Ch64 - Useless True Heart

Tomorrow Xu Nanxian would leave for training, and Four Illuminations Hall was in chaos.

When Su Hansheng entered, he nearly stepped on magical tools scattered all over the floor.

“Senior Brother?”

Xu Nanxian’s voice came from inside: “Come in—Lingxiu, bring out those grapes chilling in the well outside. If we don’t eat them now, they’ll all go bad by the time we return.”

Four Illuminations Hall had grape vines in the back courtyard that produced more grapes than they could eat each year.

Zhuang Lingxiu strolled over from the back courtyard and saw the Cloud Veils still on Su Hansheng’s head, raising an eyebrow: “Didn’t Hanging Pot Hall say the Little Medical Immortal made the bone-clinging antidote? You haven’t taken it yet?”

Su Hansheng was helping his senior brother pick up things from the floor. Hearing this, his movements paused as he uncomfortably pressed his lips together.

After the bone-clinging poison was cured, he still feared light.

He’d held onto a last thread of hope, thinking the antidote hadn’t fully taken effect yet, but after waiting most of the day, his previously blocked meridians and spiritual power had begun flowing normally again…

He still couldn’t walk in sunlight.

Su Hansheng already had his suspicions, quietly picking up things without speaking.

Zhuang Lingxiu sensed something was wrong and was about to ask again when Xu Nanxian came from the inner room, saying casually: “The people from Hanging Pot Hall just said the Little Medical Immortal’s antidote is still missing one ingredient—Xiaoxiao, don’t worry. I’ll keep an extra eye out during this training expedition. What was that medicine called… I’ll ask again later.”

Zhuang Lingxiu was surprised: “Even the Little Medical Immortal makes mistakes? This poison is so powerful?”

Xu Nanxian nodded.

Su Hansheng was stunned for a long time.

Given Zhou Gushe’s straightforward nature, she should have already proclaimed the detoxification matter for everyone to know, especially since she didn’t know he still feared light after detoxification—there was no need to cover it up.

Had something happened that he didn’t know about?

Su Hansheng looked up in confusion. When his gaze fell on Xu Nanxian’s face, he suddenly stood up and rushed over nervously: “Senior Brother! What happened to Senior Brother? How did you get such serious injuries?!”

Xu Nanxian was bruised and battered, with soft gauze stuffed in his nose showing traces of blood that hadn’t stopped yet. Looking closer, his neck seemed to have a red mark from being struck by some rod.

Su Hansheng’s eyes immediately reddened: “Who hurt Senior Brother?!”

Xu Nanxian coughed awkwardly and pulled Su Hansheng’s hands away, saying nonchalantly: “It’s nothing, just tripped while walking.”

Zhuang Lingxiu on the side felt incredibly sour seeing Su Hansheng’s reaction.

Last time when he got beaten, though the young master was also worried, it wasn’t as anxious as his treatment of Xu Nanxian now. Looking at that appearance, the child’s eyes were red with worry.

Zhuang Lingxiu flatly exposed him: “Your eyes got bruised from tripping?”

“Get lost.” Xu Nanxian glanced at him. Seeing Su Hansheng’s reddened eyes, he softened his temper to comfort him: “It’s nothing, just surface wounds.”

Su Hansheng: “But…”

Xu Nanxian had a stubborn temperament and didn’t like showing weakness in front of his junior brother, quickly changing the subject: “The Chief Enforcer should have told you—you have to call an elder tomorrow.”

Su Hansheng frowned as he took out medicine from his pouch, carefully applying it to Xu Nanxian’s wounds, his tone absent-minded as he said casually: “He told me. I just came from the Disciplinary Hall.”

Xu Nanxian bent slightly to let him apply medicine, enduring the pain without making a sound to maintain his dignity as a senior brother.

“Mm, the Deputy Enforcer has already contacted Big Senior Brother. He’ll probably arrive tomorrow—I heard his temper’s been terrible lately. His disciples don’t dare approach him. Last time, hiss… it’s fine, really fine. Your hand isn’t heavy at all, right? Did I hiss? No, right?”

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Xu Nanxian’s fingers curled frantically from the pain, his face red and neck thick from enduring it.

Zhuang Lingxiu nearly choked on a grape seed watching this.

Su Hansheng came to his senses, withdrew his hand to dip more medicine, saying vaguely: “I’ve never heard of a Second Senior Sister. Did she leave Yingxu Sect very early?”

Xu Nanxian quietly exhaled and nodded: “She… had some conflict with Big Senior Brother. She betrayed the sect hundreds of years ago just to cut ties completely with Big Senior Brother. Even Master couldn’t persuade her.”

