Chapter 20
Li Jue saw this from a distance and recalled some rumors about the young master of the Boyeng Sect, with a playful smile on his lips - Lin Wuya actually sent such a fool to accompany him. He must have known that he was unable to compete, so he simply gave up and planned to reluctantly hand over the secret of the sect's foundation.
*
After the banquet, Lin Yibai led the arrogant young master of Wangjiang Tower towards the deep and dark dungeon.
The two of them walked in silence, and she just ignored the mischievous glances he gave her from time to time.
As they approached the dungeon entrance, the familiar, suffocating feeling of stale blood, desperate sighs, and the bitterness of herbs intensified, overwhelming them like an invisible tide. Lin Yibai frowned and silently held his breath. However, Li Jue beside them was not only unconcerned, but actually took a deep breath, his face revealing an expression of near intoxication. He tutted, "Not bad, not bad! This is what a demon sect should smell like! I thought your Boyeng Sect was just like those ordinary sects, clearly possessed by demons, yet still considered themselves celestial beings, self-righteous and noble! Now it seems that I was overthinking it—only this pure and rich filth and despair can truly reveal my true demonic nature!"
Lin Yibai had no expression on his face, and only sneered in his heart.
Entering the dungeon, the flickering green phosphorescent light illuminates the mottled bloodstains on both sides of the corridor, and wailing and groaning sounds can be faintly heard from the depths.
Li Jue walked past the cell, commenting on everything along the way, his words full of provocation:
"Tsk tsk, both of his legs have been pierced by the medicinal roots, and his meridians are completely destroyed. I'm afraid he'll be ruined after trying a few new medicines, right?"
"...With his spirit so dissipated, how is he any different from a walking corpse? It seems that the Bo Deng Sect's method of tempering the medicine man is not worthy of its name."
"Alas, it seems the rumors are exaggerated. The medicine men here are nothing more than that."
As he spoke, he glanced at Lin Yibai out of the corner of his eye, as if trying to see anger or resentment on her face.
However, Lin Yibai kept her eyes fixed on him the whole time, with an indifferent expression, as if she had not heard what he said at all, and as if what he was commenting on was just a stone on the roadside and had nothing to do with her.
Li Jue couldn't help but be surprised, thinking to himself, "This girl... I've heard she's the most arrogant and domineering. Yet, even with the sect's foundation being tarnished like this today, she's completely indifferent? It's as if it has nothing to do with her."
Little did he know that Lin Yibai was complaining crazily in her heart: "Just say it, whatever you want. I'm just an unlucky migrant worker who will run away sooner or later, so do whatever you want. You want to piss me off and take advantage of Lin Wuya..." Thinking of this, she calmly gave the man next to her a cold look.
——I’m really overthinking it.
The group went deeper and deeper until they reached the cage with the strictest guards and the densest runes, where Li Jue's footsteps suddenly stopped.
Lin Yibai's heart inexplicably tightened.
Li Jue's golden eyes were immediately attracted by the figure in the cell.
——Compared to the other medicine men who were either listless, desperate, or numb, the young man was dressed in tattered prison clothes, his body covered with scars, and was locked on the rack with heavy shackles. Although he lowered his head and his messy black hair covered most of his face, the exposed jawline was taut, and his whole body exuded a cold and restrained vitality, as if he had a dormant beast.
There was no trace of drug testing on his body. In this lifeless dungeon, he seemed so out of place, so... eye-catching!
As if he had discovered a treasure, Li Jue's eyes lit up instantly. The playful arrogance on his face subsided a little, replaced by the curiosity and greed of discovering an unexpected surprise.
"Oh? I didn't expect such a gem to be hidden in this filthy place. He doesn't have any medicinal seeds on him, so he must have already been 'cultivated,' right?" He walked forward with great interest, almost pressing his face against the cold iron fence, trying to get a better look. "All along the way, all I see are junk... Young Master Lin, your Bo Deng Sect is really well hidden. Why didn't Sect Master Lin mention such a 'good seedling' at the banquet just now? Could it be that he doesn't want to sincerely discuss it with my Wangjiang Tower, but instead wants to keep it for himself?"
"It's begun! This guy has really started to seek his own death." Lin Yibai looked at Li Jue's greedy face and cursed in his heart, "He's in a hurry to reincarnate, but he's still afraid that the King of Hell won't take him? If he wants to die, then die. Don't get involved..."
Before she could finish her thoughts, the next moment, her mind went blank.
The young man in the prison raised his head slightly because of the approach of an outsider. Through his messy black hair, his black eyes, which suddenly opened and were cold to the bone, suddenly met hers.
However, when he saw that it was her, there was no emotion in his eyes, only a dead silence and coldness that seemed to be able to swallow everything.
——There was no anger or hatred, no waves or ripples, as if what he was staring at was just a stubborn stone or rotten wood by the roadside, a completely unfamiliar and meaningless dead object.
This extreme indifference was even more suffocating to her than the poisonous hatred that had originally been in it, as if she had been completely erased from his world without leaving any trace.
