest, I didn't expect him to be such a scoundrel." Xiao Guan stroked his chin and asked Xue Lang, "So, you had already discovered that something was off about Tong Zhong?"
Xue Lang gave a low "Mm" in affirmation.
"If there's anyone to blame, it's Meng Chen. Not only is his cultivation high, but he just had to be so good-looking." As Xiao Guan spoke, he touched his own face. "But there's nothing we can do about it. Some people are just born beautiful, like me..."
At this moment, Xue Lang and Zhao Jingchen both made a gesture for silence. Xiao Guan immediately became serious and focused his gaze into the alley.
Suddenly, a new person appeared in the empty alley.
The person wore a black cloak with a hood, completely concealing their face. The cloak was too large to discern their body type, but it was clear that this person was not tall.
Xue Lang held his breath, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the cloaked figure's light footsteps. A thought flashed through his mind unbidden—
This person moved a bit like a woman.
The unidentified cloaked figure first walked to Tong Zhong's side, glanced at the sword wound in his chest, then approached Meng Chen, silently examining him closely.
The young man had his head slightly lowered, his gaze lifeless, seemingly unaware of the newcomer. His sword lay beside him, and a corner of the yellow human-shaped talisman was faintly visible on his back.
The current scene easily led one to predict a conclusion: the dead disciple had used a puppet talisman on the other person, but due to insufficient cultivation, he was killed by the out-of-control target instead. Although the person affected by the puppet talisman hadn't gone berserk, he had lost his self-awareness.
The cloaked figure seemed to emit a low laugh from their throat, then bent down to pick up the sword beside Meng Chen.
Xiao Guan and Zhao Jingchen were startled and immediately wanted to rush down, but were stopped by Xue Lang's outstretched arm.
"Wait a bit longer," Xue Lang said, his expression grave as he closely watched the cloaked figure's every move.
This person wouldn't kill Meng Chen now.
The scene in the previous life should have been similar to the current one. At that time, Meng Chen had truly lost consciousness, but this cloaked person didn't strike the killing blow. Instead, they transformed into Meng Chen's appearance and then killed Taixuan Sect disciples to frame him.
Xue Lang silently gritted his teeth, a flicker of anger kindling in his eyes.
This person not only wanted Meng Chen dead but also wanted to ruin his reputation!
Just as Xue Lang had predicted, the cloaked figure picked up the sword and walked out of the alley with unhurried steps. During this process, their form gradually changed, growing slightly taller, and their facial features slowly emerged. In the end, they had completely transformed into Meng Chen's appearance!
"Shape-shifting technique!" Zhao Jingchen exclaimed, a vague guess forming in his mind. "Could they be planning to—"
By this time, the fake "Meng Chen" had arrived at the previously agreed meeting point with the other disciples. After waiting for a moment, four disciples returned one after another. Upon seeing him, they immediately ran over, intending to report their findings.
"Meng Chen" turned to face them, the blade in his hand gleaming with a cold light—
"Now!" Xue Lang shouted fiercely. He and Xiao Guan leapt down from the rooftop, drawing their swords mid-air to strike at the fake Meng Chen. Meanwhile, Zhao Jingchen swiftly raised his hand and shot a signal flare into the sky, immediately sending an urgent call for help to Taixuan Sect!
The signal flare soared high and exploded, turning into a dazzling bright red. Hearing the commotion, "Meng Chen's" face suddenly changed. His figure swayed nimbly, avoiding Xue Lang and Xiao Guan's sword strikes, and was about to leave in another direction.
However, as he turned, his footsteps suddenly halted.
Because standing before him was someone who looked exactly like himself.
The other disciples, unaware of the situation, stared dumbfounded at the two Meng Chens that had suddenly appeared, all completely stunned.
"After such careful planning to reach this point, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Meng Chen said. "Stay a while longer."
The fake Meng Chen slowly narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "You were pretending earlier?"
Meng Chen didn't answer, only staring at him steadily. "Who exactly are you?"
The fake Meng Chen sneered, his icy gaze sweeping over the surrounding young faces that were watching him warily, and spoke softly. "Originally, only three or four people needed to die. What a pity."
