The Villainous Senior Brother Doesn't Want to Wash White [Transmigration] - Chapter 38

The Golden Light Retroactive Glazed Lamp, having been upgraded in the Yunjian Secret Realm, was now a Heavenly-grade spiritual treasure. It could reconstruct the images of cultivators at or below the Golden Core stage at a specific time and place—its function was comparable to a surveillance camera.

With a Spirit Severing stage expert like Ji Qidan present, there was absolutely no possibility of the footage being forged.

The moment Ji Yanqing produced the lamp, the goateed cultivator knew he had no room left for excuses. He simply turned to Ji Qidan and pleaded: “Second Brother, I was momentarily confused! I—I also felt that Big Brother was too good to this boy, Ji Yanqing. If the position of Clan Head were given to him, the Ji family would surely be ruined in his hands. Second Brother, didn’t you also always dislike Ji Yanqing…”

Ji Yanqing frowned as he listened.

…Your plotting against people has nothing to do with the original host! It’s a good thing the original owner has left this world; if he heard your words, he’d probably climb out of his coffin in a rage!

Fortunately, although Ji Qidan was prone to judging without a full trial, he wasn’t so unreasonable as to blame Ji Yanqing for the goateed man’s crimes after hearing that explanation.

He looked at the goateed cultivator and cut him off directly: “Third Brother, for the sake of our many years as brothers, I will remember to personally send you to reincarnation and re-cultivation.”

Saying this, Ji Qidan raised his right hand. Five-colored spiritual light surrounded the goateed cultivator, who was preparing to flee. As Ji Qidan closed his fingers into a grip, the light converged instantly.

The goateed cultivator didn’t even have time to let out a scream before his physical body and cultivation perished on the spot, leaving behind only a trace of his true spirit.

A Spirit Severing stage master’s power is actually this terrifying.

Everyone present fell into silence. Ji Yanqing suddenly realized that if he hadn’t explained himself quickly enough just now, he might have been the one left as nothing but a true spirit.

Moreover, even though both were accused of plotting against the Clan Head, Ji Qidan hadn’t said anything about personally sending him to reincarnation!

This double standard was far too obvious!

Although the goateed man had babbled nonsense before his death, one thing he said was correct—

Ji Qidan truly, deeply disliked Ji Yanqing.

It wasn’t a dislike of what Ji Yanqing had done, or a dislike of his vile personality; he simply disliked Ji Yanqing as a person.

For example, right now, Ji Qidan knew that the events of the past were unrelated to Ji Yanqing, and that if Qi Ye and Ji Yanhui hadn’t intervened, Ji Yanqing would have perished.

Despite this, Ji Qidan showed no hint of apology. The gaze he directed at Ji Yanqing was still full of loathing.

Just why?

Ji Yanqing didn’t understand where Ji Qidan’s hatred for him originated.

Before he could find an answer, Shen Xiao stepped between the group to act as a peacemaker, asking Ji Qidan: “Since the matter is resolved, does the Second Elder have any further objections?”

Ji Qidan finally looked away from Ji Yanqing. “I have no objection. What preparations are needed for the Ghost Realm?”

Shen Xiao replied: “Everything was prepared beforehand. Now we only need to go to the tomb to open the passage.”

Given the ten-day deadline between Ji Yanqing and Ji Yanhui, they had already made preparations before Ji Yanqing even arrived.

Ji Yanqing couldn’t help but give a mental “thumbs up” to this efficiency.

Ji Qidan nodded: “Then let us go to the tomb now. I haven’t been back to the Ji family for a long time; it’s time I visit Little Sister.”

Little Sister.

Hearing this term from Ji Qidan, Ji Yanqing made a mental note of it.

Among the characters who appeared or were mentioned in the book regarding the Ji family, there was no mention of a sister of Ji Qidan.

However, Ji Yanqing also noticed that when mentioning this “Little Sister,” Ji Qidan’s tone grew much softer. It was evident their bond was very deep.

The members of the Ji family were notoriously protective of their own, as well as possessing a hereditary obsession with their siblings.

This “Little Sister” might be related to Ji Qidan’s hatred toward him.

Unlike ordinary family tombs, the Ji family tomb was located underwater in that lake.

Ji Yanqing cast a Water-Repelling Charm on himself. After a thought, he casually cast one on Qi Ye as well.

He remembered that while the lake looked ordinary, the water was of an extremely cold attribute. If Qi Ye caught a cold from the frigid air, no one would be able to cook for him for the next few days.

Qi Ye suddenly felt a wave of warm spiritual energy envelop him. Looking up, he happened to meet Ji Yanqing’s gaze.

His heart warmed. It seemed that ever since he and his Senior Brother had cleared the air, his Senior Brother’s attitude toward him had finally improved significantly.

Now, his Senior Brother was even taking the initiative to care for him.

Qi Ye thought for a moment and whispered to Ji Yanqing: “Thank you, Senior Brother.”

Qi Ye kept a cold face, but his voice sounded soft, seemingly carrying a trace of shy trepidation.

Ji Yanqing was momentarily struck by this “gap moe” and quickly turned his head away, saying coldly: “If you get sick, I’ll be the one who has to look after you these next few days.”

Soon, everyone was ready.

