Chapter 23 This is because his family has the ability; Chu Li will kill him again. ...
(23)
“I encouraged her to do it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Li and Xie Liyi both turned their gazes to him.
That's such a lame excuse, it wouldn't even fool a three-year-old.
Chu Li couldn't help but chuckle softly, but was met with a cold glare from the person next to her.
Unable to hold it in any longer, she covered her face and squatted down, playing along with his act, "Brother Xie, he forced me to do this. I really didn't want to do it, but... but he threatened me with Yinyin..."
Chu Li's crying was so fake it couldn't be more fake. She had no mind to care about Xie Liyi anymore; her mind was filled with the image of Shang Xinglan lying for her.
How can someone be so easily swayed?
Can he really be a good Demon Lord? Yan Xinbai must be blind to have given the Lord's Decree to Shang Xinglan. It would have been better to give it to her.
The more she thought about it, the funnier it seemed, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Xie Liyi stared at them grimly for a long time before slamming the long sword at his waist onto the table. "Why go through all this trouble? I've already said it: kill me or torture me as you please, I will never live a life of dishonor."
He couldn't understand why Nameless had spared his life and then imprisoned him on Little Fushan. Was it just to humiliate him?
Hearing his words, Shang Xinglan scoffed and threw the letter on the ground, replying irrelevantly, "It seems you've never cared about your sister left in the Cangshan Sect. Do you know what will happen to her after you die? Without your protection, what will become of her if she's bullied in the sect?"
See, Chu Li.
He was not a good older brother at all.
However, upon hearing Shang Xinglan's words, Xie Liyi sneered, "Why do you think my sister would be bullied and unable to fight back? She is her, and I am me. She is not dependent on me, and I am not obligated to live for her."
Shang Xinglan's expression froze slightly. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something in rebuttal, but he couldn't say anything.
No.
She needs to be protected. What will she do if no one protects her? No one will care for her, no one will love her, she'll be all alone. In this world, the only person she can rely on is herself...
His gaze suddenly fell on Chu Li beside him. She seemed to be listening intently as well. Shang Xinglan felt inexplicably annoyed, so he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the house without saying a word.
The door closed tightly in front of Xie Liyi. He slowly walked to the letter and bent down to pick it up.
Today, Wuming was not wearing a mask. His face seemed somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it before.
To his even greater surprise, Chu Li was so thoroughly bewitched by the demon.
When he can't tell it's an act? If this continues, sooner or later, Chu Li and that child will both become followers of the devil, and that child will go astray, completely embarking on a crooked path from which there is no turning back.
It's utterly pathetic.
"My husband..."
Chu Li carefully took Shang Xinglan's hand. "Are you still angry?"
Looking at her hand, Shang Xinglan slowly raised her eyes and whispered, "Do you think what he said makes sense?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Li paused for a moment, then hesitated for a second, "Which sentence?"
“Every single sentence.”
Although she didn't know why he asked that, Chu Li pondered for a while and said softly, "What does it matter to us whether he lives or dies, whatever he wants?" All she cared about was not wanting Shang Xinglan to become an irredeemable villain.
He was such a soft-hearted person, he would pity the dead cats he saw on the roadside and dig a hole to bury them. But because of her, he fell into becoming a murderous monster. Chu Li knew that she was guilty of a serious crime, and the only way to make amends was to stop him from continuing to kill.
Shang Xinglan fell silent and pried her hands off.
He always wanted to change Chu Li and make her learn to rely on him.
Perhaps it was because every time Chu Li wanted to achieve her goal, she would bring up her tragic past to get his compromise.
At that time, Shang Xinglan's thoughts were very simple: he would never let Chu Li suffer those pains again, and he would let Chu Li become like an ordinary woman, without having to live in fear or be wary.
He became obsessed with changing her into a better person, teaching her to read and write, to play the piano and paint, but each attempt ended in failure.
He thought it was a problem with his approach, but he never considered that it was originally a part of her.
Chu Li could no longer change things; the things that had hurt her were deeply rooted in her, turning into sharp thorns. If she changed, she would no longer be herself.
With those thorns, she could live without relying on anyone else.
So what about him? What is his significance to Chu Li?
It's probably pointless.
That's why Chu Li could push him off the cliff without any hesitation, not caring about their past relationship at all, because he was insignificant to her; he was there, but it didn't matter if he wasn't.
