Chapter 17: The Snake’s Nightmare

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, what are you daydreaming about? We have to leave.” Shu Wan poked him and whispered.

Yi Chenlan responded, walking alongside Shu Wan. He turned his head slightly to steal a glance at her, and a faint sigh escaped him in his heart.

The night before, he had planned to take good care of Shu Wan before the Bamboo Qing Gang arrived, fulfilling his last duty as her senior brother, to repay the kindness she had shown him in recent times.

After all, since he had fled from the Zhongshan Sect, the path he was walking was one that neither the Orthodox nor Unorthodox factions could tolerate. Moreover… Shu Qi, the enemy who could never be forgiven, he would never let him go. When he saw Shu Wan again, after he had killed Shu Qi, they would be enemies.

She would never again look at him with kindness, laughing as she ruffled his hair.

Yi Chenlan subtly averted his gaze. In this lifetime, she owed him nothing. He was the one who owed her. If he could cultivate enough to reach the next life, he would definitely repay her.

…

Before Shu Wan and the others entered the house, they heard a loud voice coming from within: “The Wuchuan Valley is too unreasonable! Our gang leader’s life is hanging by a thread, and they refused to help. It’s truly infuriating!”

Shu Qi’s voice was as gentle as ever: “Brother Chen, you made trouble in Wuchuan Valley, how could the valley’s leader possibly lend a hand? Sigh, if it weren’t for the complex nature of the old gang leader’s injuries, which cannot be treated by ordinary people, I would have sent Junior Brother Zhou Yuan to help by now.”

The man sighed heavily: “That valley leader is young, but her temperament is strange. I begged her for a long time, but she never softened. In my anger, I… sigh, now I have no choice but to shamelessly ask Shu Brother to act as a mediator and save my gang leader’s life.”

“Brother Chen, there is no need to rush. I will do my best.” Shu Qi replied.

It seemed like there was no difference from what was written in the book. The Bamboo Qing Gang’s leader, He Changping, had accidentally fallen from a high platform, breaking all his bones and was in critical condition. The Bamboo Qing Gang wanted to seek help from Wuchuan Valley’s divine doctor, but they had offended the people there, so they had to ask Shu Qi to step in.

Of course, Shu Qi agreed and sent Jiang Yang to act as a mediator, which was the first meeting between Jiang Yang and the leader of Wuchuan Valley, the female protagonist.

Shu Wan didn’t care much about this part of the story. She was thinking about something else.

The Chen Tao from the Bamboo Qing Gang had stayed at the Zhongshan Sect for a period of time. During that time, Yi Chenlan had endured quite a bit of inhuman torture.

Now, thinking back on those events, Shu Wan felt an immense pain in her heart. It was fortunate that she was here now; she would never let Yi Chenlan go through such suffering again.

“Come in, everyone. This is the Hall Master Chen of the Bamboo Qing Gang.” Shu Qi said, smiling as she called out when she saw them approaching the door.

Chen Tao clapped his hands and laughed, saying: “Is this Shu Brother’s young disciple? Truly a woman of extraordinary talent, showing the style of her father. Ah, isn’t this the son of Jiang Great Hero? My, he’s already grown so much! Good, good! As the saying goes, heroes emerge young. Young Hero Jiang, no need for formalities.”

“Hm? And this one is—” He squinted his eyes, and his expression suddenly darkened. Though he forced a smile, it was twisted: “This is Yi Heng’s son, Yi Chenlan?”

Yi Chenlan smiled naturally: “I greet Hall Master Chen.”

Chen Tao sneered coldly, his venomous gaze sweeping over Yi Chenlan before turning to Shu Qi. “Shu Brother, I have a request that I hope you can fulfill.”

Shu Qi smiled and said: “Hall Master Chen, please feel free to speak.”

“I have many unresolved matters with Yi Heng, but now that he is no longer around, it’s the same to settle them with his son. I wonder if Shu Brother can send your disciple to meet with me later?”

Shu Qi had been holding back a surge of anger for two days, but now he finally felt some relief. “What are you saying, Brother Chen? To receive your guidance is Ah Lan’s fortune. Since there’s nothing pressing, why wait until the evening? Let Ah Lan go with you now.”

Chen Tao was pleased with Shu Qi’s words. He looked at Yi Chenlan with an expression as cold and venomous as a snake’s: “Young Master Yi, please.”

Yi Chenlan remained calm, still smiling slightly, and politely gestured: “After you.”

They exited one after the other, and Shu Wan, thinking about the next part of the plot, was about to follow them, but then heard Shu Qi’s deep voice from behind, commanding: “Wan Wan! Don’t follow them!”

He gave Shu Wan a stern look, his gaze unyielding and impossible to dispute. “Come here. Father has something to say to you.”

…

“Young Master Yi, do you know the history between your father and me?” On the way, Chen Tao asked with a dark expression, his tone cold.

Yi Chenlan smiled: “I would like to hear more.”

“Before I joined the Bamboo Qing Gang, I was the leader of a small, insignificant gang with thirty-four brothers. One day, Yi Heng passed through my territory while drunk. Suddenly, in a fit of murderous rage, he wiped out my entire family. He was so drunk, however, that he failed to notice he left me alive…”

Yi Chenlan listened intently, even asking with interest: “Why did he suddenly become so violent? What were you and your brothers doing at the time?”

Chen Tao paused for a moment, then sneered coldly: “He killed people on a whim, purely based on his mood. There was no reason.”

Yi Chenlan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “So, it wasn’t because you were forcing women, but rather because he was in a bad mood?”

Before he could finish, a sharp pain struck his chest as if someone had jabbed him with a finger. He immediately froze in place. There was no one around, and Chen Tao smiled as he reached into a large snake-skin bag slung over his shoulder, from which something seemed to be wriggling.

Chen Tao slowly loosened the bag’s opening. “Don’t try to forcefully unblock your acupoints, or it will reverse the flow of your heart’s energy and you will die instantly. Young Master Yi, do you know what the Bamboo Qing Gang relies on to walk the Jianghu?”

Yi Chenlan smiled. “Poison.”

“Correct.” Chen Tao replied, opening the bag fully to reveal a mess of brightly colored, wriggling poisonous snakes. “I see that Young Master Yi is sharp-tongued. I wonder, compared to these venomous creatures, who will come out on top? Perhaps you could have a chat with them?”

Yi Chenlan smiled warmly. “Sure.”

…