Su Hansheng was puzzled: “I’ve never met Second Senior Sister. Will she help me?”

“Of course.” Xu Nanxian guaranteed: “She’ll definitely stand on your side.”

Su Hansheng nodded with half understanding: “How will I find her tomorrow?”

“She seems to have business at Wendao Academy tonight…” Xu Nanxian said: “But when you go to the Disciplinary Hall tomorrow, you’ll recognize her at first sight.”

Su Hansheng: “How should I identify her?”

Xu Nanxian spoke very abstractly: “Tomorrow in the crowd, the person whose first glance makes you think ‘Sister, beat me‘—that’s your Second Senior Sister.”

Su Hansheng: “???”

What kind of thing was that?

He didn’t have Jin Yiyuan’s strange fetish of getting excited from beatings. How could he possibly have such a terrifying first reaction!

Su Hansheng didn’t take Xu Nanxian’s words to heart: “May I ask Second Senior Sister’s name?”

“Ying,” Xu Nanxian said. “Ying Zhijin.”

Su Hansheng was stunned: “Ying? Same surname as Big Senior Brother? Are they related?”

“Oh, that’s not it.” Xu Nanxian said: “Second Senior Sister’s family met with disaster when she was young. Big Senior Brother personally brought her back to Yingxu Sect, so her temper might be a bit like Big Senior Brother’s. Be careful not to say the wrong thing.”

Su Hansheng: “Oh, oh, oh.”

Xu Nanxian had to leave early tomorrow morning, pulling Su Hansheng along to chatter instructions for most of the day, wishing he could stuff him in his pocket and take him along.

Su Hansheng patiently listened to him repeat the same things several times. Before leaving, he hesitated for a long while before finally asking: “Senior Brother, have you… ever seen my mother?”

“Master’s wife?” Xu Nanxian thought for a moment. “No, when Master picked me up, you had just been born and Master’s wife had already passed away.”

Su Hansheng: “Does Senior Brother know what kind of person my mother was?”

“Perhaps afraid of stirring up Master’s sad memories, everyone at Yingxu Sect keeps their mouths sealed—no one dares mention Master’s wife voluntarily.” Seeing Su Hansheng’s expression carrying what seemed like melancholy, Xu Nanxian thought he was missing his mother. His expression softened as he smiled: “Why are you suddenly asking about this?”

Su Hansheng shook his head thoughtfully.

He’d better ask Big Senior Brother tomorrow.

Su Hansheng tugged at Xu Nanxian’s sleeve, solemnly instructing: “Senior Brother, just focus on training well this time. You don’t need to search for spiritual medicines for me anymore.”

Xu Nanxian had been picked up by Su Xuanlin, seemingly to find a similarly-aged child to accompany Su Hansheng. Xu Nanxian knew this himself, but he didn’t mind.

Being able to survive and even become the Immortal Lord’s disciple was a great opportunity others couldn’t even dream of.

Xu Nanxian’s instinct to protect his junior brother had been ingrained since childhood. Hearing these words, he instinctively frowned: “But I…”

Before he could finish, he suddenly remembered how Su Hansheng had looked in the Rotten Axe secret realm during the Wendao Festival—seemingly possessed—and how he’d suddenly laughed maniacally after hearing him say “I came to save you.” He paused slightly.

Su Hansheng looked at him expectantly.

Xu Nanxian was silent for a long while, then suddenly raised his eyebrows and smiled: “Fine, that saves me the trouble—tsk, hearing you talk like this, others would think Senior Brother was rushing to find spiritual medicines for you.”

Su Hansheng’s eyes curved in a smile, finally feeling relieved as he bounced back to Falling Parasol Lodge.

Although Xu Nanxian had guaranteed he wouldn’t get beaten by Big Senior Brother tomorrow, Su Hansheng still worried until midnight without falling asleep. He simply took out his disciple token to play on the message wall.

It was already the middle of the night, but there were still some active students on the message wall chatting using “read and burn” messages.

Su Hansheng arrived a bit late, only seeing one message appear: “Are you courting death? The Chief Enforcer looks like a slow, good-natured person with poor eyesight, but his cultivation rivals the Vice Dean’s. He only wants to retire to the mountains—he was tricked into coming to Wendao Academy by the Vice Dean,” before the words suddenly turned to flames and completely disappeared.

Su Hansheng was confused.

Why were they suddenly bringing up the Chief Enforcer?

Su Hansheng spent most of the night figuring out how “read and burn” worked before clumsily sending a message.

“What happened to the Chief Enforcer?”

Someone quickly replied:

“Another night owl.”

