24 This Venerable One Declares Cold War on Him

>>uh lil bit gory toward the end

For a moment, everyone was silent, and only Landlord Chen's sobs could be heard.

Shi Mei's head was lowered, hand covering his cheek, but his eyes were earnest when he looked up at Chu Wanning. "Shizun, please stop this. If you keep going, it's Sisheng Peak that's going to get the blame…"

Mo Ran's soul was about to fly out of his mouth. He might be a reprobate, but he was still utterly devoted to Shi Mei. In this reborn life, he had sworn to himself to treat Shi Mei carefully and to protect him well, but it had only been a couple of days and Shi Mei was already injured and lashed, how could this be!

He didn't even have it in him to settle the score with Chu Wanning right now, hurrying instead to Shi Mei's side to check on the wound on his cheek.

Shi Mei said softly, "I'm okay…"

"Let me see anyway."

"It's really nothing."

Shi Mei tried to resist, but Mo Ran still managed to pull the hand covering the wound away.

His pupils contracted instantly.

It was a deep gash, raw and bloody, stretching all the way to his neck, blood still running…

Mo Ran saw red. He bit his lip and glared for a long time before whipping around to yell at Chu Wanning, "Are you quite done yet?!"

Chu Wanning, face gloomy, was silent. He did not apologize or approach, only standing there rooted to the same spot, holding Tianwen without channeling any spiritual energy.

"..."

Mo Ran felt like there were countless frenzied demons in his chest.

Who could tolerate their beloved person, who had already died once in a past life, suffering time and again like this?

He and Chu Wanning stared each other down, neither backing off, neither giving in. Mo Ran's eyes began to become bloodshot; he'd hated Chu Wanning for so many years that the hatred had already seeped all the way into his bone marrow—why was this person always going against him!

Back when he had first joined the sect, he had done something wrong and nearly gotten whipped to death by Chu Wanning. Later, when Shi Mei had been injured, Chu Wanning, who only had three disciples in his entire life, merely stood and watched. Then, Shi Mei died, Sisheng Peak was destroyed, and Mo Weiyu became the sole overlord of the cultivation world, every person under the sun groveling before him. Only Chu Wanning had stood against him at every turn, getting in his way left and right, stabbing him in the conscience——a constant reminder that no matter how mighty Emperor Taxian-jun was, underneath it all he was just a lunatic abandoned by everyone who was close to him.

Chu Wanning.

Chu Wanning…

In life and in death, it was always him!

The two of them were still dressed in matching wedding robes, red and red, face to face, but it was as if the space between them was split by a gaping chasm.

Chu Wanning finally put Tianwen away.

Landlord Chen let out a huge sigh of relief, and knelt in front of Shi Mei, kowtowing nonstop. "So kind, so kind, the good Sir is truly a living buddha, our savior, thank you for saving my entire family Sir, thank you Sir, thank you Sir."

It always ended up like this.

He was the one who took care of the evil spirit, but he was also the one who dealt the vicious lash. Chu Wanning did what he was supposed to but also what he was not supposed to, and in the end someone else was the compassionate savior, and he was the villain.

It had always been this way

He was ill-tempered, he was already resigned to it.

He didn't regret it, either.

Having accidentally whipped his own disciple, of course he felt bad about it, but he had a thin face and couldn't bring himself to go up and say some warm, gentle words, so he walked away and went to stand before the young daughter of the Chen family instead.

The little girl looked at him and subconsciously stepped backwards in fear, quivering.

Of the entire Chen family, she was the only one with any kindness. Chu Wanning softened his tone. "Your mother suffered ghost possession, and her lifespan has been reduced by at least twenty years. If she doesn't repent and continues being immoral, she will be plagued by negative energy and die even sooner. When she wakes, tell her to handcraft a memorial tablet for Miss Luo using red peachwood, and clearly acknowledge her status thereon. Luo Xianxian was Chen Bo'huan's properly wedded wife, this fact that your family has kept hidden for years must also be made public to fulfill her life's wish."

He paused, then handed her a scripture book.

"Additionally, your whole family must kneel and recite the 'Incantation of Deliverance' three times a day to help Miss Luo's soul find peace and purge the spirits haunting your family. This must be done for ten years without stop, or else Miss Luo will return for vengeance."

The little girl's voice shook as she said, "…Yes, th-thank you Daozhang…"

Chu Wanning turned to glare at Landlord Chen and his son, gaze sharp as a snow-covered dagger. "When Chen-Yao awakens, the two of you must tell her everything and let her make her own decision. If you try to hide anything at all, I'll rip out both your tongues!"

