Villainous Junior Chapter 45
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 45: Comfort
Yin Chi's pupils slowly dilated.
He looked at Meng Chen's clear expression, completely unable to believe the reality unfolding before his eyes—
Meng Chen was actually unaffected by the Bone-Melting Heart-Devouring Incense, and had instead used the incense to create an illusion to control him!
"No... impossible!" Yin Chi shook his head incessantly, his face deathly pale. "Why aren't you affected? Why!?"
Why?
Meng Chen lowered his gaze, his eyes full of disgust as they fell upon the incense in his hand.
Because he had already been tormented by this thing hundreds of times before.
In his previous life, during the time he became a cripple, Yin Chi had also used this Bone-Melting Heart-Devouring Incense on him. He was forced to return to the past over and over, reliving the dark and bitter days of his weak childhood. And Yin Chi would always appear before him at his coldest, hungriest, most painful, and most fearful moments, becoming his only salvation.
As time went on, he truly began to lose the distinction between illusion and reality. Even when not under the control of the Bone-Melting Heart-Devouring Incense, he no longer rejected Yin Chi.
Later, Yin Chi thought he had been thoroughly tamed, so he temporarily stopped using the incense. Two or three days later, his mind became completely clear.
Realizing what had happened before, he finally began to despair. Having his cultivation crippled wasn't the most terrifying thing. The most terrifying was being gradually tamed like an animal, with even his spirit and will falling under someone else's control, completely becoming a puppet without thoughts of his own.
If that were the case, it would be better to just die quickly.
This incident dealt a devastating blow to his psyche and dignity. In an unguarded moment, he slit his throat with a piece of broken tile. If Pei Yuze hadn't discovered him in time, he might have died long ago.
After that, Yin Chi never dared to use such methods on him again.
After being reborn, Meng Chen did many things to change his fate. One of them was to find a large quantity of Bone-Melting Heart-Devouring Incense and light one for himself every few days.
In repeated mental tortures, he studied how to keep himself lucid, how to find ways to break through illusions while remaining lucid, and finally how to use illusions to manipulate enemies who infiltrated his consciousness.
For this day.
He had been preparing for a long time.
But there was no need to tell Yin Chi all this. He just threw the incense aside, wiped the ash from his fingertips, and raised his head to say, "Hand over the step-by-step solution to Silk Binding."
Yin Chi remained silent with a gloomy expression, struggling desperately against the chains on his body, trying to break them with force, but to no avail. He gritted his teeth and looked at the indifferent young man, the taste of losing control over this person again making him burn with rage. His eyes were red with hatred, his expression bordering on madness. "I won't tell you. Senior Brother, I'd rather die than tell you!!"
Meng Chen was not disappointed, as if he had expected this response. "Then we have nothing more to say."
Yin Chi's movements paused. "Senior Brother, are you going to kill me?"
Meng Chen remained silent.
Unexpectedly, Yin Chi's manic expression slowly subsided, suddenly returning to gentleness. "If I can die by Senior Brother's hand, I have no regrets."
"But Senior Brother, do you know?" His tone shifted, and he chuckled again, "Ghosts are immortal. Even if my body perishes, my soul will re-enter the ghostly path. Even if I become a lone wandering ghost in the future, I will definitely come to your side. In this life and the next, you will never be rid of me."
His words were filled with tender affection, but the deeper meaning made one's scalp tingle and sent chills down the spine.
Meng Chen, however, said, "I won't kill you."
Yin Chi was slightly taken aback.
Meng Chen's fingers flickered, and a thin, black nail appeared at his fingertips. Mimicking Yin Chi's manner, he waved it in front of him as if showing off a treasure. "Do you recognize what this is?"
Yin Chi's gaze lingered on the black nail for a long time, and his arrogant expression finally began to show a hint of fear.
Of course he recognized it.
This was a Ghost-Subduing Nail.
Ghosts have a special constitution. Even if their bodies die, their souls do not perish. In the history of cultivation, there was once a large-scale emergence of vengeful ghosts from the Netherworld causing havoc, disturbing the peace of the three realms. So a great power created the "Ghost-Subduing Nail," which, although unable to kill ghosts, could scatter their cultivation and permanently nail their souls to the Netherworld, preventing them from entering reincarnation for all eternity.