Even if there was the slightest bit of sincerity, how could they be so heartless?
"What are you thinking about?" Chu Li waved her hand in front of his eyes and asked worriedly, "Your complexion is getting worse and worse. Are you secretly cursing me in your heart?"
Shang Xinglan silently turned around, sat down next to the little cub, and began to play the strings of the zither.
Just as Chu Li was about to step forward, she heard him say calmly, "Let's go down the mountain. Gu Ye will help you open the formation."
She paused, taken aback.
"You're kicking me out?"
Shang Xinglan pinched her forehead and said in a low voice, "Weren't you going to invite Xiaoliu to the house?"
Hearing this, Chu Li breathed a sigh of relief, and some color returned to her face. She said with lingering fear, "I thought you were angry again. I'll be back soon, don't worry."
She looked at her little one, who was staring at her expectantly, and said with a smile, "What does Yinyin want to eat? Mother will bring it back for you."
The little cub shook his head. "I don't want to eat anything. Mother, be careful on the road, and watch out for hunting pits."
Chu Li: "...Okay."
This time, she'll walk on the main road and definitely won't fall into the pit again.
The music stopped abruptly when Chu Li pushed open the door and left.
The little boy looked at the person next to him in confusion and whispered, "You played it wrong."
Although he wasn't very familiar with it, he had memorized the score.
Shang Xinglan withdrew her fingers from the zither, held the little one on her lap, and whispered, "Yinyin."
"Um?"
He gently stroked the little boy's head and asked softly, "Do you know who your father is?"
The little boy froze, instinctively dodging his hand. "I know."
A dark current surged in Shang Xinglan's eyes as she quietly gazed at him.
“My father died. He fell off a cliff.” The little boy clutched the hem of his clothes tightly. “I’ve seen his grave. It’s in the bamboo forest by the cliff.”
"What's your name?"
The little boy became even more uneasy, and he stammered, "There's no name on the tombstone, and my mother didn't say anything. I was afraid she would be sad, so I didn't ask..."
Shang Xinglan closed her eyes briefly and interrupted him softly, "I understand."
Chu Li didn't even tell their child his name, erasing the last trace of him by her side. The only memorial tablet with his name on it was thrown under the bed and forgotten.
The little boy didn't know why he suddenly asked that question, and tentatively whispered, "Do you like Mother?"
Shang Xinglan did not answer, and remained silent while playing the zither.
“If you like her, you shouldn’t always be cold to her,” the little boy said softly. “Mother said that you have been reformed by the cultivator brother and have turned away from evil. And I can see that Mother doesn’t dislike you now and is very gentle with you. Since that’s the case, you should cherish her and start anew.”
Hearing his words, Shang Xinglan laughed for no reason, and knew perfectly well who had made up the lie to fool the child. "Where did you learn this nonsense? This is none of your business."
He paused, then added, "Don't call him 'Brother Cultivator' anymore. He's the same age as your mother. Just call him 'Senior'."
"Alright, senior demon," the little boy said earnestly, "you always ignore your mother, which is bullying her. If you continue to bully your mother, I will hate you."
Shang Xinglan: "...And you're not allowed to call me senior. Fine, whatever."
Since he only has six months to live anyway, it's better to keep his identity a secret from Yinyin than to let her know it, so that he won't have to experience the pain of separation at such a young age.
He will find a way to settle things with Chu Li before he dies.
It will definitely be resolved, everything is crystal clear.
"If you won't listen to my advice, I won't talk to you anymore." The little brat said sullenly, got up and left his side. Under Shang Xinglan's astonished gaze, he threw down the words, "Don't follow me. I'm starting to hate you now."
Shang Xinglan watched him storm out, pushing open the door, and couldn't help but chuckle.
This temper definitely doesn't come from him.
*
Chu Li called Gu Ye down from the roof and tossed him a bamboo basket.
"Your master wants you to take me down the mountain."
Gu Ye caught the bamboo basket and said with a smile, "How is it?"
"What do you mean, how?" Chu Li glanced at him strangely, then realized what he was asking, her face flushing. "Oh, you're asking about that. He didn't say."
Hearing her words, Gu Ye looked speechless. "How did you ask that?"
