The Villainous Master Forcibly Redeemed His Corrupted Disciple - Chapter 5

Wen Zhihan wore a look of worry. Remembering how long ago those events had been, the words lingered on his lips and paused before thousands of thoughts finally melted into a soft, sigh-like whisper.

“I am sorry.”

Shen Zong blinked, as though he had not heard clearly.

Yet he did not care, quickly lifting a smile and speaking on his own accord. “Master’s bedchamber has already been tidied up and arranged. Master may rest at any time. If there is nothing else, this disciple will take his leave first…”

“Shen Zong.”

Wen Zhihan’s voice was slightly louder and clearer than before. “Previously… this master was somewhat overly harsh to you, and always made things difficult for you at every turn, causing you to suffer a great deal.”

Shen Zong paused.

“This master was wrong.”

Wen Zhihan lowered his gaze slightly, looking at him earnestly. The heartache and regret in the depths of his eyes did not seem feigned.

“I should not have treated you that way, nor should I have let you endure so many injuries and live such an aggrieved life. From now on, similar things will never happen again.”

“…What?”

In truth, Wen Zhihan’s heart was beating very fast.

Even as he spoke, he nervously gripped his own palms, forcing himself not to shrink back and bravely taking up the responsibilities of a master.

Although everything had been done by the usurper, he currently lacked proof and possessed no absolute guarantee. If he were to reveal the truth now, not only would he fail to convince his disciple, but it would also look like he was using tall tales of child-deceiving legends to shirk responsibility.

Furthermore, he truly carried guilt in his heart.

Had his cultivation not been too shallow, allowing villains to succeed in possession through a momentary lapse in vigilance, had he only returned sooner, his disciple would not have suffered like this.

Was this not the dereliction of duty on the part of a master?

“I have already driven those undisciplined outer disciples out of the sect. With me here, they will never appear before you again.”

Wen Zhihan rushed to finish what he wanted to say in one breath.

“You do not need to live in the woodshed anymore either; that place is hardly conducive to cultivation. Starting today, you will live here with me.”

Seeing that Shen Zong only remained silent, showing no emotional fluctuations beyond a slight widening of his eyes and a hint of initial surprise, Wen Zhihan suddenly felt somewhat uncertain.

Raising a hand, he tentatively cupped Shen Zong’s forearm, softening his tone.

“Ayuan, if you are angry with this master and do not wish to live with me, you may also choose the side hall nearby.”

Who would have thought that Shen Zong would blink and break into a sweet smile, immediately seizing this opportunity to draw closer to Wen Zhihan?

“Master, do not speak such foolish words. I am neither angry with you nor unwilling to live with you.”

“It was just that… you spoke so suddenly just now, and this disciple failed to react in time, thinking I was dreaming.”

Naturally, Shen Zong was not unwilling to live with him.

Being able to move directly out of the remote, freezing woodshed and straight into Wen Zhihan’s bedchamber was quite literally a wonderful opportunity delivered right to his doorstep.

The closer the living quarters, the more convenient it would be for him to tamper with things. Why would he refuse?

Given Wen Zhihan’s capricious temperament, if he did not agree quickly and instead hesitated out of fear of traps, he doubted a second chance like this would ever come again.

Indeed, he had only been momentarily stunned.

Who could blame him when Wen Zhihan’s acting was so unexpectedly convincing?

For a brief, fleeting instant, he had genuinely thought of some distant dream.

No, to be precise, the scene unfolding before his eyes was far more absurd and bizarre than the dreams he knew best, making it hard to believe it was reality.

Shen Zong blinked, his initial reaction not anger at Wen Zhihan’s deceitful hypocrisy, but a sudden urge to laugh.

He had no idea what was running through that fellow’s head. Of all the ways to harm, suppress, and humiliate him, why did he choose to pull this stunt instead?

Feigning kindness and pretending to turn over a new leaf right in front of him, did he even bother to look in a mirror? Saying things like that was something he would never believe even in a dream. Was Wen Zhihan not afraid he would burst out laughing halfway through?

Thus Shen Zong truly smiled, his expression natural, his eyes curved, and his words spoken from the bottom of his heart without a single false note, sounding utterly candid.

“Master, to hear you say such things, this disciple is truly overjoyed.”

Wen Zhihan silently gazed into his disciple’s eyes, yet grew increasingly uneasy inside.

