After the Villainess Awakens

“Are you still going to lie on the ground? A disciple from the Five Elders' Courtyard dared to trespass into the Cangsheng Courtyard. Do you know what the crime is for trespassing into the Cangsheng Courtyard in Taichu Mountain?”

Xuan Zhu's tone was slow and leisurely. He was born with an air of wickedness, and speaking in such a sarcastic tone made him look like an evil outsider. But in fact, all the disciples who had been in the inner sect of Taichu Mountain for a long time knew that Xuan Zhu's true form was actually… a bamboo.

Xuan Zhu was born in Xue You Mountain, a type of bamboo that grew in the snowy bamboo forests of Xue You Mountain. This kind of bamboo was born by breaking through the ice. There was only one place in Xue You Mountain that was frozen all year round, and that place was also called the Reflecting Heaven Mirror.

Back then, the Second Elder, Hua Yanyue, went to Xue You Mountain to look for a kind of ice silkworm. Unexpectedly, before she left, she met Xuan Zhu, who had transformed into a child.

In the vast snowy field, a small, naked child followed Hua Yanyue with a grin all the way. If it weren't for the fact that he was a bamboo without much medicinal value, Hua Yanyue would have caught him and thrown him into the alchemy furnace.

However, he actually followed her down Xue You Mountain and couldn't go back. Only then did Hua Yanyue pay attention to him. Seeing that he was imitating her, he even found some herbs that were buried deep under the snow for her.

Hua Yanyue thought that her courtyard was lacking such a clever little one, so she checked his spiritual roots. After discovering that he had pure wood spiritual roots, she took him as her disciple and brought him back to the mountain.

When he was first brought back, Xuan Zhu was only as tall as Hua Yanyue's waist. However, bamboo grew too fast. In just a few months, her little disciple had grown into a big guy taller than her.

As Xuan Zhu and Hua Yanyue spent more time together, other than alchemy, Xuan Zhu even learned her temperament and became reclusive, fiery, eccentric, and lived in seclusion. Because he was a bamboo spirit, he didn't even eat. In the end, he basically became a shadow that was rarely seen.

In recent years, it had become even more exaggerated. He didn't even appear for important matters of the sect. This made the other elders' chief disciples, who were busy running errands for the sect and leading new disciples in their trials, have quite a few complaints about him.

Of course, Xiao Mian had heard all of this from elsewhere. But in any case, he sat up from the ground and looked at Xuan Zhu's expression, which was like he was about to be interrogated and tortured. Thinking that he was essentially a bamboo shoot, he didn't argue with him.

A bamboo shoot, wasn’t it just damage (损)?

Xiao Mian got up and glanced at Leng Mu Shi, who was lying on the bed, sleeping soundly under the blanket. He heaved a sigh of relief and said calmly to Xuan Zhu, “Senior Brother Xuan Zhu, it wasn’t me who trespassed. When Nian Ci wakes up, Senior Brother can ask her.”

Xiao Mian removed the spider silk from his body and used a cleaning technique to tidy up his disheveled appearance. He quickly returned to his human form and cupped his hands respectfully at Xuan Zhu. “I’ve only been here in Cangsheng Courtyard these past few days to test medicine for Nian Ci.”

“Don’t call her Nian Ci so intimately. Junior Sister is a disciple of our Cangsheng Courtyard. Since when did she become so close to you disciples of the Tianxu Courtyard?” Xuan Zhu didn’t buy Xiao Mian’s act and said directly, “Don’t think that I don’t know what you’re thinking. Although Junior Sister is easy to deceive because she’s wholeheartedly devoted to the Dao, with me around, you’ll never be able to deceive her.”

Xuan Zhu walked to Xiao Mian’s side and circled him half a circle. He reached out and grabbed Xiao Mian’s wrist, forcefully probing his… Yang energy.

Xiao Mian reacted very quickly and circulated his spiritual energy to resist, expelling Xuan Zhu’s spiritual energy. However, he didn’t expect Xuan Zhu to be so straightforward and rough, so he was still able to peek into what he wanted to know.

