Vindicated After a Wrongful Death - Chapter 18

Xiang Zhongjing yanked Yi Junting behind him, lest the young fool be killed by that little viper without ever knowing why.

Jin Chuling had already glided across the ground until he was right in front of Xiang Zhongjing, murmuring, “Brother Xiang.”

Xiang Zhongjing lightly lifted a corner of his veil and offered him a smile, speaking tenderly, “A-Ling.”

Jin Chuling froze, his face erupting in wild ecstasy.

As expected, Su Cansheng’s claims that Xiang Zhongjing didn’t want to see him were all lies.

Xiang Zhongjing had protected him for so many years; how could he possibly harbor resentment?

Beside them, Yi Junting stared wide-eyed at the youth who looked roughly his own age.

This person… was the Sect Master of the Demon Clan, Jin Chuling?

Why was he so different from the madman in the rumors?

Xiang Zhongjing hooked his veil onto his earring, his right hand casually resting on his left wrist. While it looked like a reunion of old friends, he was actually on high alert. If Jin Chuling made a move, he would immediately release Sangeng to bite him.

Jin Chuling raised a hand to wipe away the tear tracks on his face, his voice soft and sweet, sounding no different from sixty years ago before he had reached adulthood.

“Brother.” Jin Chuling timidly reached out, trying to grab his hand. “I know I was wrong. Won’t you forgive me?”

Xiang Zhongjing arched an eyebrow slightly. “Weren’t you here to kill me?”

Jin Chuling’s face turned deathly pale instantly. He said urgently, “No! I would never hurt you again!”

As he spoke, a flash of sinister ruthlessness suddenly flickered across his beautiful face. “Did that Su Cansheng hurt you?”

Before Xiang Zhongjing could answer, Jin Chuling immediately reverted to his weak, delicate “white lotus” act, saying aggrievedly, “I just went to find Su Cansheng and was nearly wounded by him.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Xiang Zhongjing was genuinely impressed. After all these years, Jin Chuling’s mind had only grown more twisted; even if no one answered him, he could chatter with himself for half an hour.

Compared to Su Cansheng, Jin Chuling was easy to handle. At the very least, he wouldn’t draw a sword and hack at you without a word like Su Cansheng did.

Xiang Zhongjing’s voice grew even more tender. “You just said you knew you were wrong. Where exactly did you go wrong?”

Seeing that Xiang Zhongjing’s face showed no sign of hatred or loathing—looking as if there wasn’t even a rift between them—Jin Chuling’s heart swelled with anticipation.

Xiang Zhongjing’s eyes seemed to be glazed with a glass-like luster. Jin Chuling nearly drowned in that suffocatingly sweet tenderness, opening his mouth almost involuntarily. “Back then, the contract mark between Brother and the Evil Dragon wasn’t a Life-and-Death Pact, but a seal that had been lost for thousands of years.”

Xiang Zhongjing chuckled softly. He reached out and stroked Jin Chuling’s cheek, saying gently, “A-Ling is indeed very clever, to even be able to break a lost seal.”

These words were all too familiar. In a daze, Jin Chuling felt as if he had returned to sixty years ago. Every time he developed a new seal or cracked an old one from a remnant scroll, Xiang Zhongjing would always look at him tenderly, patting his head and praising him.

Jin Chuling looked at him expectantly, like a child receiving praise from an elder.

Xiang Zhongjing’s hand, which was stroking his cheek, slid down inch by inch. His fingers finally landed on Jin Chuling’s neck, tapping lightly twice on the pulse there. His tone was like that of a seductive demon, whispering, “So, because of your baseless suspicions, was Brother Xiang supposed to be sealed away for sixty years?”

The joy on Jin Chuling’s face vanished as a violent shudder wracked his body. A bone-chilling cold crawled up his spine, nearly freezing him solid.

The moment Xiang Zhongjing finished speaking, he didn’t even look at Jin Chuling’s reaction. The hairpin-sized Qiongnian’er appeared in his hand at some unknown moment. With a flick of his pinky, the scabbard fell to the ground.

A cold flash of light erupted. Jin Chuling instinctively lunged backward without thinking, but it was already too late.

The blood of a demon cultivator surged from the vein in his neck, its unique fragrance filling the surroundings.

Jin Chuling clutched his bleeding neck, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at Xiang Zhongjing.

Two drops of blood had also splattered onto Xiang Zhongjing’s cheek. He wiped them away with a casual sweep of his hand, leaving two faint red streaks behind.

Behind him, Yi Junting was paralyzed with fear. He clutched Xiang Zhongjing’s sleeve, looking as if his soul had left his body.