His hand rested lightly on Shen Zong’s forearm while his spiritual sense extended outward. Unbeknownst to himself, he had never been this focused, utilizing the power of his divine soul to meticulously and earnestly probe Shen Zong’s breathing, heartbeat, and the natural flow of his spiritual energy.

The rare spell known as Lie Detection had long since been cast unintentionally, its spiritual energy extending like vines from his fingertips, silently climbing up Shen Zong’s arm.

His voice dropped lower, his fingertips brushing lightly and imperceptibly along the wrist pulse toward the palm, leaving behind an undetected golden trace of a spell seal.

“Do you truly mean these words?”

“Naturally they are from the heart.”

The Yueying Sect Lie Detection spell was capable of clearly distinguishing truth from falsehood.

Receiving this reply, Wen Zhihan quietly let out a breath he had been holding and smiled with genuine relief.

Wonderful.

After being possessed and driven away, having lost his original physical body and being displaced from this realm, he had been unable to use the vast majority of immortal arts. Only this single one, an immortal lie-detection technique utilizing the power of the divine soul, was something he had continued to employ throughout those eight years.

During those eight years, he had cast this spell several times upon interrogated and cross-examined enemies, using it to carve out a thread of survival in desperate situations.

Now, it was the first time he was using it on his own disciple.

“What is Master looking at?”

Shen Zong smiled as well, asking a question while knowing the answer in advance. Beneath the shadow, a pair of dark eyes held sharp, piercing brilliance.

Though his gaze was accompanied by a smile, it felt capable of piercing through everything.

Wen Zhihan’s heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively pulled his hand away from Shen Zong, taking half a step back.

A faint clattering sound rang out as his back struck a shelf laden with old items.

Clang.

A book placed high on the shelf suddenly lost its balance and toppled toward Wen Zhihan’s shoulder.

With lightning speed, Shen Zong raised his hand and caught it instinctively, then paused, lingering with his hand extended as though unable to understand why he still possessed such reflex actions.

Stepping forward, he nonchalantly returned the fallen book to its place, trapping his master within the cramped space while using the arm resting against the shelf to block the sole escape route.

Shen Zong’s shadow thus enveloped his master’s body, his lowered gaze locking the person firmly in place.

Ayuan…

Only belatedly did Wen Zhihan realize that the green, lean youth of his memories had grown taller during his absence; he now had to tilt his chin up slightly just to meet Shen Zong’s brow and eyes.

When those eyes were not smiling, they carried a tripartite edge of cold severity.

Biting his lip, he forced the calm and steady composure expected of a master.

“Nothing. I merely realized all at once that Ayuan has grown taller.”

He feigned composure, his breathing only disordered for a single instant before returning to stability.

He could not rush.

Wen Zhihan reminded himself deep down. No matter how much heartache or worry he felt, he could not act hastily. Ayuan did not yet know about the body possession, nor had he completely eliminated the usurper Bai Chixin; the timing was still not right.

Within the overly quiet environment, the sound of their breathing grew distinctly pronounced.

While Wen Zhihan felt a trace of panic, Shen Zong’s breathing was equally tense. Completely contradicting his natural, relaxed posture and tone, he did not dare let his guard down mentally for even a fraction of a second.

He marshaled almost all his mental energy to react instinctively, experiencing a momentary sense of unreality only after the crisis had passed.

For a split second, he had actually sensed a chilling hint of near-killing intent emanating from Wen Zhihan. Although no spiritual pressure had leaked, his instincts had nevertheless tightened in tension.

This was something the past Wen Zhihan had never possessed, and he kept feeling that something was amiss.

Yet the very next second, everything vanished like mist, as if the oppressive feeling moments before had merely been an illusion.

Staring at the person close enough to touch, every sign told him… Wen Zhihan was lying again.

While utilizing the despicable Lie Detection art, he simultaneously spun a web of falsehoods, truly a fitting act for the Wen Zhihan he knew so well.

Was this another attempt to drive him mad and shake his dao heart?

What a pity; his dao heart had long since been shattered into pieces, leaving behind nothing but an inescapable inner demon.

Had he not been reborn once, he might not even have been able to perceive or distinguish the arts of the Yueying Sect.

Fortunately, this time, the person lurking in the shadows holding the initiative was him.

“Did Master only notice this today?”

Shen Zong tilted his head slightly, his smile cold around the edges, his dark eyes deep and rippleless.

“This disciple is already grown, no longer some young child, yet Master still addresses me by my childhood nickname. Hearing it inevitably invites ridicule from others.”

