Villainous Junior Chapter 54
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 54: Secret Letter
Night.
The clear radiance of the moon fell on the ground, interweaving with the soft white light of the Moon Frost flowers in the garden, enveloping the entire courtyard in a sea of gentleness.
Meng Chen withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the closed door. His palm lightly waved, and a thin black-covered booklet immediately appeared in his hand.
It was the book he had discovered in the general store that day.
Although the words on the cover had worn away, Meng Chen knew that it read "Record of Returning to Heaven".
In the months since leaving Taixuan Sect, he had been searching for ways to bring the dead back to life and reassemble souls. But life and death had their natural order. Reviving the dead was against heaven's will, so naturally it wasn't easy. He had inquired and searched for a long time before hearing that the ancient secret text "Record of Returning to Heaven" contained such methods.
During his time in the demon realm, he had been searching through various books and scrolls, but always came up empty-handed. Just when he despaired of thinking this book was truly lost, he unexpectedly found it in that general store.
He stroked the book cover and turned once again to the page he knew by heart - "Record of Returning to Heaven" categorically recorded many methods of reviving the dead. This page recorded ways to recall souls.
Souls leaving the body could be roughly divided into three situations: first was temporary departure due to extreme fright; second was when the deceased's resentment or obsession was too strong, and though the body died, the soul was unwilling to reenter the cycle of reincarnation; third was possession by evil spirits, causing the soul originally belonging to the body to have nowhere to go and could only wander outside.
For these three situations of souls leaving the body, there was still a possibility of recall. As long as one took the "Soul Returning Grass", the soul could be reassembled, allowing the person to come back to life.
When Meng Chen first saw this text, it was like a drowning man finally grasping a piece of driftwood. His heart, half-dead, finally came alive again.
Xue Lang's situation clearly belonged to the third category. Although he voluntarily offered his body to summon the evil spirit, it couldn't change the fact that his body was inhabited by another soul. As long as Xue Lang's soul hadn't completely dissipated, he could definitely be saved with the Soul Returning Grass!
And coincidentally, the Soul Returning Grass grew in the "Ten Thousand Demon Cave" of the demon realm. It was said that the most unforgivable demons of the demon realm were suppressed there, a place even demon race people dared not set foot in.
But Meng Chen had to go.
No matter how difficult, he must go and bring back the Soul Returning Grass.
The young man let out a light sigh, put away the book in his hand, and inadvertently glimpsed a transparent small bottle placed on the windowsill.
Inside the bottle was a star made of ice. Some sort of spell must have been cast, for the star hadn't melted. Its original ice blue had been transformed by the light of the Moon Frost flowers outside the window into a crystalline silver-white, twinkling beautifully.
Meng Chen looked at the star with complex emotions for a while, then turned and walked back to the inner room.
Although that person was indeed very good to him.
Although he felt guilty and ashamed–
He only wanted Xue Lang back.
No matter what method he had to use.
—
The Demon Venerable strode into Xiuluo Palace, impatiently removing the elaborate and luxurious ceremonial robe as he walked.
"Venerable, please slow down!" Several servants followed behind him with sweat-drenched foreheads, crying out, "This robe can't be pulled hard, it will tear!"
Yesterday marked the hundredth day since he ascended to the position of Demon Venerable. According to demon realm tradition, the Demon Venerable had to hold a grand ceremony and appear before all the demon realm's citizens to demonstrate authority and provide comfort. He originally didn't have the patience to bother with such boring things, but the entire Xiuluo Palace, including Qing Hao and Fu Cang, came to earnestly persuade him that "rituals cannot be abandoned". He had no choice but to go.
Who knew that this damned ceremony would take a full two days from preparation to official holding to conclusion? It nearly bored him to death!
Most importantly, he hadn't seen Meng Chen for a full two days.
That day at Wild Goose Bay, although his subtle confession wasn't accepted, he didn't feel discouraged.
That Meng Chen, one look and you could tell he wasn't easy to pursue. He had long prepared himself for a protracted battle. As the saying goes, sincerity can open up stone. He believed that as long as he pursued fiercely and bit tightly, sooner or later he would win the other's heart!
He quickly stripped off the cumbersome ceremonial robe, casually tossing it to the servants behind him, and asked as he walked, "Has Meng Chen gone to sleep?"
"Young Master Meng has already retired," the servant promptly replied. "Your servant went to Fangcao Palace earlier to bring the young master some late-night snacks, but found the lights in the room were already out."