Xuan Zhu slowly curled his lips into a smile. “I knew it. To be so attentive and willing to be someone’s test subject, to be a human cauldron, it’s nothing more than for two things. First, it’s for the improvement of one’s cultivation. Second, it’s to scheme for beauty.”

“Very few people can persevere with the former, unless they are forced to. Even the effects in a short period of time are not as fast as cultivating diligently in seclusion. As for the latter… naturally, very few people can persevere either. After all, beauty is just beauty. Once they obtain it, they don’t know how to cherish it.”

Xiao Mian’s Yang energy was still present, which meant that he had yet to succeed in the latter, hence his eagerness.

Xuan Zhu stood opposite Xiao Mian. The two of them were about the same height. Xuan Zhu’s sharp, upturned eyes stared at Xiao Mian’s cold, moon-like eyes.

“No matter how pure and indifferent you pretend to be, you can’t hide the dirty thoughts in your heart. If I were to tell Junior Sister what kind of thoughts you have about her, do you think she would still care about you?” Xuan Zhu’s smile was truly like that of an evil being.

He spoke to Xiao Mian in the manner of an elder brother. Xiao Mian didn’t want to bother with him at first, but when he thought about how Leng Mu Shi had once said that she liked Xuan Zhu’s type, his heart couldn’t help but waver under Xuan Zhu’s gaze.

If it was because she liked him… and Xuan Zhu was her senior brother, then Leng Mu Shi would definitely listen to Xuan Zhu’s words. The fingers hanging by Xiao Mian’s side gradually curled up. He had just gotten a little closer to Leng Mu Shi, and she had just gotten used to his presence. He absolutely couldn’t let that bamboo, Xuan Zhu, ruin it.

Therefore, Xiao Mian pursed his lips and said, “Leng Mu Shi and I are just friends. Could it be that Senior Brother Xuan Zhu wants to restrict even the normal interactions between elders’ disciples?”

Xiao Mian said, “Moreover, a few months ago, I personally brought her back to the mountain. She saved my life. Why can’t it be because I’m repaying her kindness? Senior Brother Xuan Zhu, why do you have to think of everything as so unbearable?”

Xiao Mian’s words were righteous and dignified. He lowered his eyes slightly, his expression even more solemn and upright than those great masters who were detached from the world and had no desires.

However, Xuan Zhu chuckled and patted Xiao Mian’s shoulder. “You’re really good at lying without changing your expression. I wonder if your master, Tian Xuzi, knows that his proud and good disciple still has such talent.”

“Saving your life?” Xuan Zhu wrapped his arms around himself and stared straight at Xiao Mian. Through Xiao Mian’s cold eyes, he saw through his disguise and into his heart.

“I’m afraid you want to repay her with your body, right? Stop messing around. The tricks you’re playing are all leftovers from me,” Xuan Zhu said as he took out a small bottle from his storage bag. He opened the lid and weighed it in his hand.

“This is something good that I just obtained in the mortal world when I returned to the mountain,” Xuan Zhu said to Xiao Mian with a hint of threat in his voice. “Let me use this to leave a mark on you, and you can continue to be my Junior Sister’s human cauldron. I won’t interfere with your interactions.”

Xiao Mian looked at the small bottle in Xuan Zhu’s hand and frowned slightly. After a moment of silence, he said, “What is this?”

Him speaking basically meant that he had compromised and agreed to Xuan Zhu’s request.

After all, he really had nowhere to hide in front of this annoying Xuan Zhu. Xuan Zhu was born in Xue You Mountain and broke through the Reflecting Heaven Mirror. Therefore, he could even see through the thoughts of those whose cultivation was lower than his without having to search their souls.

This time, Xuan Zhu didn’t laugh wantonly. Instead, he tried his best to suppress his laughter and pretended to be nonchalant as he brought the small bottle closer to Xiao Mian, handing it to him for him to see. “Something fun, hmm… similar to the gecko mark that the Emperor’s women in the mortal world have to have.”

Xiao Mian’s expression changed slightly when he heard this. Xuan Zhu continued, “Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous. Although this thing is similar to the gecko mark in the mortal world, in fact… its effect is completely different!”

Xuan Zhu’s mischievousness was aroused as he clapped his hands excitedly. “On my way back to the mountain, I passed by a place in the mortal world where an evil being was doing evil. When I got rid of the evil being, I discovered that it was actually a giant lizard as big as three people.”

