Vindicated After a Wrongful Death - Chapter 14

The rogue cultivator’s legs were shaking so hard he could barely stand. He never imagined that in a situation like this, this fool would still be worrying about those thousand jade stones.

His life was on the line!

Silence fell over the long street, so heavy that a dropped needle would have sounded like a crack of thunder. No one dared to even breathe.

Man Qiuxia gently lifted a corner of his veil, fixing his gaze on Xiang Zhongjing’s filth-streaked face. His expression grew even darker. The lingering murderous intent around him thickened, and the look he gave Xiang Zhongjing through the gap in the silk was so intense it seemed he wanted to grind the man’s bones to ash.

Even through the veil, the crowd could sense the icy, violent aura radiating from Man Qiuxia. Moments ago, some had wondered if this bold stranger was an old friend of his, but seeing this reaction, they immediately buried that thought.

What kind of old friend shows up and burns down a man’s house? Besides, Man Qiuxia didn’t look like he’d found a friend, he looked like he’d found a mortal enemy.

The onlookers remained silent, secretly settling in to watch the carnage.

Carrying a terrifying chill, Man Qiuxia’s feet touched the ground as he strode toward Xiang Zhongjing. His rage finally hit its peak. The closer he got, the clearer he saw Xiang Zhongjing’s disheveled state, and he finally snapped.

“You…” Man Qiuxia roared.

Xiang Zhongjing seemed to know exactly what was coming. Before the other could finish, he deftly raised his right hand and covered his ear tightly. However, his left hand was immobile, so Man Qiuxia’s furious tirade still managed to pour into his ears.

“Is this how you treat a face like that?!” Man Qiuxia was nearly incoherent with rage, his lips trembling.

Xiang Zhongjing was shouted back half a step. He was a person who generally took things as they came and never felt the need to maintain an image. Seeing Man Qiuxia this upset, he said tentatively, “I think I look fine.”

Man Qiuxia had never roared so ungracefully in his life. “I’ll kill you!”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Having a face thicker than a city wall, Xiang Zhongjing wasn’t angry about the scolding. Instead, he reached out his hand with perfect composure and said, “One thousand jade stones.”

Man Qiuxia: “…”

Man Qiuxia’s eyes were turning red. He wanted nothing more than to peel the skin off Xiang Zhongjing’s body. He glared at him fiercely, forcing down the violent impulse in his chest.

“Who do you owe money to?”

His eyes, still simmering with rage, swept over the crowd before landing on the dumbstruck rogue cultivator. His brow furrowed. “Yours?”

The rogue’s mind went blank. He stood dazed for a long while before letting out a confused, “Huh?”

The crowd waiting for a show was blindsided by this turn of events. Many still had looks of gleeful anticipation on their faces, which now appeared utterly ridiculous. No one expected that this destitute rogue was actually an acquaintance of Man Qiuxia, and a close one at that.

Would the notoriously arrogant, self-centered Man Qiuxia actually pay someone’s debt willingly?

A series of sharp gasps rippled through the onlookers.

Earlier, Xiang Zhongjing had his back turned when he lowered his hood, so no one saw his face. Now, everyone stared at him in disbelief, wondering just who this mysterious figure was.

Man Qiuxia’s expression grew even colder. “Watch your eyes,” he said in a low, heavy voice.

Startled, the crowd immediately looked down, not daring to peek again.

Having found his “sucker,” Xiang Zhongjing ignored everyone else. He was clumsily using one hand to tie the luck-changing talismans he’d bought onto his person. He tucked two into his sleeves, hung three from his waist, and stuffed the rest into his collar.

The collection of talismans he had gathered sixty years ago had been destroyed along with his storage bracelet in the Sandu Secret Realm. It was time to start a new collection.

Seeing him treasure a pile of scrap paper so much, Man Qiuxia’s brow tightened. “A few lucky charms cost a thousand jade stones?”

As he spoke, he turned a dissatisfied gaze toward the rogue cultivator.

