Chapter 74 Kidnapping
He tried to push the person off him, but Cheng Yuan pressed him down even harder, intensifying his kiss, their lips and teeth locked in a brutal struggle. Only when Cheng Yuan went further did Chu Jianshan bite his lip, abruptly push him away, and sit up, panting heavily.
Cheng Yuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and sneered, "Master is still as ruthless as ever."
Chu Jianshan turned his head stiffly to look at him, his hands gripping the blanket trembling slightly. "You...this...is not a dream."
Cheng Yuan got out of bed and stood by the bed, looking down at him. "It seems that Master still cares about me. Otherwise, why would I dream about him every night? Or is he guilty and has something to hide?"
Chu Jianshan kept his head down and didn't say anything.
Cheng Yuan also dropped his sarcastic tone and said directly, "Chu Jianshan, did you ever think I'd still be alive?"
Chu Jianshan avoided the question and instead asked, "What are you doing here? Kill me?"
Cheng Yuan seemed to be enraged by these words, and instantly grabbed Chu Jianshan by the neck and slammed him against the bed. "Just as Master said before, wouldn't killing you be too easy for you? I have to keep you alive and torture you slowly."
Chu Jianshan was having trouble breathing and his face was flushed, but he didn't try to pry Cheng Yuan's hand away. Only after Cheng Yuan let go of him did he gasp for breath and say, "Do whatever you want, I have no objection."
Cheng Yuan looked at him coldly, "What, is Master trying to atone for his sins?"
Chu Jianshan looked at him with red eyes, "My only sin is that I couldn't stop you from killing my sister."
"You still don't believe me after all," Cheng Yuan suddenly whispered.
Chu Jianshan asked, "What did you say?"
"It's nothing," Cheng Yuan composed himself and put on his smiling face again. "Thanks to Master, I've come to such a wonderful place as Linyi Gate. Why don't you come with me to take a look?"
Chu Jianshan became wary. "You want me to be a hostage?"
Cheng Yuan did not deny it, but instead lifted Chu Jianshan's chin and said in a deep voice in his ear, "The Linyi Sect has no shortage of torture and cruel punishments. I want my master to experience them all."
Chu Jianshan paused, took a barely perceptible step back, and then asked, "Does someone like me need you, the Venerable Lord, to personally come and capture me?"
Cheng Yuan stood up and gave him two choices: "Do you want to leave on your own, or do you want me to take you back?"
Chu Jianshan hardened his stance: "I'm not leaving!"
He held Mo Yang tightly in his hand, and sure enough, the next second, Cheng Yuan's sword slashed over. He raised his hand to block, but unexpectedly, Mo Yang was knocked away.
"How can your spiritual power be...!"
Before Chu Jianshan could finish speaking, Cheng Yuan pulled him away forcefully, spun him around halfway, and pressed his back against Chu Jianshan's chest.
A black iron sword was placed against Chu Jianshan's neck. Chu Jianshan glanced down and saw that it wasn't Liu Yin.
Cheng Yuan coerced him into slowly leaving the tent.
"Where is the Flowing Sound Sword?" Chu Jianshan asked.
“It’s melted.” Cheng Yuan blurted out.
"You...!" Chu Jianshan was a little anxious, but then he calmed down and changed his words, "It's good that it melted down, so that you won't have any more involvement with me."
Cheng Yuan paused for a moment without replying, but Chu Jianshan clearly felt the air around him grow colder, and the Xuan Tie sword pressed down even deeper, leaving a bloody mark on his neck.
"W-what...what's going on?!"
Zhang Yuan finally ran out, and upon seeing this scene, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Panicked, he shouted, "Who are you! Release Immortal Venerable Chu at once!"
Chu Jianshan looked closely and saw that Zhang Yuan had not changed her nightgown; she was still wearing the same complicated clothes she had worn during the day.
As soon as he shouted, the Yunlan Sect disciples who had been sleeping rushed out, some grabbing swords and others taking up weapons, forming a circle and pointing their swords at Cheng Yuan, while Cheng Yuan remained alone.