“Sharing joy is better than enjoying alone—cough, students changing shifts at the Disciplinary Hall witnessed an absolutely beautiful person seeking out the Chief Enforcer, seemingly wanting to do XXXX!”

Su Hansheng: “?”

Do what?

“Hiss, even the message wall’s read and burn function can’t display this? Whatever, anyway it’s XX, XX… hiss, matters of lust—Ha! This word can be written!”

Su Hansheng looked completely confused. Before he could figure out what they meant, those words had already been read and burned.

The subsequent conversation became increasingly incomprehensible to Su Hansheng, as if everything was blurred by barriers.

Su Hansheng couldn’t sleep at all, sitting cross-legged on his bed researching what nonsense they were talking about. It wasn’t until dawn that he seemed to vaguely understand a bit.

When daylight brightened, Su Hansheng had no time to sleep. Thinking about facing the big demon Big Senior Brother, he immediately perked up and climbed out of bed.

The flower bud on the companion tree was still growing. Su Hansheng glanced at it before leaving.

Big Senior Brother could smash this thing with one palm.

Go ahead and die.

While Su Hansheng feared Ying Jianhui, he also felt like he’d found a backer, imagining Big Senior Brother punching the unknown flower bud and kicking the Buddhist hall’s World-Honored One—though the price might be that he’d also get beaten.

On the short path to the Disciplinary Hall, Su Hansheng alternated between eagerly running to find his “backer” and timidly shuffling forward slowly, wishing this road would never end.

Half an incense stick later, Su Hansheng finally reached the vicinity of the Disciplinary Hall.

He was a bit early for the time the Chief Enforcer had specified. Not wanting to arrive too early, Su Hansheng circled around the Disciplinary Hall repeatedly, trying to dispel his worry and anxiety.

Just as Su Hansheng was walking by a wall, he vaguely heard some conversation from the quarters behind the Disciplinary Hall, including what seemed like a woman’s voice.

Su Hansheng was stunned, curiously walking over to listen against the wall.

But when he pushed through the grass, he saw several students already pressed against the wall like geckos, using all four limbs and even their faces against the wall, holding their breath to eavesdrop.

Su Hansheng: “…”

Was this a Wendao Academy tradition?

Someone spotted Su Hansheng and “shushed” him, waving vigorously to indicate: what are you standing there for? Come listen to the excitement!

Though Su Hansheng didn’t know what the excitement was about, he followed local customs and assumed the “gecko” position, listening with interest.

A woman’s laughter could be faintly heard inside, along with a low male voice speaking intermittently—listening carefully, it seemed to be the Disciplinary Hall’s Chief Enforcer.

Su Hansheng held his breath.

The woman’s tone was lazy, as if exhaling smoke, saying lightly: “…Darling, you know I’ve always responded to your every request. Not to mention a hundred thousand spirit stones—even if you wanted half of Separate Years to make you smile, I’d be willing.”

The Chief Enforcer’s voice came softly: “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to say…”

The woman seemed to hear something and couldn’t help laughing heartily, saying gently: “We’re both hundreds of years old. Don’t be so naive and innocent, believing in useless things like true feelings.”

The students all shook their heads, creating a chorus of “hiss” sounds as they communicated silently with lip movements.

“The Chief Enforcer is so pitiful—his true heart is being cruelly toyed with!”

“Who is that person? So curious.”

Su Hansheng listened with half understanding, feeling the woman had a point.

True feelings had always been useless things.

Soon, the sounds inside died down.

Everyone felt regretful, clicking their tongues continuously.

Su Hansheng estimated the time, saw it was about right, and quickly jumped out of the grass, hurrying toward the main Disciplinary Hall.

Taking three steps in two, he rushed into the stern Disciplinary Hall. Su Hansheng’s heart pounded like drums. With a peripheral glance, he saw the Chief Enforcer who had been discussing “true feelings” with someone earlier, now wearing a single glass lens and sitting in the head position.

He looked as gentle and sickly as usual, but seemed much sadder, like an eggplant struck by frost.

Su Hansheng had already spotted a white figure sitting nearby. Wondering why Big Senior Brother had suddenly changed his usual style to wear white clothes, he timidly turned his head inch by inch.

When he finally looked directly at the person sitting in the chair, Su Hansheng was slightly stunned.

Chongjue wore plain white robes, his black hair flowing like ink. His entire being was like an exquisitely detailed ink painting. His stern features were wreathed in tea mist as he lowered his eyes, holding a teacup and stirring the tea leaves, as if he’d been there for a long time.

Catching sight of Su Hansheng approaching, he lifted his eyes indifferently.

Su Hansheng looked completely confused.

What was Chongjue doing here?

***