These two were no more than posturing cowards who dared not put up any resistance now that things had come to this. They both prostrated on the ground, swearing up and down to follow every instruction.

"As for Hundred Butterfly Fragrance, it was created by Mr. Luo alone, but you shameless lot claimed it as your own formula. You know what you have to do, I will waste no more breath on you." Chu Wanning swept his sleeves and made to leave.

"W-we'll definitely go make corrections in the store and clarify that this fragrance was made by…by Mr. Luo…"

After everything was taken care of, Chu Wanning instructed Mo Ran to take Chen-Yao inside so as to draw out the poison.

Although Mo Ran held hatred in his heart, he knew well that in his youth he was still more respectful than defiant toward Shizun, so he did not protest, only squeezing Shi Mei's hand and whispering, "Go take care of your face and stop the bleeding. I'll take her inside."

There was still a big red "Xi" character in the eldest Chen son's room. Everything had happened so fast that they'd probably forgotten to take it down in the rush. At this time, with Chen Bo'huan already turned into powder, it looked exceedingly mocking.

Chen-Yao was collateral damage in this ridiculous farce riddled with avarice. What would she choose when she woke up?

As a commoner, she wasn't as tenacious as Shi Mei. Chu Wanning drew out the poisoned blood and fed her a pill in silence. The whole time, Mo Ran stood to the side holding a basin of water and handing over towels, but the two of them did not speak to one another, did not even so much as look at one another.

As he was leaving, Chu Wanning's gaze swept past the wall with indifference before suddenly realizing something, gaze shifting back to peer at the poem hanging on the wall.

The columns of letters were in regular script, neat and upright; the ink had not been dry for long, and the edges of the paper had not yet begun to yellow.

Written was——

Hands of a delicate tint

Pour golden wine

The city all in spring, and she,

the willow behind the palace wall

And east wind, full of malice

Brought thin joy

And a skein of sorrows—

Years of separation—

Wrong, wrong, wrong

Spring still spring

It's we, without reason, waste away

Tears streak rough, stain silks

Peach blossoms fall

Your room by the pond, empty—

What good our vows have stood like mountains?

With even letters barred—

And nothing, nothing, nothing

Chu Wanning's heart suddenly felt stifled. The writing was neat and careful, signed by Chen Bo'huan, the three characters glaringly conspicuous.

Chen-gongzi had married the daughter of the Yao family against his wish, and could only keep the misery in his heart to himself. Had he spent the final days of his life standing by the window, brush in hand, helpless but to transcribe Chai Tou Feng an ode to loss and partings?

He didn't want to remain at the Chen Manor even a moment longer. Ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder, he turned and left.

Chu Wanning and Shi Mei were both injured, unfit to ride back to Sisheng Peak right away, and Chu Wanning especially disliked travelling by sword, so they decided to stay the night at an inn. This way they could also go take a look at the temple the next day, to ensure that things would be properly taken care of.

Even though the demons and corpses had been pulverized by Chu Wanning's "Wind", it was still only their bodies that had been destroyed, not their spirits. There was no harm in staying a few days to make sure that nothing had slipped past to continue causing trouble.

Chu Wanning walked ahead in silence, his two disciples following behind.

Shi Mei seemed to have suddenly remembered something, and asked, "A-Ran, the clothes you and Shizun are wearing…what…what's going on?"

Mo Ran was taken aback before remembering that he and Shizun were still wearing the wedding robes. He was deathly afraid that Shi Mei might misunderstand, and hurriedly made to take it off.

"This…uhm, the illusion from before, don't think too much of it, I…"

Halfway through his words, he took another look and realized that, since Shi Mei had also been dragged through the ghost wedding, he too was wearing wedding robes. It was just that his had a different design, and didn't look too recognizable due to the rips and tears.

But no matter what, it was still wedding robes.

Standing side by side with Shi Mei like this, he could imagine that it was Shi Mei whose hands he had held back then in the ghost mistress's illusion, who he had bowed with, who he had shared the wine with.

He didn't want to take it off anymore, and stared at Shi Mei in a daze.

Shi Mei smiled warmly. "What is it? You didn't finish your sentence."

Mo Ran mumbled, "…It's nothing."

Chu Wanning was a few steps ahead of them. It was unclear how much he'd heard, but he stopped and turned around.