“…”

Wen Zhihan lowered his head with a sense of lingering loss.

He had never cared about such things when he was fifteen or sixteen years old.

“Very well, Shen Zong.”

He spoke with dry reluctance.

Before he was possessed, Shen Zong had already reached the age of fifteen or six, standing tall as a youth even in front of others, and had never uttered such words back then.

Not only that, but he would also gaze at him with youthful admiration, his eyes bright and focused, saying he loved it when Master called his childhood nickname in private, and that other people laughing was their other business.

“That reminds me, when I go purchase a new bed for you, I must ensure it is somewhat larger so you can stretch your legs freely.”

Shen Zong remained silent.

What a wonderful performance.

When he had first been brought to Qionghu Peak back then, his master had similarly considered and arranged everything for him just like today. When people heard that Wen Zhihan had taken in an orphan as a disciple and came over out of curiosity to take a look, they would chuckle and remark that it looked less like he had picked up a disciple and more like he had picked up a son.

Wen Zhihan had possessed an exceptionally good temper, smiling and accepting it with a reply: “There is no problem with saying that. From this day onward, this place is his home; if Ayuan is my son, then you are his uncles and aunts.”

He would tease the young Shen Zong, smiling as he held back his laughter: “Hurry up and greet your second uncle.”

At that time, Shen Zong lacked worldly understanding and could not tell whether people were speaking in earnest or in jest. Raising his head, he had obediently called out “Second Uncle.”

Curiously, that “Second Uncle” on the opposite side was equally serious and proper, understanding jokes even less than him as he solemnly corrected: “It is Master Uncle, not Second Uncle.”

“Understood, Second Master Uncle.”

Everyone would burst into roaring laughter.

Back then, he did not understand what was so funny, his mind filled with pure bewilderment, feeling only that this place was so lively, his master’s smile was so attractive, and everyone was so happy.

Therefore, he too had smiled happily.

In the blink of an eye, Wen Zhihan had already arranged the layout of the bedchamber. Aided by spiritual power and immortal arts, bringing a brand-new bed over from afar was merely a matter of a moment.

After bustling about for a while, having reorganized his mood, Wen Zhihan cheerfully invited Shen Zong to come take a look and see if he was satisfied, before suggesting that they head to a spiritual spring for a soak.

“How about Xuanyu Cang? The spiritual water there is pure and gentle, bearing the reputation of the Nine Heavens Profound Water.”

Soaking in the spiritual spring was secondary; his primary purpose in proposing this was to seize the opportunity to treat Shen Zong’s injuries while simultaneously stabilizing his own divine soul.

Having previously suffered possession and now reclaiming his physical body, whether from the round trip or the battles of the past eight years, his divine soul had sustained a certain degree of damage.

The only thing he remembered was that this return would inevitably cost him a portion of his memories, and only through recuperating his soul and re-merging spirit and flesh could he fully recover.

Perhaps the memories concerning Shen Zong were hidden within those lost portions, otherwise, why would he be willing to pay such a heavy price to return if he remained entirely ignorant of his disciple’s plight?

He had already missed far too many years of his disciple’s youth, a sensation that felt thoroughly unpleasant, and he now wished only to make up for the eight-year void all the faster.

The remaining fragments of Bai Chixin’s soul lay to the northwest, and Xuanyu Cang was also in the northwest, happily in the exact same direction.

Since many details regarding this person remained unknown to him, and to prevent another instance of possession, he needed to nurture and tend to his divine soul with utmost care.

“Xuanyu Cang?”

Shen Zong knew the place.

It was a plateau covered entirely by snow and frost, hazy with mist in the distance and snow meeting the sky, resembling a vault of heaven veiled by mutton-fat jade, hence the name.

Shen Zong fell into contemplation. That was also a place he had planned to visit.

Though sooner or later he would abandon the Dao to practice demonic arts, the time was not yet ripe, and a spiritual spring of this caliber happened to serve wonderfully for suppressing his inner demon.

Yet what was Wen Zhihan doing going to Xuanyu Cang?

Spiritual springs held immense value regardless of whether one possessed low cultivation and poor bone structure, or suffered from grave injuries defying medicinal cure. However, Wen Zhihan’s cultivation had already reached the Nascent Soul stage; minor external injuries would heal completely within ten half-months under the physique of a mighty cultivator, and he had never suffered from inner demons. Why would he need to soak in a spiritual spring?

Unless Wen Zhihan had discovered something?