/

Ch96.1 - Heavenly Maidens Scatter Flowers




When Wendao Academy students encountered the Bone-Eroding Trees during their trial, the transmission mirror used the word “triumphant return,” but in reality, their victory was harder to achieve than ascending to heaven. Even several Nascent Soul cultivators nearly didn’t make it out.
Chu Fenghan had already gone to the Four Illuminations Hall to report the trial details to the Academy Master. Xu Nanxian was pushing a broken wheelchair with Zhuang Lingxiu back to Shangshan Study Hall.
The wheelchair was found along the way, with one wheel having a gap that jerked with every rotation. Zhuang Lingxiu, sitting pale-faced in it, nearly threw up from the jolting, his voice barely a whisper: “Bubei, for the sake of my sacrifice for you, can you push slower?”
Xu Nanxian’s expression was ugly: “You deserve it. Who told you to save me?”
Zhuang Lingxiu said earnestly: “I couldn’t just watch you lose your limbs. The fluff from that Bone-Eroding Tree was so hard to defend against. If you’d gotten even a little on you, your whole arm would be gone. It would break my heart.”
Xu Nanxian cursed: “Shut up.”
Zhuang Lingxiu obediently fell silent.
Not far outside Shangshan Study Hall was the martial arts training ground. Students with nothing to do were sparring and practicing, and when they caught sight of the two returning, they all turned to look.
Zhuang Lingxiu had offended nearly everyone in the academy. No one looked pleased to see him, but they still bowed respectfully to Xu Nanxian.
“Welcome back, Senior Brother Xu.”
Xu Nanxian nodded, gesturing for them to continue playing.
A shirtless student who’d been practicing punches and still harbored a grudge from when Zhuang Lingxiu had tricked him caught sight of something from the corner of his eye and let out a cold laugh, walking over with a sneering tone: “Greetings, Senior Brother Zhuang. I heard someone got injured while eliminating the Bone-Eroding Trees this time. Surely it wasn’t you, the great one?”
All the other senior brothers and sisters were bouncing around fine and unharmed. Only Zhuang Lingxiu sat in a wheelchair, being pushed by Xu Nanxian.
No matter how you looked at it, this guy was the liability dragging everyone down.
Xu Nanxian’s brow furrowed and he was about to speak.
Zhuang Lingxiu suddenly glanced at him, gesturing for him to stay quiet.
Xu Nanxian rolled his eyes but held his tongue.
A group of people who had grievances with Zhuang Lingxiu swarmed over like a pack, and warned: “Senior Brother Xu, don’t get involved in this.”
Xu Nanxian: “…”
I wasn’t planning to anyway.
“Senior Brother Zhuang, why are you dressed so heavily?” The leading student crossed his arms, speaking without restraint and mockingly: “Where did you get hurt? Let us take a look. Should we call the Little Medical Immortal?”
The others chimed in agreement.
“Yeah, yeah, don’t wait too long or your wounds will heal on their own.”
Surrounded by a group of people attacking him, Zhuang Lingxiu sat pale-faced in the wheelchair, lowered his eyes, and sighed: “You all came to see me as a joke. I understand.”
His bluntness caught everyone off guard.
The leading student pressed on stubbornly: “That’s right, so what! A tiger in the plains is bullied by dogs. You should’ve expected this day after being so arrogant usually!”
Xk dGwgQGw SIE JkE G hkYYSIH twJbE JY SGkVaEIb. qaIw IAIbNJwI’t VGRIt EkbwIH EJ aQh, aI vJkSH JwSN Ekbw aQt aIGH GwH vJkVa G YIL EQhIt.
“lQNI,” tIULJN nQJNcQU ALQB mQdI L iTAQNJTB dfJT, “W JTaTi TcqTGdTB W’B gT Af ILdTB. HfiNTd Qd, Yffs LYY pfU mLJd. EITiT’A Jf qfQJd QJ PT IQBQJN Qd LJpmLp—pfU’YY LYY SQJB fUd TaTJdULYYp.”
GCJIJ EOtzI EJtJ mOO ImtNyqJ. aFJteOyJ JPhCNyqJz gJEfLzJtJz LOOXI.