“Hmm… It’s about the same as the Bone Crusher Lizard in the Cangsheng Courtyard,” Xuan Zhu said. “This giant lizard lived in that area, feeding on human blood, flesh, and red sand. Its entire body was blood-red, especially its tail. It even demanded that the villagers sacrifice young boys and girls to continue its lineage. It didn’t discriminate between meat and vegetables, men and women. It was truly lustful and evil!”

Xuan Zhu said, “I fought it for three days and three nights. It had already half-transformed into a human, but it was really too ugly. Therefore, the people who were sacrificed to it were all scared to death, so it couldn’t succeed. After I killed it, I cut off its tail and hung it with a rope. It was very easy to collect this small bottle.”

The more Xiao Mian listened, the tighter his brows furrowed. He had never even heard of such a lustful and evil thing before.

He took a step back, but Xuan Zhu took a step forward and handed the small bottle to Xiao Mian. His expression darkened as he said, “The similarity between this thing and the gecko mark that the women in the imperial palace have is that once it lands on a person’s body, it will form a mark. Once they have intercourse, the mark will disappear.”

“But the difference between it and the gecko mark, which imprisons women’s chastity, is… I’ve added medicinal powder that will make one feel like they’re on fire if they get lustful and indulge in lust.”

Xiao Mian sucked in a breath of cold air. Xuan Zhu said, “As long as you agree to let me put a mark on you, you can continue to be friends with my Junior Sister and repay her for saving your life. But if you dare to have lustful thoughts about her, or do anything disrespectful to her, your meridians will burn and you will die.”

As Xiao Mian’s face turned pale, Xuan Zhu tilted his head slightly. “How about it, Junior Brother Xiao? Let me mark you, and the doors of the Cangsheng Courtyard will be open to you.”

Xiao Mian pursed his lips and didn’t say anything. Instead, he looked at Xuan Zhu with an expression like he was looking at a lunatic. Xuan Zhu snorted. “You speak so righteously, but aren’t you still controlled by your base desires? Don’t use the dirty and filthy thoughts in your mind on my Junior Sister. There are many women in the Taichu Sect who like you. Some are willing to fall in love with you, talk about love, and fly together. Don’t stand in the way of my Junior Sister’s Dao.”

As Xuan Zhu spoke, he pointed to the door. Because his movement was a little too big, his sleeve moved up a little, and a crimson mark on his wrist was revealed.

When Xiao Mian saw it, he narrowed his eyes slightly. In the next moment, he raised his own wrist and presented it to Xuan Zhu. “Come on, Senior Brother Xuan Zhu, I’m willing to have this mark.”

He didn’t intend to develop an intimate relationship with Leng Mu Shi so quickly. He just wanted to gradually fall in love and get to know her. However, he was young and his body was fine. It was normal for him to have some spring dreams and think about some messy things. He couldn’t control it…

It was fine. This way, Xuan Zhu could rest assured, and he could also prove that he wasn’t that kind of despicable person. He could also continue to interact with Leng Mu Shi. It was killing three birds with one stone, so why not?

Initially, he was afraid that Xuan Zhu would trick him, afraid that this mark would have other strange side effects. After all, Xuan Zhu was famous for being eccentric.

He was clearly born in a pure and incomparably clean place like Xue You Mountain, and his true form was a plant as unyielding and upright as a bamboo. Yet, for some reason, his temperament was so twisted…

However, it didn’t matter. Xiao Mian watched as Xuan Zhu raised his eyebrows in slight surprise. He slowly curled his lips into a smile that could be considered pure and kind.

Xuan Zhu himself had the gecko mark, so Xiao Mian was initially afraid that Xuan Zhu would fight him for Leng Mu Shi. In the end, he put a leash on himself, so what was there to be afraid of?!

Come on.

Xuan Zhu didn’t think that Xiao Mian would agree. Although this method could be considered harmless, it was extremely insulting.

Xiao Mian actually raised his wrist in front of him. Xuan Zhu stared at him for a moment, then smiled as well. But in the next moment, he slapped Xiao Mian’s hand away, pulled open his collar, and pressed the mouth of the small bottle against the base of Xiao Mian’s throat.