"I first asked Yan Xinbai if anyone had feelings for him..."
"What's the point of asking this?" Gu Ye stared at her, puzzled. "Isn't it normal for someone to have feelings for the master? If he were picking up trash on the street all day, drooling and hated by everyone, would you be interested in him?"
Chu Li choked, wanting to say something more, but then Gu Ye gave her some advice, "If I were you, I would ask you this... Husband, where did you learn your bedroom skills? Let me learn them from you sometime, and we can study them together. Wouldn't that make us even more harmonious?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Li's face turned bright red, and she pushed him away abruptly, "Shameless! What kind of nonsense are you spouting!"
Seeing her shyness, Gu Ye laughed even more unrestrainedly, "Madam, I'm doing this for your sake. Men are all susceptible to this kind of thing."
Chu Li glared at him, then pushed open the courtyard gate abruptly. "You fall for this too?"
Gu Ye's laughter stopped abruptly. He became serious and followed behind Chu Li, saying, "I won't eat."
Chu Li paused, then heard him lower his voice and say excitedly, "I like to eat something more outrageous, preferably a woman who dares to give me strong drugs, the more exciting the better."
Upon hearing this, she stared at Gu Ye in astonishment and muttered, "You're sick."
What kind of people did Shang Xinglan meet in the Demon Realm?
Chu Li ran away as if fleeing, but Gu Ye chased after her relentlessly, saying, "Why are you running so fast, Madam? You can't get out without me setting up the formation."
Reaching the edge of the bamboo forest, he activated the array before Chu Li could reach it, and then made a perfunctory gesture of invitation.
Chu Li steeled herself and walked out, glancing out of the corner of her eye to see Xie Liyi standing not far away.
A sudden panic gripped her. Looking at the opened array in front of her, she thought he would take the opportunity to leave.
Unexpectedly, Xie Liyi only glanced at her indifferently before turning around and returning to the mountain.
He didn't even intend to take advantage of this perfect opportunity to escape.
Gu Ye had obviously noticed Xie Liyi as well, and scoffed.
“These kinds of cultivators are the most insidious. They spout benevolence and morality, but in reality, they are capable of all sorts of despicable acts,” Gu Ye said sinisterly. “I don’t know why Master didn’t kill him. If it were me, I would have killed him with a single blow long ago.”
Chu Li shoved him again, pushing him out of the formation, and said irritably, "What right do you have to cut him down?"
"Because I'm a demon, don't you know that?" Gu Ye sneered as if it were a matter of course. "I killed him to give him face. In the past, he wouldn't have been worthy of being killed by me."
Chu Li, unable to bear it any longer, kicked him. "Are you leaving or not? If not, go back home."
Gu Ye dodged to the side, shook the bamboo basket in his hand, and said in a low voice, "What's wrong with saying a few words to him? Do you like the master or him? You only met Xie Liyi once, and you even spoke up for him."
Chu Li ignored him; it was the first time she had ever met someone she disliked even more than she did.
The two arrived at Jixiang Village one after the other. She asked Gu Ye to buy a basket of fruit pies and take them to the schoolteacher's house. Only Xiao Liu was home. Chu Li told Xiao Liu that she would come to visit the next day, and then left with Gu Ye.
Before going home, Chu Li suddenly thought of Aunt Wang, whom she hadn't seen for a long time. Strangely enough, Aunt Wang used to come to see her often, but she hadn't come to Xiaofushan since the last time.
She went to the East Mill and heard that Aunt Wang had been injured recently and was now recuperating at home.
Chu Li bought some medicinal herbs and snacks and went to Aunt Wang's house to knock on the door.
The person who opened the door was Aunt Wang's son, the very child that Shang Xinglan had saved before.
"Madam Chu?" The child was startled at first, then his eyes filled with mixed emotions as he said, "I thought you had been..."
From him, Chu Li learned about the conflict between Aunt Wang and the second son of the Zhao family that day. He never expected that the second son of the Zhao family would be so vicious, beating Aunt Wang so badly that she couldn't even get out of bed.
When Chu Li came out of Aunt Wang's house, her face was extremely pale, and she was clenching her fingers tightly.
"I should have stabbed that beast a few more times back then."
As if guessing her thoughts, Gu Ye spoke her mind for her, chuckling softly, "Madam, I didn't realize you were such a righteous person."
