/

Ch35 - ...Wolves Eat Rabbits, Right?




Editor: Sahloknir
The scent of fresh blood on Li Huanhan was cloying.
Jiang Yinghe lowered his eyes to carefully examine his disciple’s wounds. He only relaxed when he found that they didn’t damage his nascent soul. “Why did you succumb to internal demons? What’s with these markings?”
He naturally knew about the flower-like prints left by internal demons, but this was his first time seeing them on someone he knew. Under normal circumstances, they would only appear when one had a deep obsession with a person or thing.
Regardless of their faction, all cultivators have to learn how to temper their hearts. If a person’s mental state became unstable, they would meet an untimely end, no matter how high their cultivation was.
The demon markings were very close to his heart. However, under Jiang Yinghe’s eyes, the vividly red patterning slowly retreated, as though shy, over Huanhan’s shoulder.
Jiang Yinghe was surprised by this. He had no idea why they would suddenly move away. He recalled the historical records he had once read and spoke softly, “Although your tribulation was successful, you became a demonic cultivator… What kind of internal demons do you have?”
Li Huanhan didn’t answer right away.
Jiang Yinghe could hear the heavy, restrained breathing surrounding him. He felt like the person in front of him was walking down a dark road that only became more treacherous and narrow the further he went…But he endured it all without complaint.
Jiang Yinghe wanted to reach out a hand to him and pull him out from the muddy waters, but he was just out of reach.
He sensed the breathing beside his ear stop for a moment. Huanhan’s deep voice rang out.
“It’s not a big deal.” His tone was soft and no different from before. “…This disciple has locked himself in a cage of his own making. I’m willing to wait.”
Jiang Yinghe had a suspicion that this had something to do with him. He hesitated before asking, “What are you waiting for?’
Li Huanhan stared at him. “The day that he becomes aware of this disciple’s…feelings.”
He paused during the latter half of his speech, and the last word was barely above a whisper. It was as if it was the hopeless dream of an utterly lost person.
Jiang Yinghe remembered Abbot Chan Qing’s warning. He soon realized that Huanhan was truly ‘unable to obtain what he desired’ right now. He didn’t know who that person was, but he couldn’t help but dislike them already.
In his opinion, Li Huanhan was a very gentle person. A straight-laced sprout like him…wait. How did a straight-laced sprout become a demonic cultivator, ah?!
Jiang Yinghe’s thoughts came to a sudden halt. His pride as an educator took three heavy blows in a row—
His second disciple was originally an evil cultivator, his little disciple was misled on matters of love, and even the first disciple he was most confident in, fell to his internal demons and became a demonic cultivator.
The white rabbit ears on his head drooped down. He sighed in defeat. “There’s no use in just waiting. Why don’t you confess your feelings? They might accept you.”
Li Huanhan glanced at him before reaching out to grasp his wrist. “I know he wouldn’t.”
“En?”
“This disciple has thought about it many times, but I know he…he can’t accept it yet.” Li Huanhan held his fingers. “Shizun needn’t worry.”
“How could I not?” Jiang Yinghe raised his eyebrow. “You’ve come so far in your cultivation only to fall because of love. How will you face your teachers, friends and those back at Peng Lai? Is all of this worth it for just one person?”
Li Huanhan steadily massaged his fingertips. He replied, “Other than Shizun, this disciple has no friends or old acquaintances who can tie me down.”
He lowered his gaze, and his eyes that were burning like hellfire actually softened. Li Huanhan interlaced their fingers and continued in a calm voice filled with suppressed emotions that betrayed his sincerity. “…He’s worth it.”
Even though Jiang Yinghe knew that these words were for someone else, he was still touched by them. He didn’t waste his several thousand years of experience being single and immediately clasped back on the other’s hands. He said somewhat quickly, “It’s not! Are you brain dead? If it’s not going to work out let’s just find someone else. Are you going to get hung up on the first crooked tree that caught you? …Li Huanhan, if you dare to waste all the years I’ve spent guiding you for another man, I swear—”
He paused to think of a credible threat. He decided to be harsh, “Just watch me uproot that tree from the ground.”
Outside of his expectations, his first disciple wasn’t intimidated at all. He even briefly laughed.
“Alright.” Li Huanhan replied, “Shizun never plants crooked sprouts.”
Li Huanhan rarely said things in jest, so it was a while before Jiang Yinghe realised he was joking in his calm voice.
…He really couldn’t get angry.
Jiang Yinghe kneaded his forehead. He was getting a headache. Looking at the mess in front of him, it seems that his curriculum needs some serious revisions.
After gathering his thoughts, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are your injuries caused by Jun…Qin Jun?”