“Hiss!” Xiao Mian shrank back. Xuan Zhu had already taken the small bottle back.

Xiao Mian saw something retract back into the small bottle. He had been pricked just now, and it hurt quite a bit.

“What is it?” Xiao Mian lowered his head to look at the spot where he had been pricked. The redness initially only seeped out from under his skin, but very quickly, it became redder and redder.

In the end, the pain disappeared, and there was a small, bright red dot where he had been pricked, like a drop of blood on his skin.

Xiao Mian straightened his collar. Since things had come to this, he didn’t bother to argue with Xuan Zhu about why he had to put the mark there.

In any case, the one on his body was exactly the same as the one on Xuan Zhu’s body. He couldn’t have lustful thoughts, and neither could Xuan Zhu. Xiao Mian didn’t believe that Xuan Zhu was certain that he wouldn’t meet a girl he liked in this lifetime.

Since they were both hurting each other, Xiao Mian felt that it was very fair.

After this was done, Xuan Zhu’s hostility towards him clearly decreased. He turned around listlessly and ignored him, only saying as he went down to the cellar, “The two of you have been unconscious for two days. They’re going crazy looking for you outside. If you don’t go out again, that old man from Tianxu Courtyard will probably come looking for you personally…”

Xuan Zhu went down to the cellar, and Xiao Mian walked to the bed again to look at Leng Mu Shi.

She was sleeping soundly, and her complexion looked much better. Xiao Mian originally felt a little guilty that it was his fault that they had fainted, but now that he saw Leng Mu Shi’s complexion, he felt that it was good to be able to take this opportunity to let her rest.

Xiao Mian pulled the blanket up for her. He felt a slight pain in his heart and frowned. He reached out and pressed it, and the stinging pain disappeared again.

Without staying any longer, Xiao Mian left the Cangsheng Courtyard and returned to the Tianxu Courtyard. His senior brothers were indeed anxious to find him, and Xiao Mian explained.

He didn’t say that he had been in the Cangsheng Courtyard all this time. Instead, he said that he had accidentally gone to a secluded place by the cliff. When he saw the beasts chasing and hunting at sunset, he was touched and cultivated on the spot with his five senses sealed. That was why he had forgotten the time.

What he said was well-founded. The location of the cliff he mentioned was indeed behind the Cangsheng Courtyard. He even had an explanation for how his senior brothers had used the Binding Life Rope to sense that he was in the Cangsheng Courtyard.

Xiao Mian lied to his senior brothers without changing his expression, and even went to see Tian Xuzi. His cultivation had indeed improved, and Tian Xuzi easily believed him. Thus, the matter was settled.

Other than the fact that the days he was punished to sweep the stone steps with Leng Mu Shi were extended because of the two days of slacking off, there was almost no other impact.

The next day, as Xiao Mian held a broom and cleaned the stone steps, he couldn’t help but laugh to himself. Did this mean that he was close to vermilion, one gets stained red, and close to ink, one gets stained black? He had learned Leng Mu Shi’s craftiness and had tricked everyone.

Xiao Mian had always found many of Leng Mu Shi’s not-so-good qualities to be cute. He felt that being like her and learning from her would bring him closer to being on the same page as her.

The emotions of a young man were like the avalanche in Xue You Mountain. At first, it was just a snowflake sliding gently, but very quickly, it was like a landslide and tsunami, pouring down from the sky. It was as if the immortal in pure white clothes on the top of the mountain bent down and wrapped all living and non-living things in his arms without discrimination.

While Xiao Mian was experiencing a landslide on this side, Leng Mu Shi woke up and didn’t remember him at all.

She and Xuan Zhu went into the cellar and carefully analyzed and described the Dao of alchemy that she had glimpsed these days, as well as the new pills she had developed and the pills that she had already had an idea for and was about to start experimenting with.

If there was anyone in this world that Leng Mu Shi could absolutely trust, it was her master, Hua Yanyue. She still called Xuan Zhu “Master” until now.