Originally, Ji Yanqing was worried that Ji Qidan would stop Qi Ye from going to the tomb, but it turned out Ji Qidan only disliked Ji Yanqing; he held little hostility toward Qi Ye.

Especially after vaguely overhearing the conversation between the two, Ji Qidan even spoke up to warn Qi Ye: “I was once like you, deceived by appearances.”

Seeing Qi Ye look toward him, he continued unhurriedly: “By the time you see the truth, it will be too late for regrets.”

He had been in that middle-aged man persona before, and those philosophical words suited him then, but now that his disguise had failed after his display of power, he didn’t bother to recast the spell.

So right now, in the eyes of Ji Yanqing and the others, Ji Qidan was a beautiful woman in red.

Hearing such words from a face like that felt… a bit strange.

Ji Yanqing thought silently, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward Qi Ye to see how he would react.

Qi Ye’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. His deep black eyes held a hint of confusion, as if he truly didn’t understand why Ji Qidan was saying this.

Seeing this reaction, Ji Qidan’s gaze darkened. He decided not to speak in riddles and said directly: “Ji Yanqing is not a good person. This is something the entire Ji family knows. I advise you to stay far away from him.”

Ji Yanqing: “???”

Hey, hey, hey, I’m still right here!

For some reason, if this were before, Ji Yanqing would have wanted to beam the thought “I am not a good person” directly into Qi Ye’s brain.

But hearing Ji Qidan say it now, he stared fixedly at Qi Ye, his heart feeling a bit tense.

Fortunately, Qi Ye also seemed to sense Ji Yanqing’s emotions and replied firmly without hesitation: “I believe in my Senior Brother.”

Only then did Ji Yanqing lower the hand he had surreptitiously raised.

“Oh. Then suit yourself.”

Ji Qidan replied indifferently. After all, there were many people like Qi Ye who were initially deceived by Ji Yanqing’s looks. Once he had been scammed once, the youth would understand.

Next, the group set off for the tomb.

The Ji family tomb was built a thousand years ago. Along the dim corridors, the tombs of various family members lined both sides.

Under Ji Qidan’s lead, the group passed through the underwater currents and entered the burial chamber. They walked along the dark passage and finally stopped before a stone door.

As Ji Qidan walked forward, the door opened automatically.

Appearing before Ji Yanqing was a small room. In the center stood a white jade statue, and before the statue was a soul lamp that had already gone out.

Ji Yanqing looked at the white jade statue.

It was a woman in a long dress. Her expression was slightly melancholic, yet it couldn’t hide her devastating beauty.

What caught Ji Yanqing’s attention most was that this woman, like him, had a cinnabar mole between her eyebrows.

Ji Yanqing then considered that this woman must be the “Little Sister” Ji Qidan had mentioned.

Given the shared bloodline, having a similar mole wasn’t unusual.

As soon as they entered the chamber, the atmosphere became solemn. No one spoke; they simply watched in silence as Ji Qidan fitted a new wick and added oil to the soul lamp.

However, even after Ji Qidan finished, the soul lamp remained unlit.

In this world, an extinguished soul lamp not only represented that the person had died but also meant she had not yet reincarnated.

Ji Qidan knew this would be the result, but the atmospheric pressure around him dropped significantly. He did not turn around, speaking to the others with his back turned: “Wait outside. I have some words to say to Little Sister.”

“Second Brother, you… Sigh, forget it. We’ll wait for you outside.”

The younger cultivator started to advise him but swallowed his words upon seeing Ji Qidan’s back. He sighed deeply and led the others outside the stone door.

Ji Yanqing reflected on the jade statue and Ji Qidan’s attitude toward him; the feeling that the answer lay within that chamber grew stronger.

He looked at the closed stone door, his heart stirring.

Though the door partitioned the room, if he used a spell, he could still hear what Ji Qidan was saying.

Ji Yanqing thought that since he’d have to spend time with Ji Qidan later, it was nerve-wracking to have a Spirit Severing master bear a grudge against him without knowing the reason.

It was this mindset that made him itch with curiosity—he had to know where the grievance between Ji Qidan and the original host came from. And right now was the perfect opportunity to learn the truth.

Just a little… eavesdropping?

With that thought, Ji Yanqing made his decision. He formed a hand seal. As a nearly imperceptible trace of True Qi passed through the door into the chamber, Ji Qidan’s voice reached his ears clearly.

“Little Sister, you haven’t reincarnated for so many years. Are you still blaming Second Brother and the Clan Head?”

As expected, this “Little Sister’s” death is related to my cheap father.

So, is Ji Qidan taking his anger out on me?

Ji Yanqing analyzed this as Ji Qidan continued: “The Clan Head said he went to find you and was gone for three whole years, yet he didn’t find you at all. He only found a son he had left wandering outside.”

Listening to this, my father really was a bit dishonorable.

But every debt has its debtor; Second Uncle, you shouldn’t take it out on me.

“…He brought that son back to the Ji family and raised him with care, pampering him in every way, and even wanted to give him the position of Clan Head.”

Ji Yanqing: “…”

Hearing this, Ji Yanqing’s eyelid twitched. He could finally be certain.

Wait—that son the Clan Head brought back and raised… was definitely me!.