The Aloof Master Is Secretly Kissed Every Night by the Paranoid Villain - Chapter 11

When Wen Shiqing returned to the Qinglan Courtyard, he found Xiao Heng in the middle of counting the contents of his storage ring.

“This one will not do, it is not suitable for Junior Brother.”

“This spiritual fruit is decent, Junior Brother’s body should be able to withstand it.”

“The quality of this jade pendant is quite nice, it suits Junior Brother well.”

Seeing Wen Shiqing return, Xiao Heng immediately approached him to ask, “Master, have you settled Junior Brother in?”

“Yes.”

Wen Shiqing’s gaze fell upon the items. “Are these meant as gifts for Xie Yuan?”

Xiao Heng replied with a serious expression, “Yes, I am a senior brother now after all, so I must treat my junior brother well.”

System 00 chimed in, “Host, in the original novel, you detested Xiao Heng’s care for Xie Yuan. Using the excuse that Xie Yuan disliked contact with others, you forbade Xiao Heng from visiting him, intentionally driving a wedge between them. You even took all the items Xiao Heng prepared for Xie Yuan and kept them for yourself, storing them in a secret chamber you built like an absolute pervert.”

Wen Shiqing’s mouth twitched violently upon hearing 00’s explanation.

As expected, the root of all conflict between the male lead and the antagonist lay entirely with this master character.

After a moment of thought, Wen Shiqing suddenly had an idea.

He reached out to pick up a spiritual fruit, shook his head, and said, “The medicinal properties of this fruit are too aggressive, Xie Yuan will likely not be able to withstand it.”

He then picked up a jade pendant. “The base of this jade pendant is ice marrow, it will likely harm his body.”

“And this sword.”

After finding fault with every single item, Wen Shiqing let out a soft sigh. “Heng’er, your intention to give him gifts is pure, but if you send the wrong things, you might end up harming him. Therefore, the next time you wish to give him something, consult me beforehand, and I will help you substitute it with a more suitable gift.”

With that, Wen Shiqing swept all the items from the table into his own storage ring under false pretenses. He then prepared a new set of gifts that matched the categories Xiao Heng had chosen, even adding many items he wanted to give to Xie Yuan himself, much to the shock of the system.

“Deliver these to him instead, but remember to do it quietly without letting him see you,” Wen Shiqing fabricated smoothly. “Xie Yuan is a child who has suffered great hardships and is not accustomed to excessive closeness with others. You must also consider his pride.”

Xiao Heng experienced a sudden realization. “Master is right, my nature is too straightforward, and I was too abrupt with him.”

“From now on, I will consult Master regarding everything, and I will deliver the gifts secretly so I absolutely do not harm Junior Brother’s pride.”

Only then did Wen Shiqing smile with satisfaction.

He turned and returned to his own room, activating the mechanism beside the bookshelf according to the memories of the original owner. Once the secret chamber swung wide open, he stepped inside and placed Xiao Heng’s items on the table, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

System 00 laughed, “Host, you are truly becoming more and more skilled at finding these loopholes.”

“It is nothing extraordinary, just standard procedure,” Wen Shiqing replied, waving his hand as a strand of spiritual energy drifted outward to light the spiritual lamps within the chamber.

The surrounding environment was instantly illuminated.

Then, the deceptive smile he had used to fool the main system froze on his lips.

“Holy cow, what level of pervert exactly was this master?”

Even though Wen Shiqing rarely used profanity, he could not hold it back at this moment.

The four walls of the entire secret chamber were densely plastered with hundreds of portraits of Xiao Heng. His expressions in them varied from crying to laughing, showing resilience or vulnerability, and his movements ranged from clumsy to elegant. Some depicted his proud demeanor as his long sword pointed forward, while others captured his foolish grin as he dozed off on a table.

Every single painting was remarkably lifelike, yet they sent a cold shiver down one’s spine.

Aside from the portraits, the room was filled with dozens of massive wooden shelves and cabinets. Both inside and outside of them lay items that Xiao Heng had used, including several wardrobes packed entirely with his clothing.

Wen Shiqing felt a sharp ache in his eyes, and goosebumps erupted across his skin.

He could not help but lament, “It must have been truly difficult for the previous homophobic transmigrator.”

“Yes,” 00 agreed. “My fellow system colleague who managed that transmigrator said the previous actor almost developed a permanent psychological shadow during the years he played Wen Shiqing. It turns out the consensus in our industry is that perverted characters are universally disliked.”

“So that is why you intentionally withheld the details of the mission when you first bound with me, tricking me into agreeing first, right?”

00 immediately felt guilty. “Um, I am sorry, Host.”

After saying that, the system suddenly remembered something else and cautiously reminded Wen Shiqing, “By the way, Host, there is one more thing.”

Wen Shiqing suddenly developed a terrible premonition. “What is it?”

He then heard the system say in a shy, twisting tone, “In the novel, every once in a while, you would enter this secret chamber and, um, comfort yourself.”

“What?!”

Within the Spring Landscape Villa, Xie Yuan was earnestly flipping through the books on the table.

He had once secretly watched the tutor hired by Xie Xiao’s legitimate wife teach his half-brothers how to read, so he was able to understand the text.

The books Wen Shiqing had given him included introductory internal mental cultivation methods, sword styles, and a set of body-tempering fist techniques called the Gale Fist.

The texts also contained annotations detailing various precautions and knacks, which immediately brought enlightenment to Xie Yuan.

He attempted to execute the Gale Fist himself, performing it stance after stance, finding it infinitely more profound than the random methods he had clumsily practiced on his own in the past.

He then picked up a fallen peach branch to practice the sword strikes.

