Chapter 4: Treating him Gently

Zhou Yuan had a “don’t mess with me” expression on his face as he dodged Shu Wan’s hand. Finally, he took two quick steps and entered the room. 

As soon as he touched Yi Chenlan’s wrist pulse, he immediately frowned. “Why are you using your internal energy for no reason?”

Yi Chenlan met Zhou Yuan’s gaze. 

Although this uncle-master of his might not like him, he had never intentionally humiliated him. 

It was only after the Zhongshan Sect was wiped out that he had developed a strong hatred for him, wishing to get rid of him completely.

Considering this, Zhou Yuan had been relatively kind to him.

Yi Chenlan harbored no hostility toward Zhou Yuan, but he was no longer the person who was excessively flattered by the slightest kindness. 

Upon hearing Zhou Yuan’s words, he lowered his eyes and casually replied: “I felt a bit cold, so I used my internal energy to adjust my breathing.”

“It’s cold? Then bear with it for now. If you don’t want to walk with a limp in the future, stop moving around. Let me reinsert the needles for you.” Zhou Yuan’s tone was stiff as he took a golden needle and began to insert it.

Yi Chenlan’s heart stirred. He realized that, at this moment, he was not yet crippled. 

Reflecting on the wounds and the chilling feeling throughout his body, Yi Chenlan slowly began to make a guess. 

This must be the moment when he was seventeen, when Shu Qi had falsely accused him of practicing the Forbidden Technique, whipped him a hundred times, and locked him in the water prison.

However, unlike in his previous life, when he had been on the verge of death, and was released by Shu Qi only to lie in bed for half a month before he could barely stand and walk, without any medical treatment, this time… Could it be that Shu Wan had released him?

Perhaps this was a small compensation from the heavens. 

Yi Chenlan remained silent for a long time, his heart filled with cold mockery. 

It was too late. He didn’t care anymore and no longer needed any of this(kindness).

Shu Wan saw Yi Chenlan’s silence and misunderstood its meaning. 

Her villain was truly pitiful—he felt so cold and yet not a word of complaint, silently dealing with everything on his own. So obedient, yet still being scolded.

There was no helping it. Uncle-Master Zhou’s persona had always been cold and unapproachable, and he wasn’t at all gentle with patients.

Well, since you can’t comfort him, I’ll do it. 

Shu Wan thought as she glanced at the now delicate-looking villain. She spoke in a soft tone to comfort him: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, I’ll go get two charcoal basins for you. It won’t be cold for long. Just cooperate with Uncle-Master Zhou’s treatment, and be sure not to leave any lingering issues.”

The gentle words made Yi Chenlan pause for a moment. 

He looked up at Shu Wan, and upon meeting her gaze, a strong wave of disgust surged within him. 

He concealed the murderous intent he felt deep inside, and a very soft smile appeared on his face. “Thank you.”

Shu Wan immediately cheerfully went to fetch the small charcoal basins, while Zhou Yuan called out: “Just bring one basin, no need for more. Too much heat will hinder the expulsion of cold energy.”

He then lowered his gaze to Yi Chenlan, his tone steady and without much fluctuation. “Your leg should have been fine, but since you rashly used your internal energy, the cold energy has reversed. It may leave a hidden illness. I’ll do my best to treat you. Whether it succeeds or not depends on your fate.”

Yi Chenlan didn’t care much about his body. He nodded and quietly said: “Thank you for your efforts, Uncle-Master Zhou.”

Shu Wan had already brought the small charcoal basin and politely added: “Thank you for your hard work, Uncle-Master Zhou!”

Yi Chenlan glanced at her, then silently averted his gaze, inwardly calculating. 

In his previous life, he had been mediocre in martial arts until the age of nineteen. 

That year, Shu Wan had persuaded Shu Qi to hold a memorial service, and he had been taken to his Demon Lord father Yi Heng’s Snowy Night Mountain, where he was tortured and thrown into a ravine. 

By chance, he had come across a martial arts manual left by Yi Heng, which had given him the opportunity to seek revenge later on.

