Villainous Junior Chapter 56
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 56: Solution
If there had been any other choice, the Demon Venerable would not have wanted to do this.
He was already the lord of the demon realm, the world's one and only Great Demon of the Tribulation Crossing Realm. How proud and arrogant he was, never imagining that one day he would willingly take on the appearance of another man, reduced to a laughable and pitiful substitute.
But he really had no other choice. Meng Chen clearly had nothing left to hold onto. If he didn't think of a way to keep him, he might really leave at any moment.
Xue Lang's voice was somewhat different from his own, less deep and with more of a young man's clarity. He called Meng Chen's name over and over in Xue Lang's voice. After an unknown amount of time, Meng Chen actually responded, slowly opening his eyes.
His fever was too severe, and he could no longer distinguish between reality and illusion. He looked at Xue Lang's youthful face, his eyes gradually moistening, and choked out in a small voice. "Have you come to take me away?"
"Don't talk nonsense." The young man gripped his burning hot hand tightly, placing it on his own chest to let him feel the strong beating of his heart. "I've come back, come back safe and sound. So you have to pull through, get better quickly, you hear?"
Meng Chen stared at him blankly, his body and mind weakened to the extreme, unable to process what he was saying.
The young man held Meng Chen tighter in his arms, whispering gently and patiently in his ear. "Don't you remember? We've already left Taixuan Sect. No one can hurt us anymore, no one can stop us - we're free."
"Didn't you have many places you wanted to go? But you're sick now, so you need to take your medicine properly and get better quickly, so you'll have the strength to go out and play. When the time comes, I'll accompany you. I'll go anywhere with you, okay?"
This time Meng Chen seemed to understand, obediently making a sound of agreement.
The Demon Venerable immediately helped him sit up, carefully feeding him the medicine that had been prepared nearby. Meng Chen lowered his head and took a sip, but his body was too weak, and his throat was burning and painful. Before he could swallow the first mouthful of medicine, he spat it all out, bending over and coughing painfully.
The Demon Venerable didn't bother to wipe the medicine stains on his own clothes, hurriedly patting Meng Chen's back with concern and using a handkerchief to wipe his mouth. Seeing that Meng Chen's coughing gradually subsided, he was still hesitating on how to continue feeding the medicine when he saw Meng Chen reach out on his own, cupping the medicine bowl and forcing himself to drink it in large gulps.
The Demon Venerable watched him drink the medicine with his eyes closed in pain, his heart both sour and aching.
Indeed... only Xue Lang was the sole motivation for him to live on.
But no matter what, drinking the medicine was a good thing, and this was exactly his purpose. He took the empty bowl and set it aside, then fed Meng Chen a piece of candied fruit to remove the bitter taste in his mouth, saying softly, "After taking the medicine, sleep for a while longer. Once the medicine takes effect, you won't feel so uncomfortable."
Meng Chen leaned against his chest, his misty eyes fixed unwaveringly on him, shaking his head slightly.
The Demon Venerable nuzzled his hair with his cheek, asking softly, "Don't want to sleep?"
"Afraid to sleep," Meng Chen said. "You'll be gone when I wake up."
The Demon Venerable felt a pang in his heart, but still smiled and gripped his fingers tightly. "That won't happen. I promise you'll see me the moment you wake up, okay?"
Meng Chen stared at him, his expression somewhat reluctant.
"I promise," the Demon Venerable squeezed his fingers. "I'm a dog if I lie, okay?"
Meng Chen finally gave in, his body unable to hold out any longer, and he closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep.
The medicine he had drunk took effect, and Meng Chen's fever finally began to subside slowly. He woke up intermittently several times in between, his mind still unclear, becoming like an overly clingy child without a sense of security. Each time he woke up, he would anxiously call out Xue Lang's name. The Demon Venerable would always take him into his arms immediately, comforting him by saying "I'm here," and only then would he gradually calm down, reaching out to tightly grasp the Demon Venerable's clothes before he could fall asleep again peacefully.