Chu Li ignored him and walked home in a gloomy mood.
“You can’t kill the person you want to kill just by being righteous,” Gu Ye said slowly as he walked behind her. “Why don’t I teach you cultivation? Once you become a demonic cultivator, you’ll know how enjoyable life can be.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Li paused in her tracks and turned to look at him.
Seeing the change in her expression, Gu Yequan assumed she was interested and coaxed her, "Being a demonic cultivator is very carefree. You can kill whoever you want, and slit the throat of anyone you don't like. If anyone provokes you, you don't need to pray to gods or Buddhas; you can get rid of them on your own..."
Chu Li slowly revealed a smile and said calmly, "Fine, if I were to cultivate demonic arts, you would be the first person I kill."
Gu Ye's voice faltered as he watched her leave without looking back, his smile fading.
His blood felt hotter than usual, and he inexplicably licked his lips.
The image of the nameless figure suddenly flashed into his mind, and the burning flame in Gu Ye's eyes gradually died down. He sighed deeply and resignedly picked up the bamboo basket.
It's such a pity I can't compete with my master for it, otherwise it would be so much fun.
*
The next morning, before dawn, Chu Li began tidying up the house. She specially picked flowers and fetched water to sprinkle the yard.
The little boy has very few friends; Chu Li has only ever met Xiao Liu.
When she was little, she often fantasized about playing with other children, jumping rope, kicking beanbags, playing hide-and-seek... However, those children all disliked her because she was dirty, and they would throw stones at her every time they saw her.
Chu Li hopes that Xiao Zai can have many good friends. Jixiang Village is still too small, and there aren't many children the same age as Xiao Zai. It's already quite an achievement that he has made friends with Xiao Liu.
I hope everything goes well today.
Chu Li went to Xie Liyi's room and found him still cultivating. She simply gave him two instructions: "A child is coming to play at our house today. Don't mention anything about demons or anything like that. If you scare the child badly, I won't forgive you."
Xie Liyi focused on her cultivation, her attitude indifferent, "Whatever."
At Chenshi (7-9 AM), they finally waited for Xiaoliu to arrive for their appointment. However, to Chu Li's surprise, the schoolteacher accompanied her.
Chu Li only knew that he was called Mr. Liu, but didn't know his exact name. When Yin Yin was learning to write, Chu Li would ask him for help with some characters she couldn't pronounce. Shang Xinglan had spoken a few words with Mr. Liu before, but the two didn't seem to get along very well and were just nodding acquaintances.
Mr. Liu brought several books with him. When he met Chu Li, he said somewhat politely and reservedly, "I heard from Xiao Liu that Yin Yin likes to read."
Chu Li took the book from his hand, and for no apparent reason, she became nervous, her palms sweating slightly. "Yes, thank you and Xiao Liu. Please come in and sit down."
The little boy placed the expensive pastries he had bought earlier on the table and nervously pushed them in front of Xiaoliu. "Xiaoliu, try some. There's chestnut cake, red bean cake, and lotus flower pastry inside..."
Mr. Liu carefully looked around Chu Li's house, his gaze falling on the pastries. He said in a low voice, "You're too kind. These pastries must be expensive."
Before Chu Li could speak, a cold voice came from behind her, "If the child likes it, it's not expensive."
She turned around and saw Shang Xinglan walking slowly towards her, wearing that straw hat. He placed a red envelope in front of each of the two children and said, "If you don't like it, go buy some of what you like."
Mr. Liu paused for a moment, then looked at Chu Li and asked, "And who is this?"
Chu Li was surprised that Shang Xinglan would come out, and for a moment she didn't know how to explain.
"I'm her family." Shang Xinglan poured him a cup of tea unhurriedly. "Enjoy."
After saying that, he picked up the book that Mr. Liu had given him and flipped through it casually.
"The Records of the Seasons in the Streams and Mountains, and the Random Collection of Li Weng... are all just idle chatter, with nothing of substance."
Mr. Liu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said softly, "At Yinyin's age, seeing this is enough."
Chu Li keenly sensed something strange about the atmosphere, but couldn't pinpoint what it was.
She got up and nudged Shang Xinglan, saying softly, "Go to the kitchen and see if the steamed pancakes I made are ready."