The rogue had finally snapped out of it. Under that piercing stare, his face went deathly pale. He almost dropped to his knees, shaking his head frantically.

“No, no, no!”

He dared to swindle a sectless, brainless nobody like Xiang Zhongjing, but he wouldn’t dare trick Man Qiuxia for all the gold in the world, unless he wanted to be exiled from Wujin Road.

His legs shaking, the rogue forced himself to meet Man Qiuxia’s murderous gaze and stammered, “Those were… a gift for the fellow cultivator. No jade stones required.”

Man Qiuxia saw through the man’s panic and let out a cold sneer.

Normally, he would have lost patience and blasted the man away, but with Xiang Zhongjing here, he didn’t want to waste a second on anyone else. He settled the “one thousand jade stones” issue with a wave of his hand, then reached out to pull Xiang Zhongjing’s dirty hood back over his face. He grabbed the man by the wrist and began dragging him toward Wujin Building.

Xiang Zhongjing turned back to call out to the rogue, “If you get more luck-changing talismans, remember to save some for me!”

The rogue: “…”

The crowd: “…”

An unprecedented silence fell over Wujin Building as everyone watched the two disappear inside. After a long while, the crowd erupted in whispers and exclamations. The rogue cultivator collapsed onto the ground, his legs giving out as if he had just escaped a pit of fire and knives.

Who could have guessed that by trying to scam a random traveler, he’d kick a steel plate?

***

Inside Wujin Building, Man Qiuxia’s face was as dark as deep water. He dragged Xiang Zhongjing into the back courtyard and ordered servants to prepare things, then ruthlessly tossed him into a steaming hot spring tub.

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t even have time to undress. He was soaked instantly, and as the water hit the wound on his left hand, the pool was immediately stained with a cloud of red.

Without a word, Man Qiuxia shoved a spirit pill into his mouth. The medicine melted into warm spiritual energy that surged through his limbs. The stubborn wound on his left hand healed in an instant, and his blurry vision cleared.

Only then did Xiang Zhongjing strip off his wet clothes and move to another tub, leaning comfortably against the edge. His jet-black hair was exceptionally long and straight, slightly curled only at the tips. It draped over his back, obscuring his thin frame and occasionally revealing the firm line of his waist.

Man Qiuxia sat on a nearby soft couch, frowning as he picked through a mountain of clothing brought by servants. He said distractedly, “No wonder Su Cansheng has been lingering at my place, he was waiting for you. The commotion outside was too big, he’ll likely know you’re here soon.”

Soaked in the hot water, Xiang Zhongjing grew drowsy. “Can you fix my hand?” he asked lazily.

“Su Cansheng’s sword intent isn’t something an ordinary person can dispel. He usually has to do it himself,” Man Qiuxia said, tossing a garment worth a thousand gold pieces onto the floor as if it were a dirty rag. “But am I an ordinary person?”

Xiang Zhongjing finally felt at ease.

Man Qiuxia called a servant over and snapped, “Is this something a human wears?! Go back and search again. Bring every garment in Wujin Building.”

The servant: “…”

Not daring to argue, the servant hurriedly replied, “Yes, Master.”

Man Qiuxia then began inspecting hair crowns and accessories, his expression so solemn you’d think he was handling an issue of national security.

Xiang Zhongjing was used to this, but Gu Congxu, watching from the side, found it bizarre.

“Does this person… not have a grudge against you?”

“He does,” Xiang Zhongjing said vaguely. “But he doesn’t have a grudge against my face.”

Gu Congxu: “???”

Seeing Man Qiuxia treat Xiang Zhongjing like a deity, paying his debts and attending to his every need, Gu Congxu assumed they were the type of friends who were close but constantly tried to kill each other.

But Xiang Zhongjing added, “I wouldn’t have come to him unless I had no other choice.”

“Why?” Gu Congxu asked.

Xiang Zhongjing felt a sense of gloom and sighed. “You’ll see in a moment.”

Wujin Building worked quickly. Just as Xiang Zhongjing finished bathing, several servants arrived carrying a pile of vibrant red robes.