KCDNyq ufyqPfD tNfIJz CfI LJAm CNyz Nyz eNyXJz NENe mCJ RfmhC-gLNhX hLONX, JPROIfyq CfI gOze fy WJyzNO shNzJoe’I zfIhfRLJ tOgJI.
kaTipfJT NLAqTB AILiqYp, dITQi TpTA mQBTJQJN QJ AIfGs.
WakGwV uQwVgQk’t bQVaE aGwH GwH SIYE SJLIb SIV—EaI tSIIAIt GwH rGwE SIVt LIbI vJhrSIEISN IhrEN.
No wonder he needed a wheelchair.
The academy students had never experienced such hardship before. The group all stood there stupefied, and someone stammered: “Senior Brother, what… what happened to you?”
“Eroded by the Bone-Eroding Tree’s fluff,” Zhuang Lingxiu said flatly. “Have you seen enough?”
Everyone stared at him with dry mouths, like children who’d done something wrong.
Xu Nanxian rubbed his brow helplessly: “Everyone, disperse.”
With that, he pushed Zhuang Lingxiu’s wheelchair toward Shangshan Study Hall, leaving behind a crowd of darkly shadowed faces gone ashen.
Everyone fell silent for a long time, all harboring the same thought.
I really deserve to die.
Xu Nanxian pushed Zhuang Lingxiu into Shangshan Study Hall. The moment he closed the door, he saw Zhuang Lingxiu’s eyes and brows carrying a smile as he lazily checked the disciple mark with his intact left hand.
Xu Nanxian rolled his eyes: “What are you scheming?”
Zhuang Lingxiu instinctively tried to cross his legs, but his left lower leg was already gone. He could only straighten his robes and spoke lazily.
“What scheming? Did you see their expressions just now? Those little brats looked absolutely miserable. Haha, every year when we return from trials, there’s a celebration banquet in the evening where everyone gets willow-leaf wine to ward off bad luck—everyone except me, alone. Just now they looked so guilty they might’ve died of shame. I’m curious to see if they’ll prepare some for me tonight.”
Xu Nanxian: “…”
Really not human at all.
“Open the barrier around Shangshan Study Hall,” Zhuang Lingxiu continued. “I expect people will keep coming to gawk at my ‘misfortune’ throughout the day. I want plenty of willow-leaf wine.”
Xu Nanxian glared at him irritably: “Still have the leisure to play games? Didn’t you say you could restore your limbs quickly?”
“Are you stupid? Flesh and bone eroded by the Bone-Eroding Tree’s fluff can’t regenerate,” Zhuang Lingxiu raised an eyebrow. “I was naturally just deceiving you to ease your guilt.”
Xu Nanxian froze, his face going pale: “You!”
Zhuang Lingxiu watched his awful expression and burst out laughing: “Are you thinking of pouring me a cup of willow-leaf wine too?”
Xu Nanxian was so angry he wanted to hit him: “Do you want to die?!”
Zhuang Lingxiu quickly tried to appease him: “Alright, alright, later I’ll go to Red Maple Forest to find my elder brother.”
Xu Nanxian glared coldly at him, about to scold him when Qifu Zhao’s urgent voice came from outside.
“Senior Brother Xu, Senior Brother Xu, are you there?”
Xu Nanxian furrowed his brow and gestured to disperse the barrier.
Qifu Zhao rushed in, quickly greeted them, and spoke concisely: “Senior Brother Xu, the Young Lord’s breakthrough to Golden Core caused his meridians to become blocked. He now has a fever that won’t break. We hope you’ll go to Falling Parasol Lodge to help the Young Lord clear his meridians.”
Xu Nanxian was startled: “Golden Core?!”
Just a few days—Su Hansheng, who struggled even with Foundation Establishment, had already formed a core?!
***
In Falling Parasol Lodge.
Yuan Qian and Wu Baili used every method to cool Su Hansheng down, but his body remained as hot as burning coals, and he kept muttering more and more delirious nonsense.
Yuan Qian was deeply worried: “Can you guarantee Senior Brother Xu won’t beat Xiaoxiao like Dao Lord Ying would after hearing all this?”
