Chapