After Transmigrating Into The Body Of The Chief Disciple, The Villain Was Reborn. - Chapter 21

Two stone Qilin stood on either side of the stone door, each holding a round stone in its mouth like loyal guards, facing directly toward them. The surrounding walls were covered in dense, intricate ancient script, save for one wall that featured a mural. The stone stele was also located in the hall, and the three of them walked over to examine it once more for clues. Regrettably, there was nothing to be found.

Lu Shi’an looked up at the ceiling. They had fallen from there, yet the surface showed no trace of an opening; it was as if they had appeared out of thin air. They walked toward the mural. It depicted a single man bound to a high platform by iron chains, his eyes glistening with what seemed to be tears, gazing forward with an expression of grievance.

Flashes of images tore through Lu Shi’an’s mind like a motion picture. Before he could make sense of them, a stabbing pain erupted in his head, as if thousands of ants were gnawing at his brain. He frowned and rubbed his temples, attempting to focus, but the images shattered like smoke, vanishing without a trace.

Seeing his senior brother in pain, Ning Yuzhao asked with concern, “Senior Brother, what is wrong?”

Lu Shi’an shook his head to signal he was fine and continued to stare at the man in the painting. Ning Yuzhao followed Lu Shi’an’s gaze. Even as a mural, the man depicted was strikingly handsome. Even though he had not yet seen the man from the ice coffin, he instinctively felt that the two were one and the same. Ning Yuzhao’s expression darkened instantly. It was him again, this man whom his senior brother had only seen once. He felt bitter; he was the one who had always been by his senior brother’s side, yet the moment this stranger appeared, his senior brother had no room for anyone else. How could his senior brother care so deeply for a dead man, someone who had passed away so long ago? As he thought of the man now stored safely within his senior brother’s internal space, his eyes grew somber.

“Yuzhao? Did you discover something?”

Lu Shi’an had been studying the mural, trying and failing to recall those fleeting images. When he turned to leave and search for clues elsewhere, he noticed his junior brother’s gaze locked firmly on the painting. It was a look he had never seen before; Yuzhao was usually simple and spoiled, never appearing this brooding.

Ning Yuzhao pulled himself together and forced a smile. “Senior Brother, is this man the same one from the ice coffin?”

Lu Shi’an nodded awkwardly. He knew Yuzhao was sensitive about the man, but he had not expected the boy to deduce it from a mere painting.

“The man from the ice coffin? Let me see what he looks like!”

Xiao Heng, hearing the mention of the coffin, stopped searching for other clues. He wanted to see what kind of person could leave Lu Shi’an so distracted at a single glance. Xiao Heng studied the mural carefully and sighed in admiration. “This man is truly beautiful. The tears in his eyes are enough to stir pity; no wonder you are so reluctant to let go. I imagine the real person must be even more exquisite than this painting. It is a pity that the ice coffin is protected by a barrier that only allows you to approach.”

He then teased, “Brother Lu, could it be that this man and you truly shared some entanglement in a past life? Why else would you encounter so many things related to him, and why would that barrier allow only you to enter? Tsk tsk, Brother Lu, with such a beauty in tears, did you perhaps fail him in a past life?”

Lu Shi’an nudged Xiao Heng with his elbow, sighing, “What are you talking about? That is impossible. This man is clearly a figure from a thousand years ago.”

In truth, he harbored the same suspicion as Xiao Heng—that he might be the reincarnation of someone from that era who had known this man. Yet, he felt that if such a person had truly been by his side, he would have cherished him too deeply to ever allow him to come to harm.

Unlike the two of them, Ning Yuzhao felt that there might indeed be a connection between his senior brother and the man. But he would not yield. He was the one beside his senior brother now, and he would be the only one by his side in the future.

Seeing there were no further clues in the mural, Lu Shi’an prepared to leave, but suddenly, a sharp pain spiked through his brain. Before Ning Yuzhao or Xiao Heng could react, Lu Shi’an collapsed to the ground.

Ning Yuzhao’s heart tightened. He immediately crouched down, anxiously checking his senior brother’s condition. Xiao Heng hovered nearby, his eyes filled with worry and unease. However, after a thorough examination, they found nothing. Aside from the fact that Lu Shi’an was unconscious, everything seemed perfectly normal, which was baffling.

“What is going on?” Ning Yuzhao muttered, his brows knitted together. He and Xiao Heng exchanged looks of deep concern. Helpless, they could only wait, hoping Lu Shi’an would wake up soon.

Time ticked by. After about half an hour, Lu Shi’an finally opened his eyes. He blinked, trying to adjust to his surroundings. Seeing this, joy flooded Ning Yuzhao’s heart, and he leaned in closer. “Senior Brother, you finally woke up! How do you feel? Are you still in pain?”

Lu Shi’an shook his head and sighed softly. “I am fine, just feeling a bit tired.” He rubbed his forehead, as if trying to dispel the lingering grogginess.

Ning Yuzhao sighed in relief but continued to press him. “Are you really alright?”

Lu Shi’an gave a bitter smile and nodded. “Really, I am fine. But I think I just had a strange dream.” His gaze was distant and hazy.

“What kind of dream?” Xiao Heng asked curiously.

Lu Shi’an frowned, struggling to recall the details, but the images in his mind were obscured by a dense fog, blurry and indistinct. He shook his head helplessly. “It is too fuzzy. I cannot remember a thing.”

Ning Yuzhao was about to continue his questioning when a faint, abnormal sound drifted from behind them.