They weren’t actually. Qin Jun and Li Huanhan were about equal in strength. They were both serious going into the fight and even managed to redirect the flow of the Nether Realm’s River Styx. If it wasn’t for them sensing that something was not right back in the main palace, they could’ve probably blown a hole in the sky without blinking an eye.
They were both on the level of immortals, and mountains and seas shifted with their every move. It was a simple matter for their sword light to split the River Styx in two. If two Half-step Golden Immortals dueled to the point of sustaining injuries, then the aftershocks would be felt the world over.
Li Huanhan’s wounds were self-inflicted.
While he was searching for Jiang Yinghe, his internal demon had taken control of this vessel and brought his forcefully suppressed demonic instincts to the brink. A mental and spiritual conflict like this could only be resolved by himself.
The blood was just from a miscalculation on his part. He didn’t mind it much, which is why he forgot to clean it off and let Jiang Yinghe’s hands be stained.
Li Huanhan lowered his head as he wiped clean Shizun’s fingers using a handkerchief. He continued until not a trace of red remained on Jiang Yinghe’s flawless skin. While he worked, he said, “It’s no big deal. Shizun doesn’t need to worry. It’s just…”
Li Huanhan looked up and finally noticed the appendages sticking out from Jiang Yinghe’s hair. “What is that?”
Jiang Yinghe paused. He’d been in the devils’ world for so long he forgot he was wearing these things!
The pair of rabbit ears seemed to react to its owner’s mood and curled up in embarrassment. The soft tufts of fur on the tips trembled, and they seemed to almost have a mind of its own.
Li Huanhan spoke cautiously, “…Is it a disguise?”
Jiang Yinghe nodded quickly. Thank goodness that Huanhan was an understanding fellow so he didn’t need to explain. He asked, “What did Qin Jun think of me leaving? Was he mad?”
‘Mad’ was too light a word to describe it. He was so furious that he almost dropped dead on the spot.
Li Huanhan made a grunt of agreement before reaching over to Jiang Yinghe’s rabbit ears. He asked carefully, “Can I touch them? I’m a bit…curious.”
…Why did he give off the aura of a courteous gentleman even when saying words like this?
Jiang Yinghe sighed, “Some side effects of the Seven Days of Joy from before still remain because the treatment was incomplete. They are…sensitive. If you’re curious then go touch Chang Ye’s ears.”
Li Huanhan’s fingertip paused at the side of the soft fur. He turned to ask, “Was it little Shidi who brought you here?”
Jiang Yinghe wanted to reply when Chang Ye spoked crisply from behind them.
“Yep—” Chang Ye was seated on the windowsill. It was unknown how long he had been here. He smiled faintly at Li Huanhan. “I didn’t think that Shixiong would catch up so soon. It’s truly admirable. How did you find this place?”
To locate a single person within the vast Wanyao City was not an easy task. Chang Ye suspected that Li Huanhan must have planted a tracking artifact on Shizun.
Li Huanhan stared at him. “Little Shidi is able to infiltrate the Nether Realm unseen. That is also worthy of praise.”
He stood and adjusted his clothes before calmly replying, “Qin Jun had something he wanted to say to little Shidi. Why don’t I pass his words along.”
Chang Ye placed a hand under his chin. There was a smile on his lips. “I’m all ears.”
Li Huanhan glared into the depths of his soul. Every one of his words was freezing cold. “…Sooner or later I’m going to butcher you.”
The atmosphere became frozen.
It was said with so much intent that even Jiang Yinghe suspected that it was Huanhan’s own words. But he couldn’t think of any occasion when Chang Ye might have offended him. Huanhan was an even-tempered person after all…
The youth in red smiled upon hearing his words. He casually licked his sharp teeth and said, “I’ll be waiting for the day he succeeds.”
—-
Li Huanhan temporarily stayed with them.
At Chang Ye’s behest, Jiang Yinghe soon went to pick out a pair of gray wolf ears for his eldest disciple. He argued and haggled over the price with the little devil selling these like he used to do in China for a long time before he was able to snatch them up.
He originally wanted to help Huanhan put them on, but he discovered that the other person was too tall for him. He wordlessly took the artifact from his hands and proceeded to smoothly put them on.
Jiang Yinghe: “…They were clearly the ears of a weaning wolf pup when I bought them, so why do they look so vicious on you.”
Li Huanhan furrowed his brows. “Does Shizun not like them?”
“It’s not that.” Jiang Yinghe continued to observe for a moment. “It just comes off as really aggressive. Also…”
…Wolves eat rabbits, right?
He was beginning to think that he still made a mistake after all his careful considerations.
Chang Ye stood to the side listening to the talk. His disobedient tail wagged the whole time. He said, “It doesn’t feel right.”