From the moment Xiang Zhongjing drew his sword to Jin Chuling retreating wounded, only a split second had passed. Yi Junting hadn’t even realized that Xiang Zhongjing, who had been acting as intimate as a lover just a moment ago, would strike so ruthlessly without hesitation.

—If Jin Chuling hadn’t retreated so quickly, his head might have been lopped off by that one strike.

Jin Chuling looked at Xiang Zhongjing in disbelief, his lips trembling. “Brother?”

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t look at him at all. Instead, he lowered his eyes to the bloodstains on his sleeve and clicked his tongue, muttering softly, “Man Qiuxia is going to nag me again in a bit.”

Jin Chuling clenched his hands so tightly his nails nearly bit into his palms. His harmless, pitiful expression was now twisted and strange, carrying a hint of sinister gloom that he was forced to suppress.

“Brother…” He clutched his neck tightly, tears falling in torrents. “You…”

“Even if I did sign a contract with the Evil Dragon, did you have to seal me?” The tenderness Xiang Zhongjing had put on was gone. He looked at Jin Chuling coldly, his eyes filled with nothing but disgust. “Go back and check what those old fossils of the Three Sects actually did back then. I don’t want spoken apologies; those only make me more disgusted by you.”

Jin Chuling stumbled, nearly collapsing to the ground. He looked utterly despondent, seemingly never imagining that Xiang Zhongjing would say such words to him.

Xiang Zhongjing tucked Qiongnian’er back into his sleeve, grabbed Yi Junting’s hand, and started walking without a second glance at Jin Chuling.

Covered in tears, Jin Chuling moved to stop him, but his eyes caught sight of Xiang Zhongjing’s fingers wrapped around Yi Junting’s wrist. He froze on the spot.

Xiang Zhongjing, who had only ever been special to him, was now this intimate with a stranger.

That hand…

Jin Chuling’s tear-filled eyes turned blood-red in an instant. Countless killing intents flooded his heart, and the hostility he had been desperately suppressing suddenly exploded.

In an instant, the slender youth transformed into a tall man, his gaze cold as he looked at Yi Junting’s hand.

Yi Junting suddenly felt a chill on his wrist. Before he could think, someone appeared in front of him, pulling him into a protective embrace.

With a dull thud, the dirt on the wasteland flew up, filling the air with dust.

Dazed and confused, Yi Junting had no idea what happened. He only felt that the palms of the person holding him were ice-cold, lacking the warmth of a living being.

He looked up, and the first things he saw were those wildly spinning dice, followed by Qiongnian’er’s irreverent face.

Yi Junting blanked out.

Qiongnian’er held Yi Junting with one arm while thrusting the other forward. His robes fluttered as he elegantly blocked Jin Chuling’s powerful demonic strike.

He arched his slender eyebrows, smiling playfully. “Sect Master Jin, it’s quite boring to let your shame turn into anger. If you have a grudge, strike at my Master. What kind of skill is it to take it out on a child?”

Yi Junting: “…”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

What a “great” sword Twenty-One was.

Yi Junting hurriedly scrambled out of his arms, only then realizing that Jin Chuling had apparently tried to kill him, and Qiongnian’er—who usually took pleasure in bullying him—had blocked the blow.

Xiang Zhongjing’s gaze toward Jin Chuling was cold and filled with loathing.

Upon snapping out of it, Jin Chuling was immediately filled with regret. He took a step forward, saying hesitantly, “Zhongjing, I didn’t mean to.”

Xiang Zhongjing had no desire to tangle with him further. After checking that Yi Junting wasn’t hurt, he turned and left.

Only this time, he didn’t take Yi Junting’s hand.

Yi Junting stood dazed for a long while before reacting, the lingering fear of almost being killed making him feel shaken.

Qiongnian’er grabbed Yi Junting’s hand with a grin, saying as they walked, “Come on, bet on big or small?”

Yi Junting looked at him timidly, his opinion of this person finally changing slightly.

Just as he was about to speak, Xiang Zhongjing shot a cold glance their way. “Twenty-One.”

Qiongnian’er immediately shut up.

After wandering outside for so many years, he had almost forgotten that he couldn’t mention anything related to gambling in front of his Master, or he’d get a thrashing.

The three of them left smoothly. For some reason, the crazed Jin Chuling did not pursue them further.

After entering the city gates, Yi Junting tentatively looked back and saw that the white-clad youth was still standing dazed in the same spot, his figure so slender it looked as though a gust of wind could knock him over.

After sixty years, Qiongnian’er was finally seeing the light of day again. Seeing the bustling world around him, his eyes sparkled as he looked left and right, his excitement impossible to hide.

Xiang Zhongjing followed Yi Junting toward the registration site for the Great Spirit-Beast Ceremony. Qiongnian’er ran around the city like a madman, returning every few minutes with a pile of things, looking at Xiang Zhongjing expectantly to pick the prettiest one.