As soon as the words fell, a terrifying pressure suddenly exploded in the air!
"Refining Void Realm!" Xiao Guan shouted in disbelief. "Be careful!!"
This cloaked person actually had Refining Void Realm cultivation!
Among those present, except for Meng Chen, most were at the Golden Core stage. Pressed by the realm of a Refining Void expert, it was like being violently struck in the chest by a giant rock. Blood immediately seeped from the corners of their lips. Meng Chen made a split-second decision and shouted, "Xiao Guan, Jingchen, take the others and go!"
Xiao Guan and Zhao Jingchen didn't try to be brave. They immediately supported the wobbling disciples and ran at full speed. Zhao Jingchen drew his own sword and threw it towards Meng Chen. "Senior Brother Meng, catch!"
Meng Chen caught the sword mid-air, his movements fluid and unhindered, and thrust towards the cloaked figure in one smooth motion!
The Refining Void Realm was only below the Mahayana Realm, and there was a vast gulf between it and the God Transformation stage. Meng Chen knew he had no chance of winning, but he had no choice but to engage—
This was the only opportunity. He had to figure out who this person really was!!
At the same time, Xue Lang rushed forward, attacking the fake Meng Chen from another direction simultaneously with Meng Chen. A hint of mockery flashed in the fake Meng Chen's eyes. A layer of frost condensed on the blade of his sword from the thick, chilling spiritual power, carrying a fierce killing intent as he slashed towards the two!
The sword's momentum whipped up a fierce wind, stinging their skin and flesh as it brushed past. Meng Chen and Xue Lang swiftly dodged the first strike, but before they could steady themselves, the next sword attack came with devastating force—
Just as Meng Chen wanted to capture him, the fake Meng Chen was equally eager to strike him down with his sword!
But Meng Chen was clearly not so easy to deal with, not to mention Xue Lang by his side—strictly speaking, this was their first time fighting side by side, yet they were extremely coordinated. They didn't confront the fake Meng Chen head-on, but instead both used the "Treading Waves" technique, dodging lethal attacks while restraining the fake Meng Chen's movements to buy time.
The fake Meng Chen seemed to realize reinforcements were arriving. A layer of unwillingness and anger flashed in his eyes, but he still threw away his sword and pushed his lightness skill to the extreme, leaping up into the air. Meng Chen's eye twitched, knowing the other was trying to escape. Without thinking, he gave chase!
Xue Lang thought "This is bad!" His expression changed drastically as he shouted urgently, "Be careful!!"
Sure enough, the fake Meng Chen suddenly turned back in mid-air, extended his palm, and sneered as he struck towards Meng Chen's chest! Meng Chen's expression remained unmoved, his gaze as cold and hard as iron, seemingly willing to risk being hit in order to hold the other back!
At that moment, a white light shot from afar, too fast to see clearly. In an instant, it sent the fake Meng Chen flying, like a bird with broken wings, stumbling and crashing to the ground from mid-air. A second white light followed closely, causing the fake Meng Chen to suddenly spit out a mouthful of fresh blood. Unable to maintain his shapeshifting technique, he was directly forced back to his original form!
An immortal sword descended from the sky as Zhongli Jing slowly landed, with the Taixuan Sect Leader and a group of elders behind him.
Meng Chen let out a slight sigh of relief, but another worry arose in his heart.
He hadn't wanted to alarm Zhongli Jing.
"What happened?" Yu Nian looked at the hooded figure lying on the ground with a mix of shock and suspicion. "Is this the demonic cultivator?"
Earlier, upon receiving the urgent signal, Yu Nian and Bu Yunjiang had intended to bring a few capable disciples to rush over. Who would have thought that they would see Zhongli Jing silently leave Tianji Peak and fly towards the border town on his sword? This alerted the entire sect, and even the Taixuan Sect Leader personally came to see what exactly had happened.
Zhao Jingchen stepped forward and said to Yu Nian, "Master, this person's identity is unknown, but he used a shapeshifting technique to take on the appearance of Senior Brother Meng. He attempted to kill fellow disciples with the intention of framing him!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Xiao Guan also said, "That's right, Junior Brother Xue and I saw it with our own eyes. We can all testify!"
