Chapter 39: The adorable Shang Xinglan is jealous of her.
(39)
Inside the Burning Pepper Palace.
The sect leader sent someone to return Shang Jinyue's sword, along with a box of fine chrysanthemum tea, telling him to calm his temper and not to draw his sword so easily.
Shang Jinyue accepted the chrysanthemum tea with shame, then turned to look at Shang Xinglan sitting by the window. His face was a hundred times worse than hers, and his gaze was fixed on Chu Li and Xie Liyi, who were chatting and laughing at the table.
Let's leave this tea for my elder brother; he seems even more irritable.
"The Zen Heart Hall is huge! There are many white stone statues of cultivator grandfathers inside, tall and imposing, almost reaching the roof." The little boy excitedly described the scene of the Zen Heart Hall to Chu Li. "Inside, incense is burning. Just smelling it makes you feel really good, and your body feels light and airy."
Xie Liyi looked at his little apprentice with admiration and said proudly, "The Zen Heart Hall is full of spiritual energy. You feel light because you are absorbing spiritual energy. You must have excellent wisdom to be able to do this."
Chu Li brought over some snacks, peeled off the oil paper, and handed them to the little one, smiling as she said, "Of course, my Yinyin is a genius, she'll definitely become a sword immortal someday."
"A sword immortal? Becoming a sword immortal isn't so easy, for example..."
When will Xie Liyi get out of here?
Shang Xinglan grew increasingly irritated and simply stopped looking, resting her chin on her hand and gazing out the window. "How's the Tianhe branch situation going?"
Shang Jinyue brewed him a pot of chrysanthemum tea and respectfully handed it over. "I just had someone inquire about it. The people your sister-in-law killed were indeed wicked. The Tianhe branch has had frequent conflicts with the Cangshan Sect in recent years, mostly by actively provoking trouble. It's really shameful. I plan to eliminate this branch directly from the Shang family."
Upon hearing this, Shang Xinglan calmly took a sip of tea after accepting the tea, and said, "Thank you."
He knew this wouldn't be easy, and he expected to face a barrage of criticism from the elders. The Shang family had been killed, and instead of supporting them, they wanted to eliminate that entire lineage; he could imagine how harshly those old men would berate him.
"What's there to thank among brothers? It's just time to tidy up the house. It's just a matter of getting rid of the excess stuff." Shang Jinyue didn't care. He needed a target to establish his authority, especially since these people were in the wrong first.
There are too many rules in the business. The previous head of the family used to stick to those ridiculous rules, but now that he's in charge, everything should be changed.
Seeing his composed demeanor, Shang Xinglan chuckled softly. Who would have thought that he used to follow him around crying all the time when they were kids?
"Alright, since my nephew doesn't want to acknowledge me, I'll go see that woman of the Heavenly Yin." Shang Jinyue got up to leave, but looked at Shang Xinglan meaningfully and said in a low voice, "Let me remind you, after all these years, you should be more assertive towards your sister-in-law. If I saw my wife laughing and talking with another man, I wouldn't be as tolerant as you."
Shang Xinglan paused, put the teacup on the table, and said irritably, "Get out of here."
All you do all day is make sarcastic remarks. It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering. What do you know, you idiot who's never been married?
He stood firm, and Chu Li cried. But how could he stand firm now that Chu Li was crying?
Isn't that bullying her?
Shang Jinyue smiled and shook her head, fastening the longsword back to her waist and taking the box of chrysanthemum tea with her. "You won't listen to my advice. Don't think that a woman won't run off with someone else after she gets married. There are many temptations in the world. That's all I have to say."
Seeing that Shang Xinglan's face had turned completely dark, Shang Jinyue immediately turned and left without looking back.
After he left, Shang Xinglan couldn't help but look at Chu Li and the little cub. So much time had passed, and they hadn't said a word to him, as if he didn't exist.
As if sensing his gaze, Chu Li turned to look at him, picked up a pastry, and asked with a smile, "Want some?"
“…I won’t eat.” Shang Xinglan turned her face away, her voice cold.
"Oh." Chu Li stuffed the pastry into her mouth, then looked at the little one, "Yinyin, you can't eat anymore. Eating too much will ruin your teeth. Have you forgotten how painful your toothache was last time?"
The little boy reluctantly put down the snacks in his hand, and then thoughtfully reminded Xie Liyi, "Master, don't eat too much either. Toothache is terrible, it feels like being stabbed with an awl."
Seeing that they had turned the topic back to Xie Liyi, Shang Xinglan took a deep breath and finished the chrysanthemum tea in her cup.