Shang Xinglan frowned, put down the books, and went into the kitchen.
Before long, he heard laughter coming from the outer room.
Shang Xinglan paused slightly.
"So this is what 'qiu' in 'junzi haoqiu' means. I thought gentlemen all loved playing ball." Chu Li flipped through the book Mr. Liu brought and casually complained, "Teaching children is really not easy. I would be worried to death if I were a teacher."
Mr. Liu was amused by her words and said softly, "Madam Chu is still as interesting as ever. If you have any trouble teaching Yinyin, just leave Yinyin to me. Since my wife passed away from illness, the house has been very quiet."
At this moment, Shang Xinglan felt utterly disgusted by his ears, which could hear everything clearly.
Mr. Liu, he does indeed know him.
At that time, he knew that Chu Li had a husband and had been married for many years, yet he still wrote a poem for Chu Li.
That poem had long been torn to shreds by Shang Xinglan. I thought he would give up his desires after getting married and having children, but I never expected that he would still be so wicked.
The two little ones were having a great time. Yinyin was playing the piano while Xiaoliu was eating snacks and listening.
"Wow, that's amazing! Your hands are so small, how can you play so fast?"
Yinyin said shyly in a low voice, "It's not difficult, I can teach you."
Xiaoliu opened her eyes and leaned forward. "Is it okay? I've never touched a zither before. This is the first time I've ever seen a real one."
"Sure." Yinyin made way for her, saying shyly, "You can play anytime you want."
Xiao Liu couldn't read the sheet music, so he played a bunch of random pieces, which made Mr. Liu and Chu Li laugh.
They are truly a harmonious "family".
Shang Xinglan watched quietly for a while, then placed the plate of pancakes on the table and turned to leave without a sound.
In the west room, Xie Liyi was concentrating on circulating his inner energy when the door was suddenly kicked open. He almost lost his composure, looked up sharply, and instinctively reached for the hilt of his sword at his waist.
What are you doing here?
Shang Xinglan said calmly, "This is my home."
"Your home?" Xie Liyi scoffed. "You still have the nerve to call yourself your home after usurping someone else's place? You don't actually think you're Chu Li's husband and the father of her child, do you?"
Shang Xinglan narrowed her eyes, slowly raised her hand, and curled her fingertips together.
In an instant, Xie Liyi's breath hitched, and she felt as if someone was choking her neck, making it hard to breathe.
"I have something to ask you," Shang Xinglan tightened her grip slightly and smiled, "I've heard that there's a Soul-Cleansing Spring inside the forbidden area of the Cangshan Sect that can cleanse demonic energy. Is that true?"
Her neck was still being tightly gripped. Xie Liyi gasped for breath, looked up at him, and squeezed out a few words, "What do you want to do?"
Shang Xinglan stared at him indifferently, "What do you think?"
"For a fallen demon, cleansing themselves of demonic energy is harder than climbing to heaven; they must endure the agony of their souls being burned," Xie Liyi stared intently at him, her voice hoarse. "To this day, no one has successfully cleansed themselves of demonic energy, and you will be no exception. You demon, you have no chance to start anew; you deserve it!"
Having obtained useful information, Shang Xinglan coldly called out, "Gu Ye."
The next moment, Gu Ye jumped in through the window. "What is it, Master?"
"Beat him up."
"Okay."
After leaving the west room, Shang Xinglan felt a little better.
He's thought it through.
He had to survive.
He can survive as long as he can go to the Cangshan Sect to cleanse himself of demonic energy and cultivate again until he ascends to immortality. It sounds simple, but it's difficult to do.
But no matter how difficult it is, he has to do it.
Looking at Mr. Liu, who was chatting and laughing with Chu Li inside the room, Shang Xinglan's eyes were filled with coldness and disgust.
Even if you kill flies like this, there will be a second and a third, and other flies will keep swarming in.
Yinyin will completely forget this father who doesn't even have a name. The grave in the bamboo forest by the cliff will become an ordinary mound of earth. Chu Li will also slowly forget everything about him. The guilt she felt towards him will eventually disappear!
On what grounds?
This is his home.
He wanted to ascend to heaven, to survive, and to stay in this family forever.
If you're so capable, Chu Li will kill him again.
-----------------------
Author's note: Time to change maps, going to visit the sect.
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