This repeated, and after three days, Meng Chen's fever finally broke completely.
"The young master's condition is no longer serious," the doctor, who had been worn out by this patient, finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "With proper care, there should be no more problems."
The Demon Venerable nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."
"You're the one who has worked hard," the doctor couldn't help but sigh. They were only responsible for diagnosis and prescribing medicine, but it was this person who had stayed by Meng Chen's bedside day and night all these days. "The word 'love' is most hurtful. The Venerable's devotion is touching, but if it harms yourself in the process, it's better to let go."
The Demon Venerable smiled bitterly. If it were so easy to let go... how could he have reached such a state?
Seeing his expression, the doctor no longer tried to persuade him and took his leave. After seeing the doctor off, the Demon Venerable returned to Fangcao Palace to find that Meng Chen had already woken up, sitting up by himself and leaning against the headboard, quietly lost in thought.
"You're awake?" He walked forward, smiling and asking, "Are you thirsty? Do you want to eat something?"
Meng Chen raised his eyes and said softly, "No need." After a pause, he added, "You can change back now."
The smile on the Demon Venerable's face stiffened slightly. "You..."
"I'm much better," Meng Chen said, his gaze clear. The confused and dependent expression from the past few days was gone from his face, replaced by a return to calmness. "I've caused you trouble these past few days. Thank you."
The polite yet distant attitude made the smile on the Demon Venerable's face impossible to maintain.
The Meng Chen who had clung to him, refusing to let go, who needed to grasp his clothes to sleep, whose eyes were full of dependence and affection, seemed like just an illusion he had imagined. Before he could even reach out to touch it, it had already disappeared.
The calm, clear-headed, and composed person before him was the real Meng Chen.
He silently changed back to his adult male form and explained, "I didn't mean anything by it, nor did I intend to impersonate Xue Lang... You were in a very bad state before, I just wanted to make you feel better."
"I understand," Meng Chen even gave him a faint smile, saying, "You saved my life."
The Demon Venerable didn't know what to say for a moment. In fact, he knew that Meng Chen didn't want to be saved at all.
He would have preferred to leave with Xue Lang.
He hesitated for a moment, pondering how to continue the conversation, when Meng Chen already said softly, "I'm fine now. I'd like to be alone for a while, if that's alright?"
"Oh... of course," he quickly said, turning to leave. Then, remembering something, he turned back to advise, "There's water and snacks on the table beside you. Drink the water while it's hot. If it gets cold, just call me, and I'll come to change it for you."
After saying this, he felt he was being long-winded and smiled awkwardly before opening the door and leaving.
As soon as he left Fangcao Palace, he immediately seemed to lose his soul, leaning dejectedly against the door and closing his eyes.
Now that it was confirmed that Xue Lang was dead, Meng Chen would not stay by his side anymore. In a day or two, when his body recovered, he would probably leave.
What should he do then?
Should he let him go, or forcefully keep him here?
If he kept him by force, Meng Chen would certainly not be happy, and he no longer wanted to see a sad expression on Meng Chen's face.
But if he let Meng Chen go, how could he possibly set his mind at ease? Looking at all those things Meng Chen had experienced, those people worse than beasts he had encountered, how could he be at peace letting him wander outside alone, with no one to protect him, no one to take care of him?
Moreover, just thinking about Meng Chen completely leaving his life from now on made his heart ache terribly, as if the sky was falling.
He slowly crouched down, closed his eyes and grit his teeth, raising his hand to rub his face hard, his palm not moving away for a long time.
—
For the entire afternoon, the Demon Venerable didn't disturb Meng Chen, knowing that the other didn't want to see him. It wasn't until evening fell that he couldn't resist returning to the outside of Fangcao Palace, gently knocking on the door. "Meng Chen, are you awake?"
There was no answer from inside. He paused and then said, "Although your fever has gone down, you still need to continue taking the medicine to fully recover. Shall I bring the medicine in for you?"