The Demon Venerable immediately deflated.
Asleep?
Wouldn't that mean he had to wait until tomorrow to see Meng Chen?
He struggled with this for a while, but in the end still lifted his foot towards Fangcao Palace.
No, he would suffocate if he had to wait until tomorrow!
He wouldn't wake him, just take a look and leave. That should be fine, right?
Thinking this, a hint of excitement rose in the man's heart. He immediately lightened his footsteps as he arrived outside Fangcao Palace, pressed his ear against the door to listen, then used the lightest possible force to carefully open a crack in the palace door, and tiptoed inside.
The lights inside the room had already been extinguished, but fortunately the back window was open, allowing moonlight to shine in, so visibility wasn't too bad. The man suppressed his presence and quietly approached the bed in the inner chamber.
Meng Chen lay on his side in bed, a thin blanket draped over him. He had removed his hair tie for sleeping, and his jet-black hair cascaded down, falling onto the snow-white undergarment on his body.
The Demon Venerable stood dazed by the bedside for a while, a thought floating to the top of his mind.
"So docile."
The sleeping Meng Chen was not at all like the daytime Meng Chen.
The daytime Meng Chen had an aloof and indifferent exterior, a taciturn and calm personality. Though just an ordinary person, he always carried a cold and sharp quality about him, like invisible thorns, making him difficult to approach.
But the current Meng Chen seemed to have shed that layer of invisible vigilance and defense, sleeping peacefully and calmly. There was no distance, no cold prickliness. His sleeping face could even be called obedient, making one's heart melt at just a glance, wanting to cradle him in their palms to shelter him from wind and rain, to dote on and protect him for a lifetime.
The man looked for a long time before quietly sitting down by the bed. After an internal struggle, he finally gathered his courage and reached out a finger, carefully poking Meng Chen's cheek.
Soft, springy, so- so nice to touch...
The man's heart raced, itching to move. Just as he was about to poke again, his finger not yet making contact, he suddenly saw the young man's brow furrow slightly, mumbling something.
The Demon Venerable froze, leaned down to put his ear closer, and waited for a while before finally hearing clearly.
"Xue Lang..."
It was a person's name.
He slowly raised his head, furrowing his brow.
Who was this Xue whatever?
He frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly his heart skipped a beat.
Damn, could this be that old flame who sent flowers?!
Actually, he had always been hung up on this imagined "old flame", but because he hadn't yet established a relationship with Meng Chen, he didn't dare ask if this person really existed. But now, he was almost 99% certain -
To call out a name even in dreams, what else could it be but an old lover!?
He gnashed his teeth with a deeply resentful expression, then thought of an even more serious question: Was this Xue whatever Lang alive or dead?
If alive, that was easy to handle. He'd drag him over and give him a good beating. He must be a useless coward anyway, otherwise how could he have let Meng Chen wander the streets, only able to live in a big house by selling himself to him;
But what if he was already dead?
Wouldn't that make him the unerasable "moonlight" from novels, living forever in the protagonist's memories, never to be forgotten?!?
At the thought of this possibility, he suddenly felt awful.
The man looked at Meng Chen once more, finally making a decision.
"Don't blame me," he said softly, guiltily justifying himself. "It's all because you're too hard to pursue. I must know myself and know my enemy."
After saying this, he separated a part of his divine consciousness and silently slipped into Meng Chen's dream.
Those above the Mahayana Realm could perform soul-capturing techniques, using divine consciousness to invade the target's brain and explore desired information. Using this method, the images seen were the most real, with absolutely no possibility of falsification.
The Demon Venerable knew it was despicable to do this without permission, but he really couldn't stand it anymore. Just thinking that Meng Chen might have someone he constantly remembered in his heart drove him crazy with jealousy.
For those in the Tribulation Crossing Realm, using soul-capturing techniques was effortless. The man entered Meng Chen's dream without any obstruction, and then saw a person.
That person had a face identical to his own, only looking much younger, about seventeen or eighteen years old.
He didn't understand the situation for a moment, standing there somewhat bewildered.
"What's wrong?" The seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth stood there at a loss, cautiously asking, "Are you angry?"
The Meng Chen in the dream was different from the one he had seen in reality. Although he still wore the same cold, expressionless face, one could clearly see from subtle details that he was unhappy, even deliberately turning away. "Nothing's wrong."
The youth became even more flustered, looking like he didn't know what to say, and could only awkwardly change the subject. "Where did this flower on your table come from? It's quite pretty."