Xiang Zhongjing picked none of them, opting instead to give him a beating.

Qiongnian’er: “…”

After a while, Qiongnian’er grew bored and drifted back to Xiang Zhongjing’s side, saying with a cheeky grin, “Master, that Jin Chuling isn’t the type to give up easily. Are you sure he won’t come back to bother you?”

Xiang Zhongjing looked at the manor with the long queue not far off, knowing that was the registration office. He answered casually, “He will, but he won’t use that skin again.”

Qiongnian’er tilted his head, confused.

The three hadn’t walked far when a small, porcelain-doll-like child suddenly came running over. As the child passed in front of Xiang Zhongjing, he tripped over his own feet and went splat face-first onto the ground. The candied hawthorn in his hand rolled and landed right on Xiang Zhongjing’s spotless boot.

The child fought back tears, struggling to get up. He tilted his head slightly, revealing a wound on his neck that hadn’t yet healed.

Seeing the candied hawthorn stuck to Xiang Zhongjing’s boot, he apologized with a sob, “Brother, I’m sorry.”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Expressionless, Xiang Zhongjing used his foot to stomp the child’s head, which had just lifted up, right back into the dirt.

Jin Chuling: “…”

The bystanders: “…”

Qiongnian’er grabbed Xiang Zhongjing’s waist and desperately pulled him back. “Master! Master, forget it, forget it! We’re in public!”

Xiang Zhongjing was pulled back, his face grim as he tried to get in a few more kicks. Since he couldn’t reach, he finally gave up.

Once he brushed off Qiongnian’er and regained his footing, he realized that all the cultivators around them were looking at him as if he were scum.

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

With his sharp hearing, he caught the murmurs of the crowd.

“What a piece of trash, to dare torment such a small child in broad daylight?”

“He looks decent enough, but who knew he was such a hypocrite in disguise!”

“Ptooie!”

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Jin Chuling was also startled. He hadn’t expected Xiang Zhongjing to recognize him at a glance, nor did he expect Xiang Zhongjing to be cursed by so many people for hitting him. His little face turned pale, and he scrambled to get up, roaring fiercely at the pointing crowd, “What are you looking at?! If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll rip your tongues out!”

The crowd who had been standing up for him: “…”

No appreciation for a good deed!

Jin Chuling didn’t care what others thought of him; he hurried to look at Xiang Zhongjing to curry favor.

But when he turned around, Xiang Zhongjing had already disappeared.

Jin Chuling: “…”

Having escaped in the chaos, Xiang Zhongjing’s expression was darker than ever. He followed Yi Junting to a secluded spot and used his connection to Linjiang Peak to sign up through the back door.

Gu Congxu asked, “How did you recognize him?”

Xiang Zhongjing rubbed his temples. “I almost forgot. When Jin Chuling and I were to be wed, though we never formed a Dao companion pact, we did have the Demon Clan’s Lianli Knot.”

“Lianli Knot?”

“Yes,” Xiang Zhongjing said. “It’s similar to a mortal marriage contract. It’s easy to deal with; just break it.”

He sighed, still feeling a bit annoyed. He clearly didn’t want anything to do with Jin Chuling anymore, but as long as the Lianli Knot existed, he would still have to visit the Demon Clan after the ceremony.

Gu Congxu thought about it and vaguely recalled that this pretty-sounding “Lianli Knot” was actually a nasty thing, usually used on cultivation vessels.

He frowned. “Do you have a grudge against the Demon Clan?”

Otherwise, why would the famous Sword Venerable be wed to a man from the Demon Clan? Especially using such an insulting method?

“No.” Xiang Zhongjing looked at a group of youths wearing the disciple robes of the Qu Yi Sect in the distance, saying with interest, “It is the Qu Yi Sect that has a grudge against me.”

“Weren’t you a disciple of the Qu Yi Sect before?”

Xiang Zhongjing shook his head. “I was merely a sword of the Qu Yi Sect.”

When a sword develops a mind of its own, the Qu Yi Sect naturally cannot keep it.

Xiang Zhongjing stood in the corner, watching that group of Qu Yi Sect youths laugh and joke after finishing their registration before he finally turned to leave.

After a long day of back-and-forth, when Xiang Zhongjing returned to the Wujin Building with Qiongnian’er, Man Qiuxia was already pacing restlessly, losing his temper at a wooden puppet.

Sensing Xiang Zhongjing’s arrival at the door, Man Qiuxia immediately leapt down from the tall building, landing gracefully. He said anxiously, “I thought you weren’t coming back.”

Xiang Zhongjing chuckled. “Didn’t you say you would treat my hand?”