Seeing this, Chu Jianshan turned his head slightly and asked Cheng Yuan in a low voice, "Where are your men?"
Cheng Yuan did not reply.
Chu Jianshan was somewhat shocked and asked again, "Did you come alone?"
Cheng Yuan snorted coldly, "Isn't it obvious?"
Chu Jianshan sighed, turned around and called out to Zhang Yuan, "Sect Leader Zhang, he's pressing his hand against my neck. Could you please have your men step back?"
"Oh, right!" Zhang Yuan understood and quickly ordered his men to retreat, creating a small opening for Cheng Yuan through the wall of people surrounding him.
Chu Jianshan raised an eyebrow, surprised that Zhang Yuan would be so cooperative.
"Put down all the swords." Cheng Yuan finally made a condition.
"Good, good, put them down! Put down your swords!" Zhang Yuan gave the order, and everyone around him put their swords on the ground.
"Um... Brother, let's talk this out. Please don't hurt Immortal Venerable Chu!"
Cheng Yuan ignored his nonsense and led Chu Jianshan back step by step.
Suddenly, a sword light flashed from behind, heading straight for Cheng Yuan. Cheng Yuan was forced to parry with his sword. Chu Jianshan turned his head, preparing to escape.
Taking advantage of the moment he turned around, Chu Jianshan took off running, but after only two steps he was frozen in place, unable to move an inch.
"You...!" Chu Jianshan was furious. "When did you put that immobilization spell on me?!"
No, Chu Jianshan realized that it wasn't a freezing talisman. Cheng Yuan wouldn't have had a chance to stick it on him, and even if he had, he would definitely have noticed it.
Then the only option is... puppetry.
Chu Jianshan's heart sank. It seemed that Cheng Yuan's situation in Linyi Sect was not so smooth either. At the very least, this puppetry technique must be related to Qiao Yi.
Fang Lan Sword was returned to his hand, and Bai Qianfan finally saw the face of the person in front of him clearly, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "Cheng Yuan?"
Cheng Yuan also turned around and said coldly, "Senior Brother Bai, how have you been?"
"You..." Bai Qianfan looked at the situation and didn't know what to say, so he only advised, "Don't make the same mistake again."
"Making the same mistake again and again?" Cheng Yuan pondered his words repeatedly, finally laughing in exasperation: "Senior brother also thinks this is my fault?"
With a wave of his hand, Chu Jianshan was back in his arms. He pinched Chu Jianshan, forcing him to raise his head slightly, revealing his vulnerable neck.
"Don't touch him!" Bai Qianfan shouted anxiously.
Cheng Yuan tilted his head and looked at Chu Jianshan, his eyes full of ruthlessness. "He can be so ruthless as to kill me, but I can't touch him. What kind of logic is that?"
Bai Qianfan tried to explain to him, "What happened before wasn't what you think; he had his reasons!"
Chu Jianshan frowned at him and shook his head slightly, indicating that he could not speak.
"Difficulties?" Cheng Yuan seemed intrigued, looked down at Chu Jianshan, and asked, "Why don't you tell me yourself, Master, what difficulties do you have?"
“No,” Chu Jianshan said firmly, “I just want to kill you.”
“Very good,” Cheng Yuan tightened his grip on his hand, pulling him back slowly. “Since there’s no reason why, I don’t need to worry about anything.”
Bai Qianfan shouted, "A Yuan, calm down!"
Cheng Yuan held Chu Jianshan tightly in his arms, pointing his sword at Bai Qianfan with his other hand: "Senior brother, I know you have treated me well, so I will not kill you today, but... I will take back everything you owe me, one by one!"
Chu Jianshan lowered his hand and swung it slightly backward, signaling Bai Qianfan not to act rashly, as he had his own way of handling things.
With Chu Jianshan's life in Cheng Yuan's hands, no one dared to make a move. Bai Qianfan also obeyed orders and stayed where he was. Seeing this, Cheng Yuan took Chu Jianshan away from here and headed straight for Linyi Gate.