He gave his critique, “Li-shixiong’s demonic energy is too strong. People in the City might mistake you for a wild animal.”
Li Huanhan turned to glare at him in warning. “I’m not a wild animal, but there is one here.”
Chang Ye smiled. His furry tail was no longer moving. His lips swept up as he said, “Between a wild beast and a demonic cultivator, which one is more distinguished?”
The two went back and forth exchanging blows. They both radiated a heavy killing intent, leaving Jiang Yinghe standing cluelessly on the sidelines with his head in the clouds.
…When did the relationship between the two of them become so harmonious? They’re even bickering like friends.
It’s really amazing that they’re able to put aside their differences to have a nice, long conversation.
Jiang Yinghe gave them space to converse while he took a seat to consider the information Huanhan brought back.
Although his eldest disciple had internal demons and changed into his current appearance, underneath this, he was still the same person he knew from before. But demonic cultivators tended to be mad one way or another. His was probably related to that ‘unobtainable’ person that he admired.
His second disciple…despite that Patriarch wanting to eat him, he didn’t kill Huanhan when he had the chance. Was there still a way to turn this situation around?
Did his emotional teachings touch the other person’s heart? Jiang Yinghe’s thoughts veered off track once more. He knew that he was the most concerned about Peng Lai and the Dao, and he was afraid that they would be used to threaten him. If it really came down to that, he would have no choice but to reveal himself.
He could leave Peng Lai temporarily to stave off the worst of it, but he couldn’t have others suffer because of his mistakes. That was the place that he swore to protect for thousands of years after all. It was his home.
Jiang Yinghe was unable to discern Qin Jun’s intention even after so long. He casually raised his eyes to find that the other two had been silent for a while.
Chang Ye was flipping through a book by the window. His thoughts were hidden, but that naughty tail of his was twitching furiously on the floor. Li Huanhan had removed the plain lamp shade provided by the hotel to relight the candle.
It seems another day had passed by in the blink of an eye.
Huanhan was still the same as always, taking care of matters related to Jiang Yinghe. He was warm, attentive and reliable…so how could he be trapped by his emotions?
He said that he had locked himself in a ‘cage’ of his own making, so who was his cage?
Jiang Yinghe stared for quite some time before suddenly asking, “Why aren’t you two talking anymore?”
Li Huanhan had long since changed clothes. The scent of blood was no longer on his body but his eyes remained dark, as if they were pools of magma waiting to erupt.
“There is nothing to discuss between Shidi and I.”
Jiang Yinghe was taken aback. Weren’t the two of you getting along like a house on fire just now? He then heard the chilly voice of little Chang Ye.
“Shizun wasn’t listening, so there was no one to talk to.”
Jiang Yinghe blinked. “…You guys were talking to me?”
He somehow felt like they were competing for his affections.
Chang Ye continued to flip through his book without a care in the world. In his mind he had already diced Li Huanhan into a million pieces, but none of that showed in his casual demeanour.
“This disciple has nothing to say to a demonic cultivator.”
Jiang Yinghe frowned slightly. “Ye-er, your Shixiong just made a mistake due to being trapped by his emotions…”
“Those willing to take Shizun to such a strange place without any consideration for the consequences are simply despicably greedy.” Li Huanhan glared at his shidi.
Jiang Yinghe said with exasperation, “Huanhan, your Shidi did the best he could under the circumstances. And everything turned out fine in the end.”
Other than the need to wear these ridiculous disguises, there wasn’t much to complain about Wanyao City.
He was about to continue mediating when the system that had been playing dead this whole time pop up with a notification:
[Please check the new status bar.]
Jiang Yinghe paused. How many more status bars are there? He’s already messed things up to this point, so was there really a way to bring it all back?
He absentmindedly clicked to open the detailed menu. There were new bars in black beneath the original three progress bars for his disciples.
Chang Ye’s blackened status was only 50 while Qin Jun’s was about 70. That made sense since he was an evil cultivator…
Jiang Yinghe glanced over to check Li Huanhan’s new value.
…Ninety…nine? Oh, oh my…
He was absolutely stunned. He raised his head to look at Li Huanhan, who was pouring him a cup of tea. Other than the bright red demon markings, there was no visible sign that anything was wrong with him.
What kind of status bar was this?!
Author’s Corner
He used every part of himself to love you.
Even using his last bit of warmth,
To soothe your fears.
Rain
Wow the author’s note made me kind of sad. Also Li Huanhan is 99% blackened lol. I wonder what he’ll do at 100…
Sahl
Jiang Yinghe: “Who is this monster toying with Huan-er’s heart? I shall uproot him!”
Disciples: “…”
The author’s note… I now feel better about my terrible bias towards Huanhan. My poor baby! *sobs*