Man Qiuxia looked warily at the sword at his waist. “Are you going to leave as soon as I fix your hand?!”

Xiang Zhongjing looked at him oddly. “In your heart, am I really such an ungrateful person?”

Man Qiuxia thought about it. Although Xiang Zhongjing was vengeful and ruthless, he had always been one to repay a drop of kindness with a fountain of gratitude. Having helped him so much, there was no reason he’d be kicked to the curb as soon as the hand was fixed.

Man Qiuxia finally relaxed, his face lighting up as he tore off Xiang Zhongjing’s veil and threw it away. He couldn’t even wait to go inside; with a wave of his hand, he changed Xiang Zhongjing’s clothes again. The hair ribbon flew up once more, wrapping around several times, and even the hair ornament was replaced.

Xiang Zhongjing: “…”

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t even have the energy to sigh anymore, letting Man Qiuxia fuss over him.

After satisfying his eyes, Man Qiuxia dragged him to the prepared medicinal bath. “Wait for me here.”

With that, he scurried off.

Steam filled the entire room. Xiang Zhongjing took off his outer robe, tossed it aside, and leaned back on the soft couch, closing his eyes to organize his memories.

Gu Congxu, who rarely spoke up first, suddenly said, “Are you looking for a way to break the Lianli Knot?”

Xiang Zhongjing didn’t even open his eyes, giving a lazy hum of affirmation.

Gu Congxu hesitated for a moment, then said, “I can erase all marks left by demon cultivators.”

Hearing this, Xiang Zhongjing’s lips curled into a smile. His consciousness sank into his sea of knowledge, looking at the giant dragon coiled nearby. “Oh? And what price must I pay?”

Erasing a mark left by a demon cultivator wasn’t as simple as taming a snow wolf. Gu Congxu couldn’t possibly be this easy-going, helping him of his own accord.

Gu Congxu was stunned.

Xiang Zhongjing took his silence as deliberation and thoughtfully offered a suggestion, “Do you want me to give you my right hand as well?”

Gu Congxu transformed into his human form, meeting Xiang Zhongjing’s teasing eyes. After a long while, he said in a low voice, “Do you humans have to calculate everything so clearly?”

Xiang Zhongjing propped up his chin, squinting his eyes. “There is no such thing as kindness without reason in this world. Even if there is, it shouldn’t fall on me. I don’t have that kind of luck.”

Gu Congxu felt a bit uncomfortable. After a long moment, he said coldly, almost out of spite, “Fine. Then give me your right hand.”

Might as well take it!

Once he had it, he’d gnaw on it like a pig’s trotter!

Xiang Zhongjing’s lips curled meaningfully, quite satisfied that he had guessed Gu Congxu’s “ambitions.”

However, though he was smiling, there was no warmth in his eyes.

Xiang Zhongjing thought coldly: This is how it should be.

Only things that require a price to obtain can truly put his mind at ease.

Before the two could finish their negotiation, Man Qiuxia returned quickly, holding a row of silver needles.

Xiang Zhongjing was pushed to undress and enter the medicinal bath. The water seemed to be infused with countless spiritual herbs; as soon as he entered, the energy swarmed into his meridians, followed by waves of intense pain.

Gu Congxu was still sulking in a corner of the sea of knowledge, but he opened his eyes quickly when he sensed Xiang Zhongjing’s distress.

The pain of having his meridians forcibly expanded by the herbs caused cold sweat to bead on Xiang Zhongjing’s forehead. However, his bright face showed no sign of it, as if he were just having an ordinary soak.

Man Qiuxia held his face in his hands, watching obsessively. Even in pain, this face did not disappoint; it was still captivatingly beautiful.

He was lost in the sight until Xiang Zhongjing frowned. Only then did Man Qiuxia snap out of it, hurriedly raining silver needles down onto Xiang Zhongjing’s limp left hand.

In an instant, the pain in his meridians exploded. Even someone as stoic as Xiang Zhongjing couldn’t help but let out a low groan.

In his sea of knowledge, countless sealed memories began to flash by like paintings. Gu Congxu watched the flowing memories in surprise. Just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of a familiar fragment of soul memory whistling past.

Gu Congxu’s pupils constricted.

That piece of memory was completely out of place with the others, as if it had been forcibly inserted. He could vaguely see a man dressed in red sitting on a withered tree, his robes fluttering in the wind.

A small black dragon was coiled on the withered branches, wrapping halfway around the man in red and resting its head on his lap.

The man lowered his eyes and gently stroked the dragon’s head, his face filled with tenderness.

He parted his lips slightly, uttering a sentence that would be branded into Gu Congxu’s soul.

“Your name shall be… Congxu.”