Man Qiuxia looked them over and was finally satisfied. The murderous aura he’d carried outside had vanished, replaced by a calm nod. He hooked a finger around a robe and tossed it to Xiang Zhongjing.

Xiang Zhongjing wrapped it around himself and walked barefoot to Man Qiuxia’s side. “Where are my luck-changing talismans?”

“Threw them away,” Man Qiuxia said. He was busy dangling various jade pendants against Xiang Zhongjing’s body to see which matched best.

Xiang Zhongjing frowned. “Threw them away?”

“Yes, they were filthy. I tossed that black robe, too. I’ve told you a thousand times, those clothes don’t suit you. Now, this one or this one? Which do you like?”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Xiang Zhongjing asked blankly, “Are you sure you want me to choose?”

Man Qiuxia let out an “oh.” He had forgotten that Xiang Zhongjing’s indecisiveness was just as bad as his own obsession with aesthetics. He tossed one pendant aside and tied the remaining one to Xiang Zhongjing’s sash.

In just a short time, the destitute traveler had been transformed. The magnificent red robes draped over his tall, slender frame, his black hair damp and dripping. The two wisps of phantom fire from his earrings darted out, weaving through his hair and instantly turning the water into mist.

Man Qiuxia was finally satisfied. He had long since removed his veil, and the look he gave Xiang Zhongjing was full of a morbid, obsessive fascination. To an outsider, it would look like he was staring at a lover.

Even for someone as indifferent to others’ opinions as Xiang Zhongjing, that gaze made him uncomfortable.

Man Qiuxia immediately said, “Don’t frown.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Man Qiuxia stared at him for a long time, drinking his fill of the sight. “Alright, change into another set.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Gu Congxu: “…”

Seeing the excitement in Man Qiuxia’s eyes as he reached for another robe, Gu Congxu finally understood why the thick-skinned Xiang Zhongjing sighed whenever this man was involved. It truly was a case of one person being the natural enemy of another.

Man Qiuxia was more attentive than ever, his eyes practically glued to Xiang Zhongjing. Even when Xiang Zhongjing glared at him, his enthusiasm didn’t waver.

Xiang Zhongjing was utterly defeated. After sixty years, Man Qiuxia’s “sickness” had only gotten worse.

“What exactly happened in the Sandu Secret Realm sixty years ago?” After satiating his eyes, Man Qiuxia finally asked about the important matters. “Why did Song Youqiu say you were dead?”

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t quite understand it himself. He swatted away Man Qiuxia’s hand as it tried to touch his cheek. “Perhaps the Soul-Settling Coffin I was sealed in had an isolation array? Or maybe when the realm closed, it hid my life force along with it.”

“Did you really sign a contract with the evil dragon of the Sandu Secret Realm?”

“No.”

“Then Su Cansheng…”

“Su Cansheng is blind, and Jin Chuling is insane. The two of them teamed up to set me up.” Xiang Zhongjing didn’t remember the details of being sealed very well, only that they meant him harm. “He was here just now?”

Man Qiuxia nodded, thinking distractedly as he reached out with practiced ease to touch Xiang Zhongjing’s face. The movement was incredibly natural.

Xiang Zhongjing said eerily, “If my sword were still here, your hand would be gone.”

“It’s fine,” Man Qiuxia said dismissively. “I can sew it back on myself.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

At the manor where the cultivators of Wujin Road stayed, Su Cansheng stood with a cold, indifferent expression, watching the farce unfold.

Yi Junting was kneeling on the ground, sobbing. “Father, I know I was wrong.”

The sect leader of Linjiang Peak had a fiery temper. Holding a whip, he glared down at his son. “What were you wrong about?! Tell me everything, or you can say goodbye to your legs!”

Tears streamed down Yi Junting’s face. He stole a timid glance at Su Cansheng and choked out, “I shouldn’t have lied to the First Sovereign…”

The elder Yi lashed the whip, a sharp crack sounding as it hit the floor right… next to Yi Junting’s knee.