“Master, help me check my pulse. I’ve been feeling that my metal spiritual root hasn’t been very active recently. Metal spiritual roots are rarely used in alchemy. They’re only used in artifact forging. I want to refine a pill furnace that I’m comfortable using…”

As Leng Mu Shi spoke, she extended her hand towards Xuan Zhu, revealing her fair wrist.

Xuan Zhu was flipping through Leng Mu Shi’s notes, shocked by her changes in just two months. He was also shocked that she had already glimpsed the heaven-defying aspects of the Dao of alchemy at such an early stage.

Seeing that it was about to get dark, the two of them had been in the cellar for an entire day. Xuan Zhu had been listening to Leng Mu Shi call him “Master” and couldn’t help but correct her several times, saying that he was her senior brother. However, Leng Mu Shi acted as if she didn’t hear him.

Thus, Xuan Zhu grabbed Leng Mu Shi’s wrist and knocked her head with the notes in his other hand. “I’ve said it many times, I’m your Senior Brother Xuan Zhu.”

Xuan Zhu said seriously again, “If Master hears you calling me that, she’ll be jealous.”

Leng Mu Shi pouted helplessly. She had long suspected that her master, Hua Yanyue, had gone crazy from alchemy. She often split herself into her eldest disciple, who had already left.

When Leng Mu Shi was happy, she would also cooperate with her and act along. However, they were talking about serious matters now, yet this old fellow was still addicted to acting. It had been an entire day.

Therefore, Leng Mu Shi said with a disgusted expression, “Master, I’m talking about serious matters. Stop messing around. When I’m in a good mood tomorrow, I’ll play the Senior Brother game with you. You’re already at this age, if you really miss Senior Brother, you can just lower yourself and go find him…”

The corner of Xuan Zhu’s mouth twitched slightly, but he quickly smiled, his eyes sparkling. The evil aura was actually suppressed by a hint of clarity in his eyes. “You said that Master said she missed me?!”

Leng Mu Shi had a hopeless expression on her face. In the end, she said, “You’re hopeless.”

She simply turned around to leave. “I’ll go look for Xiao Mian to check for me…”

However, Xuan Zhu grabbed Leng Mu Shi’s wrist and didn’t let go. His smile became mischievous again. “Don’t look for Xiao Mian anymore. He’s already a useless person.” He couldn’t have lustful thoughts, otherwise, the blood in his entire body would be like raging fire. He also couldn’t be too emotional, otherwise, he would feel a sharp pain in his heart. This was to prevent him from doing bad things to his Junior Sister.

Wasn’t this considered useless? His gecko mark was imprinted on his heart meridian.

“Hmm?” Leng Mu Shi thought about how Hua Yanyue had turned into Xuan Zhu in the cellar as soon as she woke up, so she suddenly thought of something and said urgently, “Master, you hit him again?!”

“His meridians haven’t recovered from the last time you shattered them. This time, I was the one who asked him to come to the Cangsheng Courtyard,” Leng Mu Shi explained. “We’ve already shaken hands and made peace. Each of us will take what we need. Love and love will only affect my Dao. Don’t hit him anymore in the future. Isn’t it good to let him be our human cauldron?”

After Leng Mu Shi finished speaking, Xuan Zhu’s expression changed a few times before settling on a somewhat lonely one. “You really are… just like Master.”

They were both alchemy fanatics, and love couldn’t shake them.

Xuan Zhu felt sorry for himself for a moment before saying, “I didn’t hit him, and you don’t have to worry about his meridians. When I came back, I saw the two of you sleeping on the ground, hugging each other. He was protecting you, and the spider silk was wrapped around the two of you.”

Xuan Zhu said, “I saw him steal the Demonic Spider Silk when he left.”

Actually, he didn’t steal it. It was just hanging on Xiao Mian’s head and he didn’t remove it. He realized it when he went back and it was indeed used.

Leng Mu Shi heaved a sigh of relief. “I gave it to him, but he didn’t want it. How could he steal it? Master… I won’t argue with you anymore.”

Xuan Zhu was completely helpless. He grabbed Leng Mu Shi and said, “Don’t leave. You’ve never believed that I’m your senior brother, so this time, feel it carefully. Don’t tell me I’m lying to you again.”

