After Escaping From Death, He Went Even Crazier By Criticizing Black Lotus Chapter 5
byChapter 5: Entering the Heart Tribulation Dream, Amnesia, Good Brothers Turn Against Each Other…
Xiao Jianming was momentarily dazed, his hand gripping his sword. Blood was dripping from the blade, and he instinctively cast a spell to clean it.
Not far away, a massive demonic beast crashed to the ground, its colossal body kicking up a cloud of dust. Xiao Jianming didn’t spare it a glance, soaring away on his sword.
He remembered that he was the Chief Disciple of the Xuanji Sect, the foremost immortal sect in the world, and the pride of the sect. He had been dispatched by his master to eliminate the demon.
Ten years ago, during a heavy snow that sealed the mountains, he had stumbled forward alone, clutching the relic his mother had left him. The mountain beasts lurked in the shadows, coveting his flesh and blood, yet they were wary of the oppressive power emanating from the relic in his hand and dared not approach.
Just as he was about to freeze to death, he encountered the current foremost Sword Venerable of the immortal sects. The Sword Venerable was kind-hearted; he not only took him in and cleaned him up, fed him until he was full, but also accepted him as a disciple, teaching him worldly principles and instructing him in the way of the sword.
To repay the Sword Venerable’s kindness, he cultivated desperately, eventually becoming the Chief Disciple of the sect.
“Eldest Senior Brother, you’ve returned.” The disciples who saw him smiled and bowed, their eyes filled with respect and awe.
“Eldest Senior Brother has advanced another stage!”
He gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and headed back to his residence.
His small courtyard had been personally chosen by his master, situated halfway up the mountain, deep within a peach grove. Every spring, he would step out to see a brilliant red haze, with peach blossoms drifting into the courtyard, accompanied by waves of their delicate fragrance.
There was also an old, crooked-necked peach tree in the courtyard, where he usually practiced his sword forms.
After completing a sword form, the Sword Venerable sent a sound transmission instructing him: “It is our sect’s turn to host the Immortal Sect Assembly this time, and you shall preside over it. I have summarized the key details of the assembly for you; come and retrieve them.”
Xiao Jianming agreed as usual.
But he always felt that something wasn’t right.
Everything before him seemed to be what he desired, yet he remembered that he… shouldn’t have lived such a smooth life.
What he sought was also not this simple.
As if to confirm his suspicion, his fellow disciples held admiration, reverence, or even jealousy for him, but they always kept him at a distance, like looking at flowers through a fog or the moon reflected in water. Everyone respected him but kept their distance, shunning him as if he were contaminated.
And the Sword Venerable, who treated him like his own son, always showed a strange glint in his benevolent eyes whenever he saw him, as if calculating something—seemingly sincere, but actually heartless.
He could sense the emotions of those around him; the spiritual energy they emitted carried varying degrees of malice.
Only one person was different.
That person lived in a dilapidated wooden hut in the Back Mountain, raising a child. Although his appearance showed no trace of wickedness, he would occasionally bare his teeth and make a funny face, then laugh cheerily and ask the child, “Little Chao, Little Chao, look! Do I look like a villain this time?”
That deliberately villainous expression was truly hideous.
But he was the only person from whom Xiao Jianming sensed no malice.
One day, a group of menacing people barged into the small wooden hut, shouting for them to pay back money. Only then did Xiao Jianming learn that the person’s parents had lost money in business, accumulated debts they couldn’t repay, and had abandoned the two brothers by committing suicide, leaving them alone to struggle with the debt.
The person acted fierce every day, merely hoping that those people would target him and leave his younger brother alone.
Unfortunately, it was useless. The group grabbed his younger brother and threatened to chop off the child’s hand if the money wasn’t repaid immediately. The person tried to stop them but was shoved into the mud, his simple white clothes instantly becoming filthy.
Xiao Jianming watched coldly.
Yet, there was still not a trace of malice.
Xiao Jianming inexplicably felt a flicker of annoyance, and his long sword slid out of its sheath.
With one strike, he eliminated the bothersome group. Xiao Jianming looked down at the person and couldn’t help but sneer, “You have a Golden Core, yet you can’t even defeat mortals.”
