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Ch101 - Jade Box Ornament




Even the usually composed Xie Zhizhi stood up at this name.
“Truly?”
Changkong’s face had turned green. Before he could respond, they heard someone approaching with measured steps.
Everyone looked toward the sound, their eyes widening involuntarily.
The entire hall fell silent as a tomb, only the newcomer’s light footsteps echoing in their ears.
Chongjue’s fingers rubbed against the teacup, his eyes cold.
It was indeed Qi Jianyi.
A living, breathing Qi Jianyi.
Three years unseen, Qi Jianyi had lost his youthful air. His brow and eyes were completely cold. His Hanshan Sect robes billowed as he walked through the deathly silence to the very front, clasping his hands in a junior’s bow.
“This junior greets Elder Xie.”
Xie Zhizhi made a sound of acknowledgment, quickly steadying his emotions and sitting back down calmly: “Indeed. Many years have passed. Jianyi’s cultivation has advanced considerably—truly a heaven-gifted talent.”
Qi Jianyi nodded.
Though Chongjue was clearly the most distinguished person in this vast hall, when Qi Jianyi straightened, his cold eyes merely swept past him, a trace of disgust seemingly flashing through them.
Chongjue rubbed the teacup with two fingers and calmly took a sip of tea.
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
Xie Zhizhi acted as if the awkwardness and silence around him didn’t exist, maintaining his usual warmth with a faint smile: “Jianyi hasn’t visited Mount Sumeru since the Wendao Festival three years ago. Have you been in seclusion cultivating?”
The others also perked up their ears to listen, wanting to know why Qi Jianyi had returned from the dead.
Qi Jianyi answered truthfully: “I was gravely injured in the secret realm. A senior brother from the academy saved me and kept me alive with spirit pills. I only regained consciousness half a month ago.”
Xie Zhizhi made a sound of surprise, asking with concern: “Is your body alright now?”
“Thank you for Elder’s concern. I’m fine now.”
Xie Zhizhi exchanged a few more pleasantries with him, then turned to glance at Changkong, giving him a look.
Changkong immediately understood and withdrew to find Ying Jianhua.
Qi Jianyi retrieved several exquisite boxes from his storage ring and bowed as he presented them: “For Hansheng’s coming-of-age ceremony, these are modest gifts I’ve specially brought.”
Xie Zhizhi paused, feeling that Qi Jianyi seemed to have…hidden implications in his words.
He’d clearly come with Hanshan Sect’s visiting card, yet when presenting gifts, he used the words “I” and “specially”?
Before Xie Zhizhi could react, Qi Jianyi presented another bright red invitation. Everyone quickly glanced at it, vaguely making out eight characters written in flowing calligraphy:
*Phoenix paired with phoenix, harmonious union.*
It was a betrothal card.
Chongjue’s expression instantly darkened.
Qi Jianyi’s face remained impassive, his tone respectful: “Hanshan Sect and Mount Sumeru made a marriage agreement over ten years ago. Before the Immortal Lord passed, he said that after Hansheng came of age, this junior could marry and register our household with him.”
This matter was known throughout the three realms.
For Qi Jianyi to speak of it at the coming-of-age ceremony was beyond reproach, yet other Mount Sumeru disciples furrowed their brows, finding it absurd and laughable.
When the Young Lord was little, he always loved running after Qi Jianyi, but this person never showed him any warmth, rarely giving the Young Lord a kind look.
Now seeing the Young Lord had entered the first academy and formed a core at such a young age, he wanted to complete the marriage and register their household?
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Unable to determine Su Hansheng’s feelings about this person, he could only hesitantly have a young acolyte fetch Su Hansheng.
Chongjue’s face remained impassive, coldly watching the betrothal card in Qi Jianyi’s hand bearing Su Hansheng’s birth date and time. The teacup in his hand had turned to powder, yet spiritual energy wrapped around it, still holding the tea without completely dispersing.
The young acolyte obediently ran to the side hall again.
Qi Jianyi flicked his finger, using spiritual energy to lift an exquisite jade box forward, speaking flatly: “If Hansheng is unwilling to see me, give him this object. He’ll naturally understand my meaning.”
The young acolyte hesitated for a long moment. Seeing Xie Zhizhi nod, he cradled the heavy box and ran toward the side hall.
Su Hansheng was already in the side hall, chatting idly with Yuan Qian and Wu Baili.
For some reason, Qifu Zhao wasn’t there.
Su Hansheng received a huge pile of gifts every birthday. He was sitting in a chair humming a little tune, happily unwrapping presents. His peripheral vision caught the young acolyte carrying a box over, and his eyes curved in a smile.
“Who sent this one?”