Meng Chen then organized his words, omitting the parts that couldn't be spoken, and recounted to the Sect Leader and others everything about what Tong Zhong and the hooded figure had done, as well as his own plan to lure the snake out of its hole.
Everyone listened with shock and fear. Imagine if Meng Chen hadn't noticed something was wrong earlier and had truly fallen victim to the puppet evil technique, and then been impersonated by the hooded figure to kill fellow disciples. Whether he could prove his innocence afterwards would have been uncertain!
"Who exactly is this person!?" The Disciplinary Elder Fu Yan, who had always despised evil, immediately strode towards the hooded figure on the ground after hearing the story. He sneered, "Since you dare to commit such insidious and vicious acts, why don't you dare to show your true face? I want to see who exactly went to such lengths to frame our Taixuan disciple!"
He yanked off the hooded figure's cowl.
A head of black hair fell with the hood, and beneath the black hair was a pale, cold face.
The air froze for a moment. Zhao Jingchen mumbled uncertainly, "Elder... Bai?"
The person before them was shockingly Cuixia Peak's Elder Bai Bi!
Fu Yan's anger instantly froze on his face. Yu Nian and Bu Yunjiang also showed shocked expressions. Even the Sect Leader hadn't expected this. "Bai Bi?"
He frowned and said in a deep voice, "We need an explanation from you."
Bai Bi coughed softly, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. Her gaze turned towards Zhongli Jing at the center of the crowd, then slowly moved away. She coldly tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I did it. There's nothing to explain."
"Why did you try to frame Meng Chen?" Yu Nian's face was full of disbelief. "Do you have a grudge against him? But he's just a junior! What kind of hatred requires you to use such... such vicious means to frame an innocent person!?"
This was also what Meng Chen wanted to ask.
Before today, he could never have imagined that the person behind all this would be Bai Bi.
He had almost no interaction with Bai Bi in the past. To him, Bai Bi was just a senior. On the rare occasions they met, he treated her with the courtesy of a junior, never being disrespectful, let alone offending her.
But unexpectedly, she hated him to such an extent that she not only wanted him dead but wanted to make his life worse than death.
"There's no reason," Bai Bi closed her eyes, her beautiful face showing complete indifference. "I just wanted to do it. That's all."
Afterwards, no matter who asked, they couldn't get another word out of her. The Sect Leader shook his head and gave the order. "Take her back to the Taixuan dungeon and guard her strictly."
——
This matter was suppressed. Apart from the elders and disciples present, no one else in the sect was informed.
After all, it was a disgraceful thing for an esteemed peak elder to use a shapeshifting technique to frame a disciple.
Bai Bi was taken to the dungeon. The Sect Leader personally went to question her twice more but still couldn't get the woman to say a word. On this day, Meng Chen obtained the Sect Leader's order and came to the Taixuan dungeon.
The Taixuan dungeon was located at the bottom of a natural mountain peak, excavated and processed by human hands. Unlike the small dark rooms of the Disciplinary Hall, it held those who had committed serious crimes or had gone down evil paths.
Meng Chen had the fortune of staying here in his previous life, so he was familiar with the environment. He politely declined the guard disciple's offer to lead the way and found Bai Bi's cell on his own.
In his impression, Elder Bai Bi of Cuixia Peak lived up to her name - as cold and clear as the moon, flawless as white jade. With her beautiful appearance and Refining Void Realm strength, she was a renowned figure in the cultivation world, admired and respected by countless sect disciples.
Now imprisoned, with shackles on her hands and feet, she still remained composed, showing no signs of dishevelment. Seeing Meng Chen arrive, she merely lifted her eyelids slightly, looking at him without much emotion. "I knew you would come."
"Because I can't understand," Meng Chen said. "I don't know why you did this."
With no grudge and no related interests, why did Bai Bi target him?
The woman in the cell quietly looked at him, her expression gradually changing. There was scrutiny, pity, and a strange mixture of melancholy and hatred.
"Meng Chen," she finally spoke. Her cold, clear voice echoed ethereally in the dark dungeon, like cool snow, slowly seeping into Meng Chen's heart.
"Do you truly not know what kind of thoughts your good master harbors towards you?"