Still no sound. He frowned slightly and reached out to push the door.
It wouldn't budge. The door was locked from the inside.
He immediately had an ominous premonition. He gathered energy in his palm, intending to destroy the door directly. But when he struck out, the door remained intact. Then, gradually, numerous complex patterns began to appear on the door panel.
He furrowed his brow as he looked, recognizing it as the Nine Stars Eight Trigrams Formation.
The Nine Stars Eight Trigrams Formation was an ancient and extremely powerful formation. It was said to have been used in ancient times for secret chambers, treasure vaults, tombs and such places. The formation creator could combine the formation diagram according to their own will, with millions of possible combinations. Unless one knew the solution, it was absolutely impossible to open by blind guessing. Similarly, forceful methods could not break it, as the formation would reflect any attacks back unchanged. Even if you had boundless magical power, you would be helpless before this formation.
At present, a great demon of the Tribulation Crossing stage was blocked outside the Nine Stars Eight Trigrams Formation.
He reluctantly struck a few more palm strikes. Seeing he truly could not break through, he became even more flustered. He pounded forcefully on the door. "Meng Chen! What are you doing in there? I'm telling you, don't do anything stupid, you hear me!?"
What he feared most was that Meng Chen had been overthinking things alone all afternoon, and had finally become despondent and decided to follow Xue Lang in death!
"Open the door! Meng Chen! I'm begging you, will you please open the door?"
He called out a few times, but still there was no response. He finally lost his patience completely." Surnamed Meng, aren't you going too far!? Do you know how much effort I put into saving you, how much emotion I've wasted on you! Even if you don't like me, do you have to torment me like this!?"
"You scumbag, liar, heartless man!! If you didn't like me, why did you change your identity to seduce me in the first place! After making me devoted to you heart and soul, you kick me aside. Do you have a heart or not!?"
"Meng Chen, did I owe you something in my past life!" He roared with reddened eyes, "Stop cutting me with your soft knife, if you have the guts come out and stab me to death, let's end this once and for all!!!"
He kicked the door hard, turning in circles like an enraged lion. His heart was anxious, angry and worried. In his panic, he recklessly reached out and randomly traced a few lines on the Nine Stars Eight Trigrams Formation. He had no expectations, but after a brief pause, the patterns on the formation suddenly lit up. With a soft "click", the doors of the Fangcao Palace unexpectedly opened on their own!
The Demon Venerable was stunned. Without thinking further, he rushed inside. Fortunately, Meng Chen hadn't done anything rash. He was just sitting alone on the beauty couch by the back window, listlessly staring out the window in a daze.
His anxious heart settled, but his anger grew. He strode over and couldn't help but slap Meng Chen's back. "Are you deaf? Couldn't you hear me calling!?"
Of course Meng Chen could hear. That roaring shook heaven and earth. Even if he were dead, it would have brought him back to life.
He just didn't want to respond. Or rather, although his body had recovered, it seemed he had no strength left at all. He didn't want to move, didn't want to speak, didn't want to think. He didn't even know what he wanted to do anymore.
After receiving a moderate slap, he finally came to his senses a little. He turned to look at the enraged man beside him and asked reflexively, "How did you get in?"
"How did I get in? How should I know how I got in?" The man was so angry his language functions were in disarray. "I should be asking you, why did you lock the door for no reason? Don't forget you're living in my house! This is outrageous!"
Meng Chen looked at him. A string in his mind was plucked, and he suddenly realized something, abruptly standing up.
The Demon Venerable was startled, thinking Meng Chen had been angered by his shouting and was going to hit him. He reflexively raised his arms to cover his head. "Don't hit my face—"
"I'll ask one more time," The weary and blank expression suddenly vanished from Meng Chen's face. His pupils trembled slightly, and his whole body visibly tensed like a drawn bowstring. "How did you get in?"
The Demon Venerable was intimidated by his demeanor and answered instinctively. "Uh... just like a blind cat catching a dead mouse, I randomly drew a few lines on that formation diagram of yours and got in..."