The young acolyte said urgently: “Young Lord, this is terrible! People from Hanshan Sect came, saying…”
Su Hansheng was vainly trying on his newly received floating cloud veil, seeing the young acolyte couldn’t even speak clearly: “Don’t worry, speak slowly.”
Even if the Hanshan Sect Master came, it wouldn’t warrant such panic, right?
Su Hansheng inadvertently glanced at the jade box in the young acolyte’s hands. Thinking of something, his brow suddenly furrowed, an ominous premonition rising in his heart.
The young acolyte said as if facing catastrophe: “…It’s that bastard Qi Jianyi. He’s brought a betrothal card to complete the marriage and register his household with Young Lord.”
Su Hansheng froze.
Yuan Qian and Wu Baili also stood up abruptly, saying in shock: “Qi Jianyi?!”
Su Hansheng was still dazed when the disciple mark at his waist suddenly emitted a burst of spiritual energy. Zhuang Lingxiu’s phantom form appeared nearby, speaking hurriedly: “Xiaoxiao, your senior brother and I are still in Shangyuan Province. We probably won’t make it back until evening—we just heard about that bastard Qi Jianyi. Listen, that person absolutely cannot be Qi Jianyi.”
Su Hansheng looked at him in confusion: “Why?”
Zhuang Lingxiu’s brow furrowed tightly: “I’d stake my life on it. During the Wendao Festival secret realm that year, Qi Jianyi’s soul already scattered into nothingness, entering the Silver-Carved Lamp to fuel the lamp oil. He’s burned to less than ashes by now—how could he possibly return from death?!”
Su Hansheng was only dazed for a moment before quickly steadying his emotions: “What did Sister Handan say?”
“I only became certain after asking her,” Zhuang Lingxiu said. “She personally told me that all these years, not one person who entered her barrier survived. During the Wendao secret realm that year, both Qi Jianyi and Qi Yuanshan had their souls taken by her.”
Su Hansheng thoughtfully lowered his eyes.
Soon, Zhuang Lingxiu’s form seemed pushed away by something, instantly transforming into Xu Nanxian’s appearance.
Xu Nanxian said coldly: “Don’t go out to see him. Big senior brother will arrive at Mount Sumeru soon. Leave everything to him. Hmph, who knows if that person is some body-snatching ghost deliberately trying to get close to you?”
Su Hansheng froze.
The young acolyte carefully placed the jade box on the table, stammering: “…Qi Jianyi also said if Young Lord won’t go see him, just look at this and you’ll understand everything.”
Su Hansheng lowered his gaze, his slender fingers slowly reaching forward.
The closer his hand drew, the more violently his heart pounded for inexplicable reasons.
Until—click.
The jade box opened. Su Hansheng’s heartbeat seemed to stop in that instant, his amber pupils dilating and losing focus.
When he saw what was inside, his entire body seemed struck by something heavy. He trembled violently and staggered back half a step.
Yuan Qian sensed something was wrong and quickly stepped forward to steady him.
Su Hansheng’s hand that had just touched the jade box was trembling.
Wu Baili frowned and looked into the jade box, only to find it contained merely a semi-transparent ornament cast and fired from molten glass.
The ornament was bizarre—like wildly growing withered branches spreading their claws, flames burning fiercely. At the very bottom of the glass, a human figure was faintly visible, as if all the withered branches had grown from that person’s body.
It was just an ornament, with no offensive arrays.
Su Hansheng lowered his arms, using his sleeves to conceal his uncontrollably trembling fingers. His face expressionless, he wordlessly picked up the jade box and headed toward the main hall without looking back.
Xu Nanxian called after him: “Xiaoxiao, wait! Big senior brother will arrive soon, first you should—”
Su Hansheng acted as if he heard nothing. His magnificent robes billowed with his hurried movements, like a phoenix bathed in flames spreading its wings.
Wu Baili and Yuan Qian exchanged glances and quickly gave chase.
Su Hansheng pushed through layers of crowds and rushed into the main hall in an instant, his gaze sweeping past countless people before landing fixedly on the person beside Xie Zhizhi.
A familiar face, a familiar form…
It truly was Qi Jianyi.
Qi Jianyi seemed to have anticipated he would come, already sitting to the side, waiting.
Since arriving at Mount Sumeru, he’d maintained his composure at all times, neither humble nor arrogant. But the moment his gaze fell on Su Hansheng bursting into the hall in elaborate robes, all his calm and steadiness shattered into broken ripples.
Qi Jianyi rose abruptly, his expression complex in ways no one could decipher.
“Hansheng…”
Su Hansheng turned a deaf ear. He charged directly to Qi Jianyi’s side and, without blinking, hurled the jade box in his hand violently at him, saying coldly: “Get lost.”