Yi Junting jumped in fright and wailed louder.

“Does it hurt? Endure it!” the elder Yi shouted. “Let this be a lesson to you!”

Yi Chihan, standing nearby: “…”

You didn’t even hit him.

Su Cansheng watched coldly, then said, “Enough.”

By now, he had recognized Yi Junting as the youth who had given the snow wolf the wrong directions in the secret realm. To protect Xiang Zhongjing so fiercely meant the two had some history.

Su Cansheng didn’t press the matter, nor did he offer a single word of reprimand. He simply turned and left.

With the time he’d wasted, Xiang Zhongjing must have already entered Wujin Building. Given Man Qiuxia’s eccentric personality, once he recognized Xiang Zhongjing, he wouldn’t allow Su Cansheng anywhere near him. If he wanted to see Xiang Zhongjing, he would need a better plan.

As Su Cansheng departed, the elder Yi made sure he was gone before tossing his “show” whip aside. He glared at the sobbing Yi Junting.

“Dad, don’t hit me anymore, it hurts,” Yi Junting cried.

The elder Yi almost laughed in frustration. “I swung that whip so many times, did a single one touch you?!”

“But my knees hurt from kneeling,” Yi Junting said piteously.

“Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused? Who is this person who can bring the First Sovereign here with a single word? Speak.”

“Xiang… mmmph,” Yi Junting whispered.

“What was that?”

“The… the person on your glass paper.”

The elder Yi scoffed. “Glass paper?” Then it clicked. His eyes widened. “The glass paper?!”

In all these years, he had only painted one person on glass paper. It was the man he’d seen sixty years ago in the Sandu Secret Realm, covered in flames…

Xiang Zhongjing.

The elder Yi took a sharp breath. If the person his son spoke of was Xiang Zhongjing, it made sense why the First Sovereign would come looking personally.

After a long silence, the elder Yi pulled Yi Junting up from the ground. His anger had vanished, replaced by an uncontrollable grin on his handsome face.

“Son, you really saw the Sword Sovereign?”

Yi Junting nodded.

The elder Yi clapped his hands and laughed. “I knew it! He wouldn’t just die in that dark hole of a secret realm. No wonder Sovereign Su looked so miserable just now. Hah! Serves him right!”

Yi Junting: “…”

Yi Chihan: “…”

Yi Chihan: “Cough!”

The elder Yi turned around to see Su Cansheng had returned, his face dark and brooding.

Elder Yi: “…”

Having a face just as thick as anyone else’s, the elder Yi immediately pushed Yi Junting back to the floor and resumed his act. “Keep kneeling! No dinner for you tonight!”

Yi Junting was bewildered. Who had he offended this time?

The sun sets early on Wujin Road, and the sky was already dark by early evening.

Unaware that Yi Junting was suffering through a punishment for his sake, Xiang Zhongjing was lying comfortably on a soft couch, drinking wine. Having been trapped in a coffin for sixty years, he had forgotten the taste. The first sip made him cough until his eyes were red.

Man Qiuxia sat nearby, checking his pulse while staring unblinkingly at his face. He soon grew bored of the current outfit. “Change your clothes again before bed.”

“I changed into these less than half an hour ago.” Xiang Zhongjing set his cup down and glared. “How is your condition worse than before? Please, heal your own brain first.”

“A disease of the heart has no cure,” Man Qiuxia said, staring at him. “Your face is my medicine.”

The sentence gave Xiang Zhongjing goosebumps. He struggled to pull his left hand back from Man Qiuxia’s grip. “I’m tired. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Man Qiuxia was so focused on the face that he wasn’t even in the mood to treat the injury. He nodded absently, but even after the dismissal, he didn’t move an inch. He looked ready to sit there and watch him sleep.

Xiang Zhongjing finally reached his limit. With a fake smile, he said, “Know when to stop.”

“Then should I come back to check on you every half hour?” Man Qiuxia asked.

Xiang Zhongjing’s lip twitched. “What do you think?”

