Villainous Junior Chapter 7
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 7: Past Events
Meng Chen was only thirteen years old when he joined Taixuan Sect.
Although he was young, he had already experienced too many things that he shouldn't have at his age. He had seen all kinds of people in the world. So, when Zhongli Jing brought him before Pei Yuze and said this was his eldest senior brother, Meng Chen knew that this senior brother would be difficult to get along with.
The other person looked about sixteen or seventeen, with composed and measured manners. His face wore a friendly smile as he gently called out "Junior Brother Meng."
But in those noble phoenix eyes, there was clearly not a trace of this "Junior Brother Meng."
Meng Chen understood the situation in his heart, so in the days that followed, he never tried to offend Pei Yuze. He just quietly stayed in his own courtyard, reading, meditating, and practicing sword techniques day and night. Until one day several months later, a secret realm in Taixuan Sect opened up. Disciples at Foundation Establishment level and above were eligible to participate. Before entering the secret realm, Elder Yu Nian told everyone that disciples who passed through the realm could obtain a Marrow-Washing Pill, which could cleanse the marrow and bones, transform one's aptitude, and greatly improve their realm when consumed.
This was an extremely precious top-grade pill. All the disciples were excited and eagerly rushed into the secret realm. Although Meng Chen was also very tempted, he knew that at his current level, he was unlikely to obtain the Marrow-Washing Pill.
He had joined the sect five months ago and had already smoothly transitioned from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, reaching the third layer of Foundation Establishment. Several elders, including the sect leader, had expressed amazement at his cultivation speed, but Meng Chen felt he was still far from good enough. There were countless experts in the world, and his master had already reached the pinnacle. He had only just begun, and truly didn't feel there was anything to be proud of.
With the mindset of tempering himself, Meng Chen entered the secret realm. He had always been cautious and observant, so he avoided many traps. Due to his pure and tenacious Dao heart, he successfully passed through several trials of the mind, and unexpectedly stumbled his way to the final stage of the secret realm.
This was a place like a deep well, dimly lit inside, with uneven earthen walls all around. Looking up, one could see a circular patch of sky, which should be the exit to the outside world. Meng Chen flew upwards on his sword, but the distance between the bottom of the well and the exit, which looked to be only about ten meters, somehow could not be flown out of no matter what. He had to land back on the ground and try to find other exits.
It was only then that he discovered there was actually another person in this deep well. Because the light at the bottom of the well was too dim, and the other person was standing in a corner, he hadn't noticed them at first.
Moreover, this was a familiar face.
"Eldest Senior Brother," he greeted somewhat hesitantly, "You're here too?"
"Yes." Pei Yuze walked out of the shadows, smiling gently at him, and said, "I arrived earlier than you, and also tried to fly out on my sword, but it didn't work. It seems this level is not so easy to pass."
Just as he finished speaking, an elderly voice came through the air. "It's useless. If you want to leave this place, there's only one way..."
Meng Chen: "What is it?"
"Kill the other person." That voice was flat and calm, to the point of cruelty. "Kill the other person and you can leave, obtain the Marrow-Washing Pill, and countless treasures from the secret realm. Otherwise, both of you will be trapped here forever..."
The voice disappeared, and a deathly silence fell over the deep well. Meng Chen slowly turned his head and met Pei Yuze's eyes.
The other's expression was still gentle, but somehow, as Meng Chen looked into those phoenix eyes, he instinctively felt a chill.
"There are often bewitching creatures in secret realms that deceive people's hearts. We must not believe them," Pei Yuze said after a moment of silence. "Let's look for other ways to get out."
Meng Chen imperceptibly let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly joined Pei Yuze in carefully examining their surroundings. They checked every corner of the deep well and used all the spells they could think of, but still couldn't find a way out. More terrifyingly, their bodily functions seemed to have greatly decreased in this square well. Their bodies, which had transcended the need for food, began to feel hunger and thirst, and their spirits also became extremely fatigued.
Twelve hours passed.
Three days passed.
Five days passed...They were starting to struggle to hold on.
The strength in their bodies had been drained, and they could no longer even stand. The two young men sat leaning against the earthen walls on opposite sides. Pei Yuze quietly looked at him, his thoughts unknown.
Meng Chen exerted effort to raise his hand, untied the sword at his waist, and threw it towards the person opposite him.
Pei Yuze's expression changed slightly.
"Senior Brother," Meng Chen said softly, his voice hoarse and weak from dehydration, "You should go."
In truth, if there were other options, Meng Chen wouldn't want to easily give up his own life either.
In his short thirteen years, he had endured countless hardships and encountered many situations more desperate than this. Yet he had always fought with his last breath, crawling back from the brink of death.
As long as he could survive, he was unwilling to give up even the smallest hope. But the prerequisite was that it didn't violate his principles and bottom line.
If survival could only be achieved by killing another person, he would rather not have it.
Pei Yuze wasn't moved by his actions. Instead, a sarcastic expression gradually appeared on his face as he coldly said, "Utterly foolish. The cultivation world is a place where the strong prey on the weak. With your nature, how could Master have taken a liking to you?"
His current words and behavior were completely opposite to the side he had always shown, but Meng Chen wasn't surprised at all. He smiled faintly and closed his eyes.