In the darkness, Chu Jianshan couldn't see anything. He had been locked in this small room for three whole days, and the musty smell of something was hitting his nose.
He couldn't help but sigh, not out of despair, but because he couldn't understand his apprentice's behavior. He had expected some severe torture, but instead, he had simply starved him for three days. Truly... too pathetic.
With a creak, the door was opened from the outside, and a blinding gaze immediately rushed into the room. Chu Jianshan had no choice but to turn his head away.
After regaining his composure, Chu Jianshan finally recognized the person and smiled, "Oh, an acquaintance."
Ji Zihua still had that sour look on his face. He crossed his arms, leaned against the door frame, and said in a low voice, "You can leave now."
Chu Jianshan teased him deliberately, "What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."
"I said you can leave now!" Ji Zihua shouted, then strode in and stood in front of him. "Tell me, you're supposed to be a Celestial Venerable, how could you let yourself be made to look like this?"
Chu Jianshan's hands and feet were still bound, so he couldn't stand up. He could only sit there and watch him, laughing, "Even a celestial being is human, and there are times when he is defeated. You haven't seen me in a more pathetic state yet."
"You... lost to him?" Ji Zihua immediately grasped the key point in his words, and her expression turned grim.
Seeing his expression, Chu Jianshan couldn't help but voice his suspicions: "You don't really like him?"
Ji Zihua turned her head away, avoiding direct eye contact with Chu Jianshan: "No."
Chu Jianshan then asked, "When you went back, Qiao Yi didn't make things difficult for you?"
Ji Zihua shook his head and said, "He didn't even ask about this matter. You're right, I'm just a pawn in his game."
"Um..." Chu Jianshan felt a little guilty for unintentionally bringing up someone's sad story, so he comforted him, "Actually, you don't have to be like this. Someone like Qiao Yi doesn't trust anyone. You just need to take care of yourself."
Ji Zihua frowned. "You know him very well?"
Chu Jianshan sighed, "I don't want to know him, and I'm not interested in knowing him, but things just don't go as planned."
"I don't understand." Ji Zihua walked over with a sour face, untied the ropes binding Chu Jianshan, and muttered, "You people, you make such a simple thing so complicated."
Chu Jianshan, having been untied, remained seated and asked with a smile, "Like me and Cheng Yuan?"
Ji Zihua hesitated for a moment, but still said, "I don't want to know what your relationship is, but... I don't think he hates you."
Chu Jianshan asked, "What makes you say that?"
“Back then…” Ji Zihua recalled, “He had just been rescued by us. He was covered in injuries and had a persistent high fever. Several doctors said he couldn’t be saved.”
"And then?" Chu Jianshan's gaze darkened.
"Then the Lord instructed me to guard him, saying that he absolutely could not be allowed to die. Almost every night, I could hear him..."
"What did you hear?" Chu Jianshan continued to press.
Ji Zihua looked speechless, but finally hardened his heart and shouted, "I heard him call your name!"
Chu Jianshan was stunned.
"Two grown men, really!" Ji Zihua rubbed his non-existent goosebumps and said with disgust, "Disgusting!"
Chu Jianshan lowered his head, a hint of tenderness in his eyes, "I'm the one who wronged him."
Ji Zihua straightened his face and said, "Who cares about you? But I'm here to save you today, so you have to remember my kindness!"
“Yes,” Chu Jianshan nodded, “I’ve got it.”
But he doesn't care how long he can remember it.
After leaving the small dark room, Chu Jianshan wandered around and didn't know where he ended up.
He stood there, turned around, and looked at himself. He realized that everyone looked exactly the same. He had been too hasty. He should have let Ji Zihua go all the way and take him out with him.
But when he happened to pass by a garden, Chu Jianshan stopped and carefully examined the place.
The layout here is, how should I put it, quite ingenious. It feels like a familiar place, but I can't quite put my finger on why.
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