The Villainous Shizun Is As Beautiful As A Flower

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Shen Liuxiang’s expression changed, and he stood up abruptly.

As it turned out, Xu Xingchen took advantage of the dark night and attempted to cast a spell to enter the mansion. However, as soon as he made a move, the terrain around the mansion shifted, and he disappeared. Many bystanders were also affected and vanished into thin air.

Jin Xiaojiu was lucky. A beam of light happened to pass close to him, sparing him from being affected. He rushed back to report the situation.

Without a second word, Shen Liuxiang rushed to the mansion’s entrance.

Listening to Jin Xiaojiu’s description, he contemplated for a moment. He suspected that there was a formation here. It wasn’t feasible to kill Xu Xingchen directly. Most likely, they had been transported to another location.

Without further hesitation, Shen Liuxiang instructed Jin Xiaojiu to stay back, raised his hand, and attempted to trigger the formation.

Jin Xiaojiu hurriedly said, “Young Master, don’t! Doing so might lead to the same outcome as Young Master Xingchen!”

Shen Liuxiang’s eyebrow raised slightly. “I want to go find him. What’s there to fear about a mere formation? You should return to the Cloud Pavilion and wait.”

With his words falling, he cast the spell directly. As expected, his body was bound by a force that moved from bottom to top. The scenery around him changed, and the light dimmed.

He found himself in a spacious and damp cave. Flames burned on the steep walls on both sides.

Shen Liuxiang regained his focus and took in his surroundings. He walked forward slowly, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

…

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At the Seventh King’s mansion, Wenren Qin stood before a tall painted wall. Stars were scattered across it, and several shrunken figures moved within.

This was a projection from a formation.

He flicked his finger, and most of the figures turned into flames, instantly reduced to ashes.

At this moment, there was a movement behind him.

Wenren Qin turned around and saw Xiao Qi with a black eye mask. Although his right eye was covered, his left eye shone brightly, radiating light.

He looked completely different from when he had left.

Wenren Qin hesitated to speak, then asked, “Is it that demon?”

Xiao Qi nodded and approached, holding his hand. “I’m going away.”

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Wenren Qin was taken aback, his expression shifting from astonishment to disbelief, and finally his lips trembled. “Are you saying you’re letting go of your hold on me?”

Xiao Qi nodded and shook his head, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “I am you, you’re the one letting go of yourself.”

At these words, Wenren Qin’s face turned pale, and his expression crumbled from disbelief to shock, and finally to a mixture of emotions. He shoved Xiao Qi away forcefully. “You’re not me. You’re just my pathetic and weak inner demon. Stay away from me!”

Xiao Qi was pushed down to the ground, but his expression remained remarkably calm.

Using his small hands to prop himself up, he slowly stood up.

“But I am you. Haven’t you always wanted to know if there’s anyone in this world who wouldn’t despise your half-human, half-demon nature? Someone who could put aside prejudice and save you when you’re in despair? Although it took so many years, I’ve found that person.”

Wenren Qin lowered his gaze, watching Xiao Qi’s fading form, silent for a while. His indifferent expression suddenly shattered.

He crouched down, grabbing Xiao Qi’s shoulders and shaking him vigorously. His expression turned monstrous and terrifying.

“If you’re my inner demon, why are you so worthless! Is this all your obsession has amounted to after all these years? Why haven’t you sought revenge? I’ve accomplished everything now! I’ve left those who harmed me in a state worse than death. I’m even going to create many more beings like you and me to rule the Three Realms!”

“I want everyone, both humans and demons, to know that those who once couldn’t tolerate me will now be the ones I tolerate!”

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No matter how much Wenren Qin roared, Xiao Qi’s expression remained calm. In the end, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he wore his eyepatch.

“Xiao Qi is leaving. Don’t bully Big Brother. I really like him.”

The room fell into silence. Wenren Qin slumped to the ground, his expression one of defeat. After a long while, he finished processing Xiao Qi’s final memories, and he found himself smiling for no apparent reason.

Wenren Qin’s demeanor returned to normal. He stood up, walked to the wall painting, and was about to deal with the remaining intruders.

Suddenly, a slim figure appeared in his field of vision.

He focused his attention, and through the flames between the rocky walls, he gazed at the exquisitely beautiful youth. The youth had long, tied-back black hair and walked alongside the wall, occasionally tapping it with his hand.

After a moment, Wenren Qin withdrew his gaze and looked ahead at a dead-end.

He flicked his finger on the wall, and the image of the youth instantly moved to a different location, landing in a safe and quiet space.

Wenren Qin stared for a while, his gaze perplexed and uncertain. Just as he was about to enter the formation, he caught a glimpse of a figure through the corner of his eye. The figure had appeared within the formation at some point. Cold and stern eyes pierced through the flames, directed right at him.

Then, most of the lights on the wall extinguished, including the position where Shen Liuxiang was!

Wenren Qin’s expression darkened.