His movements transformed from clumsy during the first attempt to fluid and elegant after a dozen repetitions.

The wind generated by his motions swept up the fallen blossoms, which swirled and gently settled onto the ground along with his final stance.

Xie Yuan was drenched in sweat and exhausted, yet his eyes shone with an exceptionally bright light. He felt an intense sense of exhilaration.

However, when he opened the mental cultivation book meant for gathering spiritual energy with an excited heart and attempted it a hundred times, he remained entirely unable to retain even a single thread of spiritual energy within his body.

The excitement in his eyes faded away, leaving behind nothing but frustration and hatred.

“It is all because of those beasts!”

His fist slammed heavily against the table.

Xie Yuan’s face twisted in agony, finally exposing his true emotions within this courtyard where no one could see him.

“If this continues, what use is it even if I master sword styles and body-tempering techniques?”

“I will merely be slightly stronger than a mortal, so how can I even speak of revenge?!”

“Boy, you are different from the others. Even though you lack spiritual roots, you can still practice the Ghost Path.”

An abrupt, cold, and eerie voice caused Xie Yuan to instantly snap into a state of high alert. “Who is speaking?!”

A sudden, icy pang of pain shot through his wrist. Xie Yuan looked down and discovered a long black snake coiled around his pale left wrist at some unknown point in time.

Upon the snake’s head, two spectral blue eyes flickered like eerie ghost fires.

Xie Yuan’s eyes turned sharp, and his right hand swiftly pinched the black snake exactly seven inches below its head. “What kind of creature are you?! How did you get onto my person?!”

Applying pressure with his fingers, Xie Yuan’s voice turned ice-cold. “What did your words mean just now? What do you mean by practicing the Ghost Path? You had better explain everything clearly, or I will choke you to death right now.”

“As expected, this is the real you,” the black snake said, showing no fear whatsoever as it let out a sinister chuckle. “Your Yin energy is so incredibly dense, yet you act so obedient on the surface. You almost made this master think he had misjudged you.”

With that, the snake transformed into a plume of black mist, slipping through the gaps between Xie Yuan’s fingers, and coiled around his wrist once more. Under Xie Yuan’s wary gaze, it raised its head and continued, “But as you can see, I have already integrated into your body, so you cannot kill me at all.”

“The only thing you can do is become my servant and obey my words. In exchange, I can naturally make you powerful, allowing you to fulfill your desire for revenge.”

“Become your servant?” Xie Yuan sneered. “Are you even worthy?”

The black snake stared back with wide eyes. “How can you speak to me like that! When I was alive, I was a top-tier spiritual beast possessing the lineage of the Heaven-Swallowing Python! Being able to serve me is a blessing you must have spent eight lifetimes earning!”

“When you were alive?” Xie Yuan was inwardly shocked by the creature’s identity, but he remained calm on the surface, a sharp glint flashing within his eyes. “So that means you are already dead, and you exist currently in the form of a ghost.”

“I have heard that the ghost race cannot cultivate on its own and must rely on others to fulfill its desires. You have integrated into my body for so long without harming me, choosing instead to negotiate and demand that I become your servant and follow your arrangements. This proves that my body is highly useful in your eyes, and it also means you currently possess absolutely no method to control my thoughts or my actions.”

“Therefore, rather than claiming that you are generously helping me increase my strength to achieve my vow of revenge, it would be more accurate to say that you desperately desire for me to practice the Ghost Path to help you fulfill your own goals.”

“You are the one who needs to…”

Xie Yuan let out a cold laugh. “Beg me.”

” ”

The black snake was utterly stupefied.

It had anticipated that this boy would be difficult to deal with, but given his young age, it assumed there would be a limit to his cunning. Yet, within a span of just two sentences, the boy had completely seized the upper hand.

How was it supposed to continue its deception now?

Enraged to the absolute limit, it could not help but curse, “What do you mean I am begging you?! I would never beg you! If you refuse to practice the Ghost Path, you will never be able to exact your revenge, and you can remain a useless piece of trash for the rest of your life!”

The word “trash” pierced directly into Xie Yuan’s heart, yet he showed no outward sign of disturbance.

He merely smiled and said, “Fine, then I shall remain a useless piece of trash for the rest of my life. It is better not to practice this Ghost Path anyway.”

” ”

” ”

” ”

A deathly silence fell over the courtyard.

The human and the snake stared at each other.

“Are you truly refusing to practice the Ghost Path?”

“The Ghost Path is actually very easy to cultivate, truly. With your constitution, your progress will be incredibly rapid, and you will be able to surpass that Xiao Heng within a few short years!”

“Further, your spiritual roots are destroyed, meaning your path to immortality is already broken. Even that Wen Shiqing cannot save you.”

“Besides, he only views you as a substitute for that Xiao Heng. How could he ever truly help you restore your spiritual roots? He might even kill you on a whim one day when he grows tired of you. Are you truly willing to remain at the mercy of others for the rest of your life?”

Every single word struck directly at his vulnerabilities, causing a dark, gloomy tempest to churn within the depths of Xie Yuan’s eyes.

He clenched his fist so hard that his fingernails nearly pierced his palm, drawing warm blood that remained hidden within the tight darkness.

After an unknown period of time, the black snake finally shrieked in absolute frustration.

“Dammit! Consider this snake master defeated by you! I will not make you my servant anymore! Consider it a favor to me, please practice the Ghost Path!”

His nearly numb fingers finally relaxed, allowing the fresh blood to drip from his fingertips.

Xie Yuan finally curved the corners of his lips downward and responded to the black snake.

“Fine, I will practice it.”