What kind of lousy tea did the sect leader send? Is it meant to cool you down or make you feel hotter? The more I drink it, the hotter I feel.
Where is Xie Yunge? Can you take your brother away?
His resentment grew stronger and stronger, and just as he was about to explode, there was a knock on the door.
It must be Xie Yunge who has arrived.
"I'll go open the door." Chu Li put away her smile, got up, opened the door, and found Yan Xinbai, whom she hadn't seen for many days.
"Greetings, Madam."
Yan Xinbai walked past her with an indifferent expression and headed straight for Shang Xinglan, not even glancing at the others.
Upon seeing that it wasn't Xie Yunge, Shang Xinglan's head started to ache again.
"Master, I've found a method to restore one's cultivation level in the library," Yan Xinbai said calmly, handing over an ancient book. "It says that cultivation will be restored within seven days, but..."
Shang Xinglan took the book, casually flipped through it, and said without looking up, "But what?"
Yan Xinbai fell silent for a long time before saying softly, "See for yourself."
Shang Xinglan glanced at him, puzzled, then flipped through the book in his hand. His gaze fell on a line of words, and he paused for a moment.
After a moment, he slowly closed the ancient book and said calmly, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
Hearing his words, Yan Xinbai seemed to want to say something, but he held back and finally only managed to utter, "Never mind, where is Gu Ye?"
Chu Li, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, was a little surprised. It turned out that he had looked around at everyone here. When did he look around? I didn't see his eyes wandering around.
“Gu Ye has returned to the Demon Realm. Perhaps he’s not comfortable here.” Shang Xinglan tossed the ancient book back to Yan Xinbai, and the two of them stopped mentioning the contents of the book.
Chu Li became even more curious and strained her ears to listen.
Yan Xinbai frowned and said in a low voice, "What's wrong with him? He's shirking his duties to his master. You shouldn't indulge him like this."
Hearing his accusations, Shang Xinglan chuckled softly, "How dare you speak to your master like that? Have I been too lenient with you?"
Yes, we've been too lenient with Yan Xinbai.
Chu Li silently agreed.
They should poison him to make him mute; he doesn't like to talk anyway, and the few things he does say are annoying.
“Master is always right, I can’t argue with you.” Yan Xinbai stopped arguing with him and said, “On the way back, I heard something strange. Someone said that the new head of the Shang family, Shang Jinyue, appeared in the Cangshan Sect, which is suspicious.”
Shang Xinglan said casually, "There's nothing suspicious about him. That's my third brother."
"Third brother?" Yan Xinbai looked at him in confusion, then his eyes widened slightly. "You've regained your memories?"
You're only just finding out?
Chu Li sneered inwardly.
He was supposed to be a confidant? It happened so long ago, and you're only finding out now.
Yan Xinbai pondered carefully; he seemed to have never heard of anyone in the Shang family suffering from amnesia and falling into demonic possession.
Suddenly, something I had heard about five years ago popped into my mind.
—Shang Xinglan, an ascended merchant, married a mortal beggar. After a dispute with his family, he broke off relations and eloped, disappearing without a trace.
"Shang Xinglan." Yan Xinbai said incredulously, enunciating each word clearly, "You're Shang Xinglan?"
Shang Xinglan didn't expect such a strong reaction, and paused for a moment before asking, "You knew me before?"
Yan Xinbai: "I don't know him. I've only heard that you married a beggar. It's quite unusual. Did you have an eye condition back then?"
"..."
Upon hearing this, both Shang Xinglan and Chu Li gritted their teeth.
Yan Xinbai was completely unaware that he had said something wrong. His tone was as calm as if he had just said it casually, "Beggars are dirty and smelly. With your status, you should be able to marry someone from a more suitable family, right?"
Shang Xinglan slowly stood up and punched him without hesitation, "She's not dirty, and she doesn't smell bad."
He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "She is my wife. There can be no next time, or you will never have to follow me again. Get out."
Without any cultivation, the punch didn't cause any damage to Yan Xinbai, only breaking his lip. Yan Xinbai still didn't understand why he was so angry. Shang Xinglan had always been extremely tolerant of them, and this was the first time he had ever attacked him.
For someone like him who has been possessed by demons for many years, many human emotions are no longer something he can understand or empathize with.
"yes."
Yan Xinbai responded, but when he turned around, he saw Chu Li staring at him coldly. After a while, his breath hitched, and he suddenly understood why Shang Xinglan insisted on staying at Xiaofushan and why she had taught him a lesson.
oh……
It turned out that the beggar was her.
It's not his fault; Chu Li doesn't look like any of the beggars he's ever seen, at least he's quite handsome.