“I think that sounds fine.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

He pointed toward the door, signaling for the man to get out. Man Qiuxia left, looking back three times with every step.

Gu Congxu was amazed. “Does such a person really exist? Someone so obsessed with beauty?”

Xiang Zhongjing placed his wine cup on a side table and lay back, looking at the intricate gold-threaded canopy. His voice was heavy with sleep. “Yes. If he looks at a person for too long, his eyes really will get hurt.”

Gu Congxu: “…”

That was the first time he’d heard of someone’s looks causing physical injury to another’s eyes. What kind of weird illness was that?

Man Qiuxia seemed unreliable, yet Xiang Zhongjing trusted him implicitly. After the constant tension and flight since leaving the secret realm, he finally let his guard down and fell into a deep sleep.

This was the first time Gu Congxu saw Xiang Zhongjing truly asleep. After some hesitation, he transformed into a small dragon and crawled out of the sleeve, biting a corner of the silk quilt to pull it over the man.

Afterward, Gu Congxu’s body went stiff as a board, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just done. While he was busy berating himself, the sleeping Xiang Zhongjing suddenly reached out and patted the little dragon’s head.

“So good,” he mumbled.

Gu Congxu: “…”

He almost bit that annoying hand.

Xiang Zhongjing hadn’t been asleep for twenty minutes before Man Qiuxia snuck back in. He spent a long time staring contentedly at the sleeping face before wandering off again. At first, Gu Congxu was wary, but after seeing that Man Qiuxia only looked at the face like a creep and did nothing else, he gave up and closed his eyes to meditate.

One day, he would break this seal on his own!

A few moments into his meditation, Gu Congxu fell into a deep sleep himself. Great ambitions would have to wait until tomorrow.

That night, after the watchman struck his gong three times for the third watch, Su Cansheng silently broke through the barriers of Wujin Building and leapt through the wooden window.

Xiang Zhongjing’s room was easy to find. While the rest of the building went dark at night, his room was lit as bright as day.

As one of the top cultivators in the Nine Provinces, the complex barriers of Wujin Building weren’t a challenge for Su Cansheng, they just took time. He concealed his presence entirely and moved through the layers of bead curtains into the inner chamber.

The thin bed curtains were drawn, offering a faint glimpse of someone in red lying peacefully inside. Su Cansheng’s heart raced. Not even being at death’s door had ever made him this nervous.

He took a silent breath and reached out, slowly pulling the curtain aside. Just as a crack appeared, he heard a sleepy murmur from within.

“Where is my sword?”

Su Cansheng froze.

The curtain opened fully, revealing the scene on the bed. Xiang Zhongjing was no longer the disheveled mess from the secret realm. He was pristine, his slender body wrapped in red robes as he lay on his side.

A black dragon was tangled messily over him. The dragon had shrunk significantly, but it was still thicker than Xiang Zhongjing’s waist. Its body was coiled around one of his legs and looped once around his middle, its head resting quietly in the crook of Xiang Zhongjing’s neck.

After the third watch, Gu Congxu had unknowingly shifted back into his dragon form. In his sleep, instinct had taken over, and he was slowly squeezing the life out of whatever was beneath him. Xiang Zhongjing’s thin robes were ruffled and messy from the dragon’s scales.

Xiang Zhongjing struggled weakly to push the dragon off his waist, but Gu Congxu was coiled too tightly. His hand simply slid over the cold scales. He parted his lips, gasping for breath, wanting to wake up but too exhausted to open his eyes.

Suddenly, a memory from the Sandu Secret Realm flashed in Su Cansheng’s mind, a scene from the illusion the dragon had trapped them in. It mirrored this moment perfectly.

This evil dragon…

If it truly harbored wicked intentions, then what kind of torment had Xiang Zhongjing endured during those sixty years in the coffin?

For the first time in his life, the strings of Su Cansheng’s reason snapped. His eyes filled with an overwhelming, murderous intent, and he could no longer stop himself from drawing his sword.

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