"No..." The terror in Yin Chi's eyes gradually grew, and he suddenly began to struggle frantically. "No! Senior Brother, you can't do this to me!!"
Meng Chen remained unmoved, approaching him with the Ghost-Subduing Nail.
"Senior Brother... Senior Brother!!" Yin Chi finally panicked completely, his voice carrying a sob, trembling uncontrollably. "Please! I don't want to stay here forever... I can't bear never seeing you again!!"
He wasn't afraid of death, but if he had to stay here with his memories, never seeing Meng Chen again in this life or any future lives, that would be worse than death!!
Meng Chen's expression remained indifferent, as if he couldn't hear the hoarse pleas beside his ear. With the Ghost-Subduing Nail between his fingers, he pushed it into Yin Chi's heart inch by inch amidst his shrill and desperate screams.
This was once his most cherished, most beloved junior brother.
He had once truly treated him as a brother to protect, had once softened at each of his acts of coquetry, had once thought of being family with him for a lifetime...
But alas, those times, that friendship, could never return.
"Yin Chi," he said finally, "farewell forever."
He turned and left, leaving behind only the manic Yin Chi and his blood-curdling cries that tore at his vocal cords.
"Senior Brother, don't go!!"
"Senior Brother, please—please look at me one more time!!"
"Senior Brother—Senior Brother!!!!"
——
The Netherworld was vast. After leaving the palace where the royal family resided, Meng Chen couldn't find his way out for quite some time.
After all, he had never imagined that one day he would enter a place like the underworld alive.
Compared to the scattered ghosts floating by, he was completely out of place here. All the ghosts he passed would turn to look at him, then quietly point and whisper to their companions about him.
Just as he was considering whether to catch a ghost to ask for directions, Meng Chen suddenly heard someone calling him from behind. "Are you...Immortal Meng?"
Meng Chen was surprised that someone here would recognize him. He turned around in astonishment to see a girl wearing a bright red wedding dress.
He immediately recognized her. "Ah Chu?"
"It's me!" Ah Chu ran over excitedly, then asked fearfully, "Immortal Meng, why are you here? You haven't... died, have you!?"
As she spoke, she carefully reached out to touch Meng Chen's sleeve. Only after feeling that it was solid did she heave a great sigh of relief.
"I carelessly stumbled into this place," Meng Chen smiled slightly at her and asked, "Do you know where the exit of the Netherworld is?"
"Ah, of course!" Ah Chu said immediately, "Come with me!"
As they walked and talked, Meng Chen learned that Ah Chu had been out punishing evil and saving many girls who had been sold into ghost marriages. She had become a renowned "Ghost Knight" in the Netherworld, and many ghosts admired her, rolling up their sleeves to join her cause.
Meng Chen looked at the spirited girl before him, feeling a mix of emotions.
Some people, even as ghosts, still lived freely and boldly.
Others, because of misguided obsessions, made themselves neither human nor ghost.
His heart sank, not wanting to dwell on it further. They had reached the exit of the Netherworld, so he bid farewell to Ah Chu.
"Immortal Meng," the girl in the red dress waved to him with a playful smile, "Next time, don't let me catch you here again!"
Meng Chen smiled faintly, nodded, and waved goodbye to her as he left this realm of ghosts and spirits.
——
At this time, Taixuan Sect was far from peaceful. Meng Chen had gone to the Taixuan dungeon and mysteriously disappeared. The Taixuan Sect Leader personally went to investigate the dungeon, only to discover traces of the ghost clan's "Ru Gou Technique".
The Netherworld, known to mortals as the "Underworld", was not a place for the living. Even cultivators could not violate the laws of the three realms and forcibly enter the Netherworld without reason. For a time, even the Sect Leader was at a loss.
Xue Lang was nearly driven mad with anxiety. Although Meng Chen had previously shared his suspicions that Yin Chi might have entered the ghost path, and said he had come up with a countermeasure, Xue Lang never imagined that Yin Chi would be so deranged as to directly drag Meng Chen into the Netherworld!