…

Having been suddenly transported, Shen Liuxiang was momentarily dazed. He took out a carrot and nibbled on it while pondering.

If he wanted to break the formation, it wouldn’t be difficult with his Harmonization cultivation. But forcing his way through might reveal his identity, and he was concerned about inadvertently harming Xu Xingchen. For now, the top priority was to find the person.

Having finished the last bite of his carrot, Shen Liuxiang stood up and started to look for a way.

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Though the place was vast, it was without a route. There was a water pool in front of him, seemingly an exit without an end in sight.

He walked to the edge of the water pool, preparing to step in, when he suddenly caught a glimpse of something moving lightly beneath the crushed stones at the water’s edge.

Shen Liuxiang’s mind went blank, his face turning pale.

It was a worm!

He stared fixedly at that spot, stepping back slowly. Unexpectedly, the flames on the wall suddenly went out, plunging the surroundings into darkness.

Losing sight of the insect’s whereabouts, Shen Liuxiang’s whole body tensed. Suddenly, he felt the bug crawling up his shoe.

A jolt ran through his mind, and he retreated a step in panic.

At that moment, a warm, broad chest pressed against his back, and a pair of long arms wrapped around his waist from behind, lifting him into an embrace.

Shen Liuxiang was about to struggle, but the man behind him lowered his head and whispered in his ear, a hint of a light smile in his voice.

“Master, it’s me.”

Shen Liuxiang’s eyes widened abruptly. However, at this moment, he had no time to revel in the joy of their reunion.

“There’s, there’s a bug.” The cave echoed with a slightly choked voice, as if he was on the brink of tears. “It seems like it crawled into my shoe.”

Whether it was real or just a hallucination caused by fear, Shen Liuxiang felt an itch on the sole of his foot, as if a bug was crawling on it.

His scalp went numb, and he felt at a loss. His body started trembling involuntarily.

Zhou Xuanlan, sensing the trembling in the person in his arms, furrowed his brows slightly. He took a spirit stone out of his storage bag, using its faint light to scan the surroundings. He spotted a stone nearby, approached it, and beckoned Shen Liuxiang to sit down.

“Master, sit here. Let me take a look.”

Shen Liuxiang’s mind was blank at this moment, his entire attention focused on his foot. He numbly nodded and sat down.

Zhou Xuanlan placed the spirit stone on the ground and removed Shen Liuxiang’s shoe and sock.

Snow-white feet were exposed in the air, illuminated by the light of the spirit stone. The soles of the feet emitted a faint white luster, and the ten round, tender toes were slightly curled up due to trembling in fear.

Zhou Xuanlan’s gaze froze as he grasped the delicate ankle in his hand, his grip involuntarily tightening.

“Is there a bug?”

“No.”

Shen Liuxiang let out a sigh of relief, but then he noticed that Zhou Xuanlan’s hand was still holding his ankle. Under the dim light, his ankle was held by long, distinct fingers. The feeling of being bound was particularly obvious.

He couldn’t help but fidget. “You can let go now.”

Zhou Xuanlan finally released his grip.

He had only held it lightly, but several faint red marks appeared on Shen Liuxiang’s fair ankle where his fingertips had made contact, fitting perfectly against his skin.

Zhou Xuanlan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, his expression slightly stiff.

Shen Liuxiang thoroughly examined his shoe and then put it back on. However, he was hesitant to put on his sock.

After regaining his composure, he gradually regained his senses and asked, “How did you find this place?”

“Jade slip.”

Shen Liuxiang suddenly realized and stood up, intending to continue looking for Xu Xingchen. But as soon as he took a step forward, he came to an abrupt halt.

To leave this place, he had to cross the water pool. However, the pool was pitch-black, and if it was filled with bugs…

Shen Liuxiang just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine.

He hesitated, glancing at Zhou Xuanlan, and then nervously rubbed his nose. With a straight face, he asked, “Could you maybe carry me—?!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhou Xuanlan drew near, his hand reaching around Shen Liuxiang’s waist and lifting him horizontally.

Shen Liuxiang was startled by the sudden sensation of being lifted into the air. He quickly circled his arms around Zhou Xuanlan’s neck, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

After a while, Shen Liuxiang’s cheeks grew warm, a faint blush spreading across them.

He hesitated and said, “This doesn’t seem quite right—”

Zhou Xuanlan had already stepped into the water pool. Hearing his words, he lowered his gaze to look at Shen Liuxiang. His grip seemed to loosen slightly. “If that’s the case, this disciple—”

“I was joking!”

Shen Liuxiang realized that Zhou Xuanlan was actually letting go of him. The thought of the insects in the water pool instantly panicked him. He tightened his arms around his disciple’s neck and pressed himself closer to him.

“Don’t let go, hold me tight!”

Zhou Xuanlan’s lips curved slightly. “As you wish, Master.”

T/N: Okay okay I admit MAYBE Zhou Xuanlan is growing on me…. maybe