The person was stunned, his face full of confusion. Then, as if remembering something, he scrambled up and smiled brightly at the child, saying, “That’s right, Little Chao! I’m cultivating now, so I can earn money to treat your illness! Aren’t you happy?”
The child named Little Chao, whose eyes were full of tears, laughed as soon as he spoke. His two rows of neat, white teeth were missing a front tooth, leaving a gap that made his speech lisping: “So happy! Gege is the best!”
Xiao Jianming was taken aback.
It was clear how difficult this person’s life was, but he didn’t understand why this person harbored no resentment.
Thinking this, he asked the question aloud.
The person paused, then smiled shyly: “Resentment? That’s useless. As long as Little Chao and I are alive and well, that’s enough.”
Xiao Jianming remained silent. In his heart, however, he scoffed: Idiot.
He wondered if this person would finally feel hatred if he killed the child.
Thinking this, the tip of his sword slowly turned.
Just then, the child beside the person tugged on his sleeve and gestured toward Xiao Jianming. The person’s expression instantly showed a hint of remorse, and then he gave Xiao Jianming a respectful, martial arts-style fist-and-palm salute, saying, “My name is Su Huan! Thank you for saving us, great hero. Great kindness needs no words; I’ll treat you to drinks another day…”
Xiao Jianming didn’t know what he was thinking. He lowered his head, his dark lashes concealing the look in his eyes.
He put away his sword, and, seemingly unaware that he was still a young man himself, spoke with a deliberately aloof tone: “My name is Xiao Jianming.”
Later, everyone in the sect knew that their genius Eldest Senior Brother had made a young friend.
However, that was five years ago.
Since the little child beside the young man disappeared, the two of them had become strangers, never speaking another word.
*
It was the first clear day after a spring rain. Raindrops clung to the tips of the grass, crystal clear and precariously balanced.
Su Huan carried a bag containing Su Chao’s favorite candied lotus seeds and various other pastries. He slowly climbed halfway up the mountain, pushed aside the curtain of green grass hanging over the tombstone, lit the incense and candles, and gently touched the slightly damp stone tablet. He smiled and said, “Little Chao, I’ve come to see you.”
As usual, he chattered about the interesting things that had happened recently:
“Senior Brother Wei’s dog, Ah Huang, has learned to control fire and finally stopped scorching Senior Brother’s hair.”
“Did you know, the Sect Master mentioned holding the Immortal Sect Assembly two days ago, which scared Master Chongjiang into immediate seclusion. It nearly drove Senior Sister Feng crazy; she cursed him outside his cave for being an irresponsible master and even tried to force Senior Brother Yin to become my father…”
At this point, Su Huan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “If Senior Brother Wei hadn’t been there, our brothers would have gained another father.”
He paused, the smile in his eyes inexplicably fading into silence. He lowered his gaze and whispered, “There’s one more thing. Before Master Chongjiang went into seclusion, he accepted a final disciple. He’s about your age and also loves sweets.”
“A six-year-old baby who hasn’t even grown all his teeth yet is already clamoring to attend the Immortal Sect Assembly…”
Su Huan paused again, then slowly smiled. “Little Chao, you always said your brother was the best. Now that your brother is going to the Immortal Sect Assembly, wouldn’t it be letting down your expectations if I didn’t win first place?”
“Pfft, hahaha…”
At the end of the waist-high grass, a burst of mocking laughter echoed from the desolate mountain path. Several Xuanji Sect disciples heard his words and scoffed:
“Did you hear that? This guy actually dreams of taking the top spot?”
“He truly doesn’t know his place. He can’t even defeat Eldest Senior Brother within the sect, yet he wants to be the number one in the immortal sects?”
“Exactly. He should go look in a puddle and see what he looks like…”
The expression on Su Huan’s face cooled. He silently countered in his mind that Xiao Jianming had never competed with him, so who knew who would win or lose? He had cultivated diligently all these years and was quite formidable.
But he didn’t say it aloud, because five years of experience had taught him that speaking up would only invite even harsher mockery and increase his troubles.