That place was Yin Chi's territory, and given Yin Chi's tendency to stop at nothing, what if he had some other sinister trick up his sleeve? How could Meng Chen deal with it alone?
The mere thought of Meng Chen possibly experiencing what he went through in his past life made Xue Lang's internal organs tremble with fear, his lips and tongue almost blistering with anxiety. He rushed frantically to the gates of Taixuan Mountain, but stood there bewildered, not knowing where to search. Just as he was nearing despair, a figure appeared on the long steps outside the mountain gate, walking towards him step by step.
Meng Chen saw him too, paused briefly, then quickened his pace. But Xue Lang was even faster, practically flying down the steps and embracing him tightly with all his strength.
"Ah—slow down!" Meng Chen was startled, struggling to steady them both. "Be careful, you might fall!"
As Meng Chen hadn't been killed by Yin Chi, it would have been quite a loss to be killed by falling down the stairs with Xue Lang instead.
Xue Lang didn't speak, his rapid, trembling breaths sounding next to Meng Chen's ear as he held him with increasing strength.
While marveling at the young man's impressive strength, Meng Chen weakly protested. "Can you... hug a little lighter? You're about to break my waist—"
As he spoke, he suddenly felt something wet and warm drip onto the skin of his neck.
He paused, calling softly, "Xue Lang?"
Xue Lang didn't move. Meng Chen forcefully pried him off, quickly catching his face as he tried to turn away. Sure enough, the young man's eyes and nose were red, tears falling uncontrollably.
"Why... why are you crying?" Meng Chen was startled. This was the first time he had seen Xue Lang cry, and he felt a bit at a loss. He instinctively raised his sleeve to wipe away the tears.
"You scared me to death," Xue Lang gripped his hand tightly, his palm still cold and trembling. "Meng Chen, you scared me to death."
Meng Chen felt a softness in his heart seeing him like this. He took the initiative to hug the young man, patting his back reassuringly, then using his fingers to wipe away his tears. He comforted him with unprecedented gentleness. "Don't cry. It's my fault for worrying you. But I'm fine, I've come back safely, alright?"
Xue Lang had been unable to control himself in his excitement earlier. After calming down a bit, he realized how embarrassing he had been. He hurriedly raised his arm to roughly wipe his eyes, then inspected Meng Chen from head to toe. "Are you really alright? Are you hurt? Did Yin Chi do anything to you!?"
"No, I'm perfectly fine," Meng Chen reassured him, rubbing his cheek, and briefly recounted what had happened in the Netherworld. After listening, Xue Lang was still worried: "The Silk Binding couldn't be undone?"
"Yin Chi has lost his cultivation, he can no longer activate the gu," Meng Chen said. "Even if it's not undone, it shouldn't flare up again."
But Xue Lang couldn't be completely at ease. "We'll find a way slowly in the future. It's best to completely undo this kind of thing."
Not wanting him to worry, Meng Chen nodded in agreement. Seeing that he was indeed unharmed, Xue Lang told him, "You should go see the Sect Leader first. He knows you were taken to the Netherworld and is very worried too."
Given the gravity of the situation, Meng Chen indeed needed to give the Sect Leader an explanation. He nodded and prepared to go to Qingzheng Hall. He climbed two steps, then paused and looked back, finding Xue Lang still standing in place, his fingers at his sides still trembling slightly, seemingly not yet recovered from the shock.
...He looked a bit pitiful, making one want to comfort him.
Meng Chen thought for a moment, then turned back towards the young man.
"Xue Lang."
Xue Lang heard Meng Chen call his name and instinctively looked up. A pleasant cool fragrance wafted to his nose, and then he felt something soft and warm touch his left cheek briefly, like a dragonfly skimming over water.
Meng Chen's expression remained as composed as ever, though his eyelashes fluttered quickly twice. He then turned and left. Whether finding his pace too slow or the stairs too long, after two steps the young man suddenly summoned his sword, stepped onto it, and quickly disappeared.
Xue Lang stood dazed for a long while before raising his hand as if in a dream to touch his left cheek.
Then, he slowly crouched down on the steps, burying his entire face in his palms, leaving only his fiery red ears exposed, so hot they seemed about to steam.