In this life, he couldn’t afford to waste two more years here. 

He needed to find a way to break free from Shu Qi’s control and go to Snowy Night Mountain to retrieve the martial arts manual he had trained to the thirteenth level of perfection in his previous life. 

Although he could recite the words of the manual by heart, the martial arts could only be cultivated in the extreme cold of the ice spring beneath Snowy Night Mountain.

Yi Chenlan’s gaze fell gently on Shu Wan, but his mind was filled with cruel thoughts: 

Shu Qi hadn’t tortured him enough yet. 

He was always afraid of him escaping, keeping a close watch on him. But if his precious daughter suddenly disappeared, Shu Qi would surely lose his composure and no longer have the energy to keep an eye on him.

How could he hide her body more discreetly…

While Yi Chenlan silently schemed, Shu Wan wasn’t idle either. 

She recalled the plot: her father, Shu Qi, had whipped Yi Chenlan a hundred times because he had stolen the Forbidden Technique. 

However, that was merely an excuse Shu Qi had made to torment Yi Chenlan, since he was the one who had placed the Forbidden Technique in Yi Chenlan’s room.

How could she have written such a ridiculous plot? 

Shu Wan shook her head and sighed. 

Shu Qi would soon find out that Yi Chenlan had come out of the water prison. He had only been locked up for one night, and Shu Qi would never be satisfied. He would definitely trouble him again.

How could she make Shu Qi let go of this matter…?

Both of them harbored their own thoughts, occasionally exchanging glances that were filled with particularly friendly warmth.

After Zhou Yuan had reinserted the needles into Yi Chenlan, he left. 

Shu Wan carefully moved the charcoal basin a little closer. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, how are you feeling now? Are you still cold?”

“Not bad.” Yi Chenlan said, his gaze thoughtful as he looked at her. He gently lowered his voice and asked: “Wan Wan, why have you been here with me the whole time? Didn’t you go practice martial arts?”

In the original story, Shu Wan was a martial arts maniac, practicing day and night. 

But since Shu Wan had transmigrated here, she didn’t share that passion. She hesitated and made an excuse to brush off Yi Chenlan’s question. “I… I finished practicing.”

Yi Chenlan nodded, continuing their casual conversation as he gently guided her into talking. “Wan Wan, you’re truly impressive. How many levels of the Blazing Sun True Qi have you mastered?”

At the mention of the Blazing Sun True Qi, Shu Wan immediately felt guilty. 

The Blazing Sun Manual had originally been created by Great Hero Jiang Xuanfeng, Yi Chenlan’s real father. 

It was this technique that had helped the Zhongshan Sect rise to become the number one sect in the martial world. 

However, after Shu Qi took control of the Zhongshan Sect, he not only relentlessly humiliated Jiang Xuanfeng’s son, Yi Chenlan, but also withheld this martial arts technique, passing it only to Shu Wan and Jiang Yang.

The person most deserving of mastering the Blazing Sun Manual had been left to watch from the sidelines and learn only inferior martial techniques.

And now, the villain, who knew nothing of these intricacies, was asking about her progress. Shu Wan felt uncomfortable meeting Yi Chenlan’s gaze. “Uh… I… I think I’ve reached… about the fifth level.”

The fifth level. Yi Chenlan had an idea of her current progress. His martial arts were far inferior to Shu Wan’s at the moment, and the best way to kill her would be through poison—quick, undetectable, and easy to dispose of the body. 

Shu Wan’s Blazing Sun True Qi hadn’t reached the seventh level of invulnerability to poison, making her vulnerable, which was convenient for him to act.

In his previous life, when he was on Snowy Night Mountain, he had learned poison techniques, which would be more than enough to deal with a twelve-year-old girl like Shu Wan.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, once your injury heals, I’ll copy the Blazing Sun Manual for you. Let’s study it together, okay?” Shu Wan said. 

She had already decided that things would be fair and just from here on out. 

The first step was to at least return what truly belonged to him, the Blazing Sun Manual.