The sky was starting to brighten. After a night of commotion, the first light of daybreak emerged from the horizon, the sun crimson like a torn and bleeding heart struggling out from the abyss of darkness, painting the skies in splendid colors.

Chu Wanning stood, backlit, as the end of the long night grew bright, as the rising sun lit up the clouds.

He stood sideways, wedding robes red like blood, the rising sun casting a golden halo behind him, blurring the expression on his face.

Suddenly, spiritual energy surged forth, ripping the wedding robes into pieces.

Fragments of red fluttered like so many petals of wilting haitang blossoms. The wind picked up, scattering the pieces everywhere.

The white robes underneath flowed in the wind together with his ink black hair.

Blood on his shoulder.

Pieces of fabric in the wind.

The bloodstain where he had been injured protecting Mo Ran was all the more vivid and conspicuous on those white robes.

A long while passed before Chu Wanning sneered coldly, as if in ridicule. "Mo Weiyu, what is there between you and I to be misunderstood?"

He called Mo Ran Mo Weiyu whenever he was angry, cold and unfamiliar, a distant sort of polite address with not a hint of warmth.

Mo Ran choked, caught off guard, and had nothing to say.

Chu Wanning turned and walked away.

There was no one around at this hour, he walked ahead by himself as the earth and sky seemed to blur together.

His harsh and mocking expression fell apart as soon as he arrived at the inn room and closed the door.

Chu Wanning grit his teeth, a pained expression on his face as he lifted a hand to touch his shoulder.

The ghost mistress's claws were a kind of celestial body, no lesser than Tianwen; both were extremely powerful weapons. His entire shoulder was torn up, but there had been no time to take care of it during the demonic onslaught. By now, it had already gotten infected and was beginning to fester, the pain unbearable.

Standing in the room, Chu Wanning exhaled slowly and tried to take off the robes, but the fabric stuck to his skin where the blood had already dried, and the tug sent bolts of pain through his body.

Mo Ran's room was right next door. The inn was hardly soundproof, and he didn't want anyone to know, so he bit down on his lip and ripped the cloth off in one ruthless motion.

"Ngh...!!"

Chu Wanning let out a stifled grunt, then slowly let go, blood on his teeth and lips where he had bitten too hard. He gasped for breath, face completely devoid of color, body covered in cold sweat.

He lowered his long lashes, trembling slightly as he looked down to take in the damage.

It wasn't too bad.

Still manageable…

Holding onto the table for support, he slowly lowered himself into the chair. Bit by bit, enduring the pain, he used the water and towel he had the inn's attendant bring to wipe the wound clean with his uninjured hand.

Then, using a sharp knife, cut out the dead flesh.

After that, apply the salve that Madam Wang made.

And finally, slowly, with difficulty, wrap the bandages around his shoulder by himself.

He wasn't used to showing weakness in front of others. He had gone through this kind of pain many times before, and every time he had gotten through it on his own.

An injured animal will find a place to hide and lick its wounds. Sometimes he felt like he was no different from those beasts, and that this solitary existence would probably continue into the future as well.

He knew he was unlikeable, so he didn't want to beg pitifully for anyone's help. He had his dignity.

But when he took off his robes, a brocade pouch fell to the floor.

The red satin was embroidered with silk tree flowers. His fingers shook from the pain as he slowly opened it. Inside were two locks of hair, corded together.

His and Mo Ran's.

Chu Wanning's mind went blank for a moment. He wanted to hold the pouch to the candle flame and burn it together with its ridiculous contents. But he couldn't bear to do it in the end.

Cording hair to become husband and wife, conjugal love never to be doubted.

He could almost hear the golden boy and jade girl's quiet giggles.

He was aware of the throbbing deep in his own heart, and loathed himself all the more for it. He clenched the soft pouch tightly in his hand and slowly closed his eyes.

He couldn't accept these thoughts he held toward Mo Ran. He wished only that he could dig out his own heart and cut out the despicable thoughts inside, tear, rend, and throw them out.

Where was his decency, his propriety?

Was Mo Weiyu someone he ought to think about? What kind of a teacher was he? Truly worse than a beast!

Tap tap tap.

Knocks came from the door all of a sudden. Chu Wanning, in the middle of berating himself, startled, eyes opening wide as he hurriedly tucked the brocade pouch away in his sleeve. His face settled back into an ill-tempered expression.

"Who is it?"

"…Shizun, it's me." Mo Ran's voice came from the outside, and Chu Wanning's heartbeat sped up a little. "Can I come in?"