Senior Brother was right. He was indecisive and not ruthless enough. Perhaps he truly wasn't suited to survive in the cultivation world, which was even more cruel than the mortal realm. But to kill someone who had no grudge against him, and who was even a fellow disciple, he really couldn't bring himself to do it.
In one's lifetime, if one couldn't even have a clear conscience, what meaning was there left?
He heard Pei Yuze pick up the long sword and drag his steps towards him. Strangely, he didn't feel fear or dread in his heart, but rather an odd sense of relaxation.
At least he no longer had to exhaust himself thinking about how to survive every day. There seemed to be nothing in this world worth his attachment, and no one who would be attached to him. Perhaps leaving like this wasn't such a bad ending…
As he was thinking aimlessly, something was lightly tossed onto his leg. Meng Chen opened his eyes in confusion and found it was his own sword.
"Get up," Pei Yuze said. "Let's check the bottom of the well one more time."
Meng Chen was stunned, suddenly feeling like laughing and crying at the same time. He hurriedly used all his strength to get up and followed Pei Yuze to investigate again. Amazingly, this time they quickly made a new discovery - there was an empty space behind one of the earthen walls. With a thrust of the sword hilt, a small hole opened up. However, this hole was too narrow. With Meng Chen's thirteen-year-old build, he could crawl through, but Pei Yuze couldn't.
"Senior Brother, I'll go out and call for help. You wait for me here!" Meng Chen was overjoyed at finding hope for survival. He didn't notice Pei Yuze's hand gripping the sword tighten slightly before he softly replied "Mm" after a while.
Meng Chen immediately crawled out through the hole and arrived in another space. This was a treasure vault. Anyone who saw the scene before them would probably be shocked and unable to look away - there were countless gold, silver, jewels, high-grade magical artifacts, and top-tier cultivation techniques. Golden light flickered and immortal energy swirled, almost blinding to the eyes. And in the center of all these treasures, enshrined was that Marrow-Washing Pill that countless people had been frantically pursuing. It was covered in a faint purple light, enticing those who came to grasp it in their hands.
However, Meng Chen had no time to care about anything else. He only busied himself with shouting for help. After calling out for a while and finding that still no one came, he had no choice but to rummage through the treasures and find a few plates of exquisite pastries. He wrapped the pastries in his outer robe, then crawled back the way he came.
He shared the pastries with Pei Yuze. After regaining some strength, they used their swords to widen the hole. Together, they entered the treasure vault and simultaneously picked up the Marrow-Washing Pill.
The illusion before their eyes vanished. Seeing the smiling faces of the Taixuan Sect Leader and the various elders, Meng Chen and Pei Yuze realized they were among the few who had truly passed through the secret realm.
Of the disciples who entered the secret realm, 40% chose to kill each other at the bottom of the well. Of the remaining 60%, although they didn't raise their swords against their companions, when one of them reached the treasure vault, they were immediately bewitched by the treasures and pills, choosing to abandon their companion and selfishly consume the Marrow-Washing Pill alone. Only less than 10% of the people truly upheld their principles in the face of death and maintained their true hearts in the face of temptation, genuinely passing this secret realm trial.
The disciples who chose to kill each other were all expelled from Taixuan Sect. Those who couldn't resist temptation, upon learning the truth, were overcome with shame and went to the Cliff of Reflection to repent. The disciples who passed the trial each received a Marrow-Washing Pill.
Although Meng Chen was happy about improving his cultivation, what made him even happier was the change in Pei Yuze's attitude towards him.
His eldest senior brother seemed to have finally put aside various concerns and wariness, accepting him as a junior brother. There were still few people on Tianji Peak, but Meng Chen no longer felt lonely and unbearable. Every day, he practiced cultivation and sword techniques with his senior brother, discussed lessons together, went down the mountain to travel together, and even boldly skipped the boring sect history classes together to sneak down to the small town below for temple fairs…
He smiled more and more, and his personality finally became less restrained and cautious. He experienced the happiest time since his birth.
And these times were given to him by Pei Yuze.
Pei Yuze was a competent senior brother, knowledgeable and skilled in swordsmanship. He was well-versed in astronomy, geography, spells, and formations. Compared to Zhongli Jing, this master, he taught Meng Chen even more.
Besides that, he was also a reliable elder brother. Every time they went down the mountain for missions and encountered danger, he always stood in front of Meng Chen with his sword drawn.
Meng Chen often thought that even a biological brother wouldn't treat him as well as Pei Yuze did.
Until later.
Until Pei Yuze personally took up his sword, and stroke after stroke, mercilessly crippled his limbs and meridians, destroying the cultivation he had painstakingly built up.
He was in such pain that he felt close to death. Cold sweat and fresh blood mixed together, flowing down and staining his snow-white robes into a mess. The physical pain was secondary; the most fatal was the humiliation to his dignity and the destruction of his spirit. His vision kept blacking out, but he struggled not to faint. With blood surging in his throat, he asked tearfully, word by word. "...Why?"
Pei Yuze embraced his constantly trembling body, compassionately kissing away the cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
"Because this way," his lips pressed against his ear, murmuring gently as usual, "Ah Chen will be mine alone."