Wu Baili said coldly: “We can stop Senior Brother Xu. But you dare stop Dao Lord Ying?”
Yuan Qian: “…”
That’s true.
Speak of the devil—hurried footsteps sounded outside Falling Parasol Lodge. Soon Xu Nanxian rushed in, lifting the curtain. Upon seeing Su Hansheng lying on the bed with a flushed face burning with fever, his expression became even grimmer.
He’d only been away for a while, and Su Hansheng had already tortured himself like this?
Xu Nanxian quickly approached. Wu Baili stood up to give him his seat.
The tip of Yuan Qian’s tail was still being held by Su Hansheng. Seeing Senior Brother Xu’s face turn black, he quickly wriggled away in one smooth motion and scrambled off the bed to avoid assassination.
Xu Nanxian furrowed his brow and gently patted Su Hansheng’s burning hot face: “Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao?”
Su Hansheng was feverish and hazy. After a long moment he opened his eyes, looking confusedly at the familiar face in front of him, unable to recognize him for a moment. He murmured: “Senior Brother?”
Xu Nanxian felt a twinge in his chest, stroking his face: “Yes, your senior brother is here. Nothing will happen.”
The moment Su Hansheng saw Xu Nanxian, tears instantly streamed down his cheeks. He cried like a child: “Senior Brother… Senior Brother came back.”
Xu Nanxian’s heart instantly softened beyond reason. He gently lifted Su Hansheng and held him in his arms, coaxing him tenderly.
“Yes, Xiaoxiao, don’t be afraid. Senior Brother’s back.”
Yuan Qian and the others had never seen the usually violent Xu Nanxian act so gently before, and their hearts finally settled.
Until Su Hansheng threw his arms around Xu Nanxian’s neck and began wailing, pouring out his troubles.
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother, go find my uncle for me. He won’t agree to dual cultivation—you persuade him, whimper, Senior Brother!”
“Senior Brother’s the best to me, you can definitely tie him up and keep him from returning to Mount Sumeru for seclusion, right?”
“Ah… dual cultivation! Dual cultivation!”
Xu Nanxian: “…”
Yuan Qian, Wu Baili, and Qifu Zhao: “…”
Zhuang Lingxiu, who arrived late: “…”
Oh wow, just a few days ago it was just kissing, but now it’s “dual cultivation”?
The progress was surprisingly fast.
The entire Falling Parasol Lodge fell silent for a long moment.
Xu Nanxian suddenly erupted, furious: “Su Hansheng! Who taught you such treacherous, wolfish words?! He’s your uncle! The World-Honored One of Mount Sumeru! A Buddhist cultivator!”
Yuan Qian and Wu Baili, showing loyalty, immediately rushed forward and hugged Xu Nanxian’s waist, dragging him backward.
“Senior Brother Xu, calm down!”
“Stay rational!”
Su Hansheng was shocked into silence by the yelling. Watching the enraged Xu Nanxian roaring desperately at him, he seemed to come to his senses. He started crying and crawling around the bed, trying to find a place to hide, shouting:
“Xiaoxiao didn’t know! Xiaoxiao didn’t know!”
Falling Parasol Lodge descended into chaos.
Zhuang Lingxiu said helplessly: “Bubei, you should first help Xiaoxiao clear his meridians. Look, he’s so feverish he’s started climbing the bed posts—Xiaoxiao, be good and come down, don’t fall!”
In the midst of the commotion, Xu Nanxian forcibly restrained his anger, grabbed Su Hansheng by the waist, and pulled him down from the bed post. He settled his expression and began carefully straightening out Su Hansheng’s tangled meridians.
Qifu Zhao pushed Zhuang Lingxiu to the outer room so Xu Nanxian wouldn’t be distracted.
Yuan Qian squatted on the ground, worried: “Senior Brother Xu won’t actually beat Xiaoxiao for all that delirious nonsense, will he?”
Zhuang Lingxiu said absently: “No. If it were Dao Lord Ying, he’d probably hit without hesitation. But Bubei has a knife mouth and tofu heart—he won’t actually do it.”
Yuan Qian finally relaxed.
Zhuang Lingxiu asked with interest: “During the time we were away, did something happen between Xiaoxiao and the World-Honored One?”