Everyone present was startled.
The jade box contained a heavy glass ornament. Crashing into someone would hurt terribly, yet Qi Jianyi neither dodged nor evaded. As if he hadn’t seen the box flying toward his face, his eyes remained fixed on Su Hansheng’s face.
“Bang—”
At the critical moment, Xie Zhizhi suddenly intervened, hastily blocking the jade box.
“Young Lord… what’s the matter?”
Su Hansheng’s eyes were filled with overwhelming disgust. He no longer pretended to be his usual obedient self. His ears rang with buzzing noise that irritated him endlessly, even his breathing becoming uncontrollably rapid.
He looked too strange. Chongjue couldn’t help but stand, wanting to protect him as he always had.
But before he could move, Su Hansheng coldly raised his hand. Nine talismans brimming with murderous intent suddenly materialized on his ten fingers, bloody light reflecting in his amber eyes, bringing an eerie, sinister coldness.
Chongjue froze.
Everyone in the hall was shocked by the bloody murderous aura emanating from Su Hansheng.
Qi Jianyi seemed to have anticipated this reaction. Before Su Hansheng could speak another vicious word, he cut him off: “Hansheng, I wish to discuss with you… the matter of registering our household.”
The talismans spinning continuously on Su Hansheng’s fingers froze. He stared at Qi Jianyi with disgust for a long moment.
Qi Jianyi cradled the jade box floating in midair, his two fingers lightly tapping the edge almost imperceptibly.
—No one knew what that meant.
Just as the onlookers stood bewildered, Su Hansheng suddenly withdrew his murderous talismans, turned abruptly, and left behind a single cold statement.
“Follow me.”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Su Hansheng had disgraced Hanshan Sect’s reputation. Yet Qi Jianyi acted as if nothing had happened, methodically straightening his robes. Holding the jade box in one hand, he spoke flatly to Xie Zhizhi: “Elder Xie, I must take my leave.”
With that, he followed Su Hansheng alone.
Even the diplomatically skilled Xie Zhizhi didn’t know how to smooth things over for the moment.
This…
Hadn’t rumors spread that the Young Lord had developed feelings for Young Master Qi over time? How had they now become bitter enemies upon meeting?
Since Qi Jianyi’s appearance, Chongjue’s brow hadn’t relaxed once. The teacup he’d condensed from spiritual energy had also turned to powder, mixing with tea leaves to soak the lotus-patterned hem of his robes.
Chongjue fingered his Buddhist beads, thoughts racing.
The matter of registering their household… what was there to discuss privately?
If both parties were willing, it would naturally happen.
If Su Hansheng was unwilling, it wouldn’t work no matter what was said.
Upon seeing the resurrected Qi Jianyi, Su Hansheng’s first reaction wasn’t joy but disgust and revulsion. He naturally wouldn’t want to marry this person.
If so, why talk?
Talk about what?
Xie Zhizhi said awkwardly: “Let the youngsters handle their own affairs—ah, World-Honored One, your teacup broke. Someone, bring a new one.”
Chongjue absently accepted the new teacup, his divine sense quietly spreading throughout the vast Mount Sumeru.
***
Su Hansheng walked grimly to an empty mustard seed space used by Mount Sumeru for receiving guests.
Qi Jianyi hurried to follow. The moment he crossed the threshold, a withered branch carrying chilling spiritual energy suddenly slashed diagonally, piercing through Qi Jianyi’s left shoulder with overwhelming force and brutally pinning him to a nearby parasol tree.
Boom.
Qi Jianyi’s back slammed against the tree. Several leaves rustled down.
Blood instantly gushed from his shoulder, staining his green robes red.
A drop of blood splattered onto Su Hansheng’s cheek. He controlled his companion tree to pin Qi Jianyi to the tree, his amber eyes seeming to condense blood-red malevolence as he spoke coldly: “Why are you still alive?”
Qi Jianyi, who always wore an expressionless face, was now covered in blood. The withered branches continued drilling into his meridians with agonizing pain, yet he seemed to feel nothing. Blood spilled from the corner of his lips, and he even smiled.
“Since you were willing to come see me, don’t you already have your answer in your heart?”
A withered branch suddenly coiled around Qi Jianyi’s neck. Su Hansheng grew increasingly impatient: “I’m asking you—why are you still alive?”
With Golden Core stage providing his companion tree with endless spiritual energy, the withered branches were sharp as blades. The slightest tightening would nearly sever Qi Jianyi’s head.
Qi Jianyi didn’t resist. He coughed up a mouthful of blood violently. After a long moment, he finally spoke the answer Su Hansheng wanted to know.
“…Like that evil spawn from Infinite Hell, I also came back following you.”
***
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