Just as the incense and candles burned out, Su Huan stood up to leave. But those people wouldn’t let him go. They followed him, seemingly unintentionally, but deliberately discussing loudly:
“If you ask me, the top spot at this assembly will definitely go to the Xuanji Sect, but there will only be one person.”
The companion beside him played along: “Who?”
The disciple glanced out of the corner of his eye at Su Huan, who was focused on walking down the mountain, and shouted, “That would be Eldest Senior Brother, of course!”
“Eldest Senior Brother has the most talented Heavenly Spiritual Root in history, the youngest Nascent Soul genius in a hundred years. The title of Immortal Sect Number One naturally belongs to him!”
After speaking, he let out an exaggerated sigh. “And some people, well, they are truly ungrateful. Eldest Senior Brother was kind-hearted and befriended him when he was lonely and helpless in the sect. Who knew this person would turn out to be the viper from the farmer and the snake story? Not only did he fail to cherish the friendship, but he dared to publicly and inexplicably break ties with Eldest Senior Brother. He is truly heartless, unrighteous, and shameless…”
Su Huan stopped.
The disciple became even more aggressive, clearly intent on provoking a fight. “Look, he got angry just because I said a few words! What, you want to fight? I’m ready…”
The spring breeze rustled the treetops, revealing a figure.
The moment they saw clearly, the disciple instantly fell silent.
After a long while, he stammered, “E-Eldest Senior Brother…”
Xiao Jianming leaned against the tree, holding his sword, and looked down. His thin lips parted, coldly uttering two words:
“Noisy.”
The few disciples who had intended to cause trouble for Su Huan immediately dared not say anything more. The disciples on both sides fearfully tugged at the sleeve of the one in the middle, wanting to quickly leave the scene. However, their good brother remained stubbornly rooted to the spot.
He seemed to feel that the rumored magnificent Eldest Senior Brother, who had clearly broken ties with the despicable Su Huan, was still willing to speak up to protect him. It was as if he had been drugged, and his face was filled with indignation.
He couldn’t understand why Eldest Senior Brother was still willing to offer kindness to someone who treated him coldly, when it was clearly Su’s fault. A rush of hot blood surged to his head, and he gritted his teeth, loudly demanding, “Eldest Senior Brother, Su Huan has wronged you so much, why are you still defending him?!”
As soon as the words fell, the wind died down and the trees became still.
Su Huan turned around, looking at him in astonishment, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
What was this person talking about? He hadn’t heard Xiao Jianming defending him; that tone clearly sounded like he was annoyed by the noise.
This person was just like that—moody and unpredictable.
The disciples on either side heard his words, and expressions of horror appeared on their faces. One of them hastily tried to cover his mouth, pleading softly, “Stop talking! Eldest Senior Brother hates it most when people ask him such things. If you ask again, he’ll get angry…”
The other person quietly agreed, trying to pull him away. “Have you forgotten what happened the last time Eldest Senior Brother got angry…”
He couldn’t help but shiver, wanting even more to escape the scene.
However, the disciple struggled free from the two of them, his gaze fixed stubbornly on the figure in the tree, revealing a hint of obsessive devotion, as if he wouldn’t give up until he got an answer.
Seeing this, Su Huan silently applauded his courage in his heart, but he didn’t want to stay in this awkward situation. Taking advantage of everyone’s attention being focused on the figure sitting in the tree, he quietly and slowly moved in the direction of the mountain path.
Then, Xiao Jianming let out a soft scoff. His entire body was obscured by the tree’s shadow, making his expression unclear, and his tone was icy and indifferent:
“Who is that?”
“I don’t know him.”
Su Huan suddenly froze in place.
He couldn’t recover his senses for a long time.
Author’s Note:
———————-
Before falling in love—
Xiao: Who is that? I don’t know him.
Su: …
After falling in love—
Su: Who are you? I don’t know you.
Xiao (frantically wiping cold sweat): Well, everyone has their reckless youth…
Su: ->_>
Xiao: (Instantly kneels for forgiveness) Wife, I was wrong!!!