But Meng Chen's expression grew even more agitated.
No, impossible. The Nine Stars Eight Trigrams Formation had over ten thousand drawing methods. The pattern he drew was unique, and he had never revealed it to anyone. How could it be broken by "randomly drawing a few lines"?
Was this one-in-ten-thousand chance really so easy to guess correctly?
More importantly, Xue Lang had also once "guessed" and broken his Nine Stars Eight Trigrams Formation!
That time, he was secretly cultivating the Xuanjue Technique in the secret chamber of Qixue Residence. To deal with Yin Chi, he had even burned bone-devouring heart incense. He set up the Nine Stars Eight Trigrams Formation at the entrance to prevent anyone from discovering him. But Xue Lang had miraculously broken the formation and barged in. Afterwards, he had also asked Xue Lang about it. The other scratched his head uncertainly and said, "It should be like a blind cat catching a dead mouse, I just guessed right?"
Two people, at different times, had both miraculously broken his formation.
Even though Xue Lang was completely dead, even though this Demon Venerable before him had no memories of Xue Lang, even though they should be two completely unrelated individuals—
Meng Chen's heart raced wildly. At this moment, he suddenly recalled even more details.
For example, like Xue Lang, the Demon Venerable's ears would turn red first when he was shy.
For example, even though he was an "elderly" adult man thousands of years old, his words and actions were occasionally as childish as Xue Lang's, and he was easily irritated.
He could also, like Xue Lang, make the Moon Frost flower bloom...
Meng Chen's breathing became increasingly rapid as a thought he dared not believe himself gradually formed in his mind.
"You...what's wrong with you?" The Demon Venerable saw that Meng Chen's demeanor was off and worried if he was feeling unwell again. But then he saw Meng Chen suddenly glance around the room, stride to the bookshelf to pull out a book, then drag the Demon Venerable to the table, slamming the book down with a "thud".
The title was conspicuous: "308 Rules of the Demon Realm <New Edition>".
The Demon Venerable looked at him in utter confusion.
"Memorize the first fifty rules," Meng Chen grabbed paper and pen, placing them in front of the man with another "thud". "Then write them down from memory."
Demon Venerable: "........"
Demon Venerable: "????"
He tremblingly reached out to feel Meng Chen's forehead, asking nervously, "Are you running a fever again?"
"I'm perfectly fine," Meng Chen's eyes were bright as snow, staring at him intently. "Hurry up and recite, now!"
The Demon Venerable's expression grew more worried, clearly believing that Meng Chen had been too greatly shocked and his mental state was a bit abnormal. But he didn't dare to resist and further stimulate him, so he could only sit down miserably and open the new edition of the Demon Realm Rules.
Damn, wasn't the Demon Realm supposed to be a lawless place where demons ran wild? Why were there such things as Demon Realm Rules?!
Was there something wrong with the Demon Realm ancestors' brains?!
While cursing inwardly, he lowered his head to look at the densely packed text in the book. His head immediately swelled, and turning to see Meng Chen staring at him intently, he could only heave a long sigh and reluctantly begin to recite.
He hated memorizing things the most. Forget fifty rules, he was already irritated after just ten. He frowned deeply in bitter resentment, his right hand unconsciously scratching at the table surface in frustration.
Meng Chen stood to the side, watching this all-too-familiar small gesture. His nose stung, and his vision gradually blurred.
The Demon Venerable was completely unaware. He put his all into memorizing the first ten rules, thinking he'd write this part first and then continue. So he picked up the pen, pulled over the paper, and began to write with a scratching sound.
The handwriting was nothing to boast about, crooked and messy, perhaps only slightly better than chicken scratch.
Having finally finished writing the ten rules, he sighed in relief. He raised his head, about to ask Meng Chen for a break before continuing, but was completely stunned by what he saw.
Meng Chen was looking down at what he had written, and had, without a sound, begun to weep silently.