Meng Chen glanced at him, suddenly saying. "Xue Lang, you have the guts to send it, but not to admit it, right?"
The man standing to the side felt his heart tremble.
This person... was Xue Lang?
The young Xue Lang hadn't expected Meng Chen to expose him, his face instantly turning red. "H-how did you know?"
Meng Chen looked at him, the anger on his face disappearing, replaced by a deep sorrow, his eyes instantly filling with tears. "I know its meaning now. Will you come back?"
"Xue Lang, will you come back?"
The Demon Venerable dared not look anymore and hastily retreated from the dream.
He felt dizzy, his chest tightening. He sat by the bed for a long time before turning to look at Meng Chen again.
Meng Chen hadn't awakened. His eyes were still closed, but a teardrop rolled from the corner of his eye, soaking into his jet-black sideburns.
The Demon Venerable instinctively raised his hand, wanting to wipe away the tear track, but as his finger was about to touch the cheek, it stiffly withdrew.
His mind was in chaos now.
The Xue Lang in Meng Chen's dream had a face identical to his own. And this body of his wasn't actually his own.
He was a wandering ghost summoned back from thousands of years ago by someone using sorcery. He didn't know who summoned him or what their name was, only remembering that person babbling a bunch of words in his ear before dying. He hadn't heard most of it clearly, but now, trying hard to recall, the last sentence seemed to be, "Protect my loved one well."
Protect... my loved one well.
His eyes slowly turned red. Suddenly afraid to think further, he abruptly stood up and left Fangcao Palace with stumbling steps, as if something was chasing him from behind.
He walked for a long time with an empty mind, aimlessly circling Xiuluo Palace who knows how many times, before suddenly hearing a servant loudly calling his name.
"Ve...Venerable!" That person ran over, presenting a sealed letter to him with both hands. "Someone sent this to Xiuluo Palace, saying they needed to tell you something very important."
The man's gaze fell on that letter. As if sensing something, he slowly reached out and took the letter.
The letter was only one short page, yet it was enough to explain the whole story clearly.
Including that Meng Chen was once a disciple of Taixuan Sect, a famous cultivation sect, and was a renowned young genius.
Including that Meng Chen and Xue Lang were fellow disciples, once inseparable and close as shadows.
Including that Xue Lang ultimately used a soul-transferring technique to protect Meng Chen, his body dying and soul perishing.
So that's how it was.
The man tore the letter in his hand into pieces bit by bit, thinking indifferently.
So that's how it was.
So Meng Chen truly had a "moonlight" like in novels. Unfortunately, he, this evil spirit usurping another's place, wasn't even fit to be a "substitute".
—
When Meng Chen woke up, he saw a man in black clothing sitting in a chair by the bed, quietly watching him.
Last night's dreams had been chaotic, and he hadn't slept well. He still had a bit of a headache, rubbing his temples as he sat up. He was about to ask what the other wanted so early in the morning when his gaze suddenly froze.
On the round table beside the man lay a thin black-covered booklet and a purple bead.
It was the "Record of Returning to Heaven" and the memory-storing pearl.
Meng Chen's body completely froze for an instant, but a moment later, he slowly relaxed, his expression and gaze returning to complete calm.
The Demon Venerable almost wanted to applaud his reaction. "You've discovered you've been exposed, so you don't even bother to explain, is that it?"
Meng Chen calmly said. "There's nothing to explain."
From the moment he decided to enter deep into the demon realm and Xiuluo Palace, he had been prepared at all times to be discovered.
Being able to conceal it until now was already lucky.
"Nothing to explain." The Demon Venerable repeated, then asked, "So it's also true that you planned to use the 'Soul Returning Grass' to kill me and bring Xue Lang back, isn't it?"
He tried his best to keep his voice steady and his expression cold, to avoid making himself look too pathetic. But deep in his heart, a voice was pleading, "Deny it. If you deny it, I can pretend nothing happened. I can wait for you to forget that 'moonlight' and love and dote on you like before—"
"Yes," Meng Chen was silent for a moment, then gave him an answer. "It's true."
The man abruptly stood up. The wooden chair scraped against the floor, making a harsh sound. He walked over with a cold face, enunciating each word. "Meng Chen, did you really think I wouldn't do anything to you?"
Meng Chen suddenly turned his head back, but the man had already gripped the back of his head, pinching his jaw and fiercely kissing him.