A sea of shame, mixed with an indescribable pain deep within her heart, instantly engulfed her. She averted her gaze in a panic, not daring to meet those cold, deep eyes for even a moment. Subconsciously, she stumbled back a half-step, only to find her balance when her back slammed against the damp stone wall, feeling its cold, hard touch.
Before she knew it, a layer of cold sweat had already appeared on her palms.
Li Jue was unaware of this brief, silent exchange; his entire attention was captivated by the unique aura of the young man in the cell. Seeing the young man look up, his golden eyes lit up with even more interest, as if he were appreciating a rare treasure he had accidentally discovered.
"Tsk tsk, that look..." Li Jue wasn't afraid at all. Instead, he chuckled with a condescending amusement, "So wild, so cold. Like an untamed wolf cub. Their teeth must be very sharp."
He turned to Lin Yibai, his tone clearly filled with temptation and provocation: "Young Master Lin, how did your sect select such a 'good seedling'? Why not tell me about Wangjiang Tower? If such a secret is not suitable for direct disclosure... I am in need of such a medicine slave in our tower. Let me take this person back and study him carefully. I am sure I can gain some other insights."
The contempt and dehumanizing tone in these words made Lin Yibai's stomach churn. She clenched her fingers tightly in her sleeves, her nails almost digging into her palms, and only then could she suppress the rebuke that was about to burst out.
Yan Bujian, who was in the cell, had already lowered his eyelids after that initial cold glance, not once looking at Li Jue. He also turned a deaf ear to the man's almost insulting words, not even reacting in the slightest, as if the man wasn't talking about him.
Seeing the young man's lack of reaction, and Lin Yibai's silence beside him, Li Jue felt insulted, and a flicker of anger flashed across his eyes. He narrowed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up again, that uncomfortable, arrogant smile.
"Why? Bo Dengzong really can't bear to part with him? Or is it..." He deliberately dragged out his words, his eyes sweeping over Yan Bujian's tattered prison uniform and heavy shackles, "This kind of stuff is only strong on the outside but weak on the inside. In fact, you have already torn it up inside. It looks good but is useless. That's why you dare not put it up for trade?"
He took a step forward, almost touching the prison door. His voice was low, but clearer and more pointed. "If that's really the case, then this young master is deeply disappointed. I thought the Bo Deng Sect's medicine man skills were unique, but it seems they're just bluffing, raising nothing but useless trash..."
Before he finished speaking.
Yan Bujian, who had been as silent as a stone statue, moved his fingertips slightly, almost imperceptibly.
Seeing this, Lin Yibai, who had been trying hard to remain silent, felt his heart tighten and an ominous premonition suddenly arose.
Li Jue, however, was completely oblivious, or perhaps simply unconcerned. Instead, he felt elated at having finally managed to elicit a reaction from the other party, and continued with a sneer, "Indeed, locked up in this dark place, surrounded by poisonous insects and rotten soil day in and day out, even the toughest bones will eventually be ground into dust. Boy, if you're willing to kneel down and beg me, perhaps I'll relent and buy you back, giving you a clean meal. How about that?"
"Young Master Li!" Lin Yibai finally couldn't help himself and interrupted him with a slightly hurried voice, "The dungeon is filthy and might pollute your body. You shouldn't stay here for long. There are several secret alchemy rooms ahead. They are the foundation of our sect. My father specifically instructed Yibai to invite the young master to taste them."
She couldn't let Li Jue continue to commit suicide.
Although Yan Bujian seemed powerless to resist now, the retaliation that would come from Li Jue in the future would be terrifying. She and Yan Bujian already had a deep misunderstanding, and she really couldn't let him hate her even more.
She just wanted to get rid of this plague god as soon as possible.
Li Jue was interrupted and glanced at Lin Yibai unhappily. Seeing that her face was pale and her eyes were evasive, he thought that she was caught hiding something and felt bored instead.
What is there to hide? If you don't allow me to do that now, I will just take me away after the Yunshan Grand Ceremony.
When it comes to Wangjiang Tower’s actions, why should we care about the thoughts of the Bo Deng Sect?
He glanced at the still unresponsive young man in the cell, curled his lips, and finally lost interest in continuing to humiliate him.
"Forget it." He waved his hand lazily, his tone returning to its previous indifference. "It seems he is indeed a dull and useless person. Come on, Young Master Lin, take me to see what your Bo Deng Sect has to offer."
He turned around and walked towards the front of the corridor.
Lin Yibai secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to catch up. The moment she turned around, she couldn't help but glance back quickly out of the corner of her eye.
Yan Bujian still maintained his original posture, with his head lowered, his messy black hair covering all his expressions, as if all the humiliation and provocation just now were just a breeze blowing by, leaving no trace in his heart.
Only those tightly pursed, bloodless lips and the slightly taut hands under the shackles, revealing sharp joints, silently revealed a hint of extreme endurance and heart-pounding coldness.
Lin Yibai felt a sharp pain in her heart, and hurriedly averted her gaze, quickly following Li Jue. Only after she turned the corner and could no longer see the young man behind her did she let out a silent sigh.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