"If there's a next time, you're dead." As Yan Xinbai walked past, Chu Li glared at him fiercely and clenched her fist.
You have the nerve to admit it when you eavesdrop on other people's conversations.
Yan Xinbai brushed past her nonchalantly, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips. "Understood, Madam."
Just before he stepped out the door, Shang Xinglan's voice came from behind him again.
"Wait, come back."
Yan Xinbai paused slightly in his boots and turned to look at him. "Does Master have any other instructions?"
Shang Xinglan glanced at Xie Liyi, who was still sitting at the table chatting with the little one, and then looked at Yan Xinbai.
Give him to me, and get him away.
Yan Xinbai immediately understood, walked to the table, and looked down at Xie Liyi, who was still chatting with the little cub about how powerful the sword immortal was.
He grabbed Xie Liyi by the collar and pulled him up from the stool. "Someone outside is looking for you."
"What? When did you get in, you fiend...?"
Before Xie Liyi could finish speaking, Yan Xinbai forcibly dragged him out.
Shang Xinglan took a long breath and exhaled, feeling much better.
He found being a demonic cultivator much more enjoyable. For some reason, he began to miss the days when he could kill whomever he wanted, and Chu Li was the only one who listened to him the most back then.
The little boy watched Xie Liyi leave with reluctance, then obediently saw them to the door, saying, "Goodbye, Master. Come again tomorrow!"
Give me a fart.
When Shang Xinglan noticed that Chu Li was looking at him, he immediately looked away and turned his face away.
Now you know to look for him? What were you doing all this time?
"The pastries the sect leader sent are really delicious, why don't you try some?" Chu Li picked up another pastry, but instead of delivering it herself, she handed it to Yin Yin, "Take it to him."
The little boy looked at Shang Xinglan, reluctantly walked over, and handed him the snacks.
Shang Xinglan almost laughed in exasperation when she saw his wrinkled little face.
Stupid son.
He took the snack from the little cub's hand, and with his other hand, he rubbed the little head vigorously until he had messed up the little cub's hair before he felt relieved.
"Your hair is all messed up!" The little boy glared at him angrily, then meticulously tidied his hair. "You're being incredibly rude!"
This is nothing.
Shang Xinglan scoffed lightly, lazily taking a bite of her pastry. "Go copy books. Don't you copy them every day?"
I haven't even settled the score with him yet for supervising his chanting in the Chanxin Hall. His eyes are glued to him like they're glued to his body, as if afraid he'll forget even a single word. Stubborn as a bat; he wasn't like this when he was little. He must have taken after Chu Li.
The little boy pursed his lips, realizing that he had indeed neglected his studies these past few days. He angrily ran out to copy books, but halfway there he suddenly remembered that he couldn't leave Chu Li and Shang Xinglan alone, so he hurriedly ran back.
"Mother, come quickly and help me copy the book."
Hearing his words, Chu Li looked up at Shang Xinglan opposite her, and was about to get up when she heard the other party say in an unquestionable tone, "Let him copy it himself. He makes his mother accompany him in everything. Has he not been weaned yet?"
The little brat poked his head out from outside the door, his cheeks puffed up with anger. After a long pause, he finally managed to utter, "I...I hate you!" Then he ran off into the distance.
Shang Xinglan leisurely sipped his chrysanthemum tea.
It's no use hating him; he's the only father he'll ever have. He has to acknowledge him whether he wants to or not.
Chu Li stared at him meaningfully, then suddenly chuckled softly, "Why are you bullying your own son? Are you furious?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Xinglan froze in mid-air. He didn't look at Chu Li, but simply said calmly, "What do I have to be angry about?"
Seeing that he wouldn't admit it, Chu Li blinked. "Alright, so my husband is so magnanimous. I'll go see what Yan Xinbai wants with Xie Liyi. Maybe I can help. I really enjoy doing good deeds these days."
With her knuckles white from gripping the teacup so tightly, Shang Xinglan placed it on the table.
The teacup tapped on the table, making a crisp sound that was especially clear in the spacious hall.
Her clothes were suddenly ripped open, and she was pressed against the cold table. Her bare shoulders shivered in the cold air, and Chu Li couldn't help but gasp.
You said you weren't angry...
Confined within the small space of her arms, her lower back was under her control, and a familiar tingling sensation suddenly surged from her tailbone. Chu Li could vaguely feel the heavy, powerful heartbeat of the person behind her, which made her heart gradually beat faster as well.
She breathed softly and turned her head slightly to look at him.
Her face was so dark it could drip ink; Shang Xinglan was jealous of her.
So cute.
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