He flicked Leng Mu Shi’s forehead, then suddenly probed Leng Mu Shi’s meridians with his pure wood spiritual energy.

Hua Yanyue had a fire spiritual root. Every time she channeled spiritual energy into Leng Mu Shi or checked her meridians, it would be warm and comfortable. Of course, there were also times when it would burn unbearably, unlike Xiao Mian’s water spiritual root, which was cold and refreshing.

However, the wood spiritual energy of a wood spiritual root was different. Leng Mu Shi also had a wood spiritual root, but it was very weak.

Xuan Zhu’s wood spiritual root was extremely thick and vast. The moment it entered her meridians, it was as if a fountain of life had flowed into her inner palace. Wherever it passed, all hidden injuries were healed.

Leng Mu Shi’s eyes widened in shock. It was absolutely impossible for a person with a fire spiritual root to release the spiritual energy of a wood spiritual root. Hua Yanyue had a single fire spiritual root…

Leng Mu Shi was so shocked that she was dumbfounded. After Xuan Zhu checked her meridians, he withdrew his spiritual energy and said, “There’s no big problem. It’s just that you don’t use it much, so your metal spiritual root is a little weak.”

Xuan Zhu couldn’t help but ask, “How did you suppress the other spiritual roots in your body when you were concocting pills? With such rapid cultivation, if your spiritual roots can be used and transformed at will in the future, what a terrifying ability it will be. You’ve already sensed it yourself.”

Xuan Zhu said, “Junior Sister, this matter is of great importance. Master and I only glimpsed this limitless technique of the Dao of alchemy a few decades ago. Even with Master’s cultivation, she doesn’t dare to let our own sect, the Taichu Sect, know what she’s researching. You must not tell outsiders about this, lest it spreads and brings about death.”

There were thousands of Dao techniques in this world, each with its pros and cons. If there was really a Dao technique that could unify all techniques, but it had never been noticed, and the opportunity to cultivate this Dao technique had even been found…

Xuan Zhu thought of his and his master’s current state. If someone were to find out, this world, this cultivation world, would definitely be in chaos.

Leng Mu Shi nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ve never mentioned it to anyone. As for how I suppressed my other spiritual roots when I was concocting pills, it was also a mistake. I haven’t figured out the way yet.”

She couldn’t say that the laws were helping her, so she could only say that.

Xuan Zhu nodded. Leng Mu Shi heaved a sigh of relief. This suppression ability was definitely heaven-defying. She couldn’t tell Xuan Zhu that it was the law of the novel that was helping her, but her worry that Xuan Zhu would be unhappy because she didn’t tell him didn’t exist at all.

He didn’t seem to care at all… Leng Mu Shi sighed in her heart once more. That shameless kneeling in the Hall of Healing that day had really earned her the best master in the world.

It was just, “…Sen… Senior Brother?”

Once Leng Mu Shi accepted the fact that Xuan Zhu was Xuan Zhu and Hua Yanyue was Hua Yanyue, her entire body felt unwell.

But with this, many things didn’t make sense. Of course, she couldn’t have imagined that Hua Yanyue and Xuan Zhu shared the same body. She thought that Xuan Zhu had returned from his travels, so she smiled and said to Xuan Zhu, “Then welcome back, Senior Brother! Master really misses you. She often transforms into you!”

Xuan Zhu curled his lips slightly. “You have a small red mole on the sole of your foot. You like to kick people in your sleep. Your first furnace of pills smelled bad, like shit.”

Leng Mu Shi was stunned, but she quickly understood. “Did you meet Master on your way back? Did you two come back together?”

Hua Yanyue must have told him. Otherwise, how would he know these things?

But very quickly, Xuan Zhu mentioned the things that happened when she first started testing medicine and was poisoned half to death by Hua Yanyue several times.

The more Leng Mu Shi listened, the more terrified she became. In the end, she found out that Senior Brother Xuan Zhu and her master shared the same body. She even thought about how she had taken too many pills a few times and tried to kill her master and destroy her ancestors. She had even pulled Xuan Zhu’s hair.

She left the Cangsheng Courtyard in a daze and went straight down the stone steps to look for Xiao Mian—

She had to take two handfuls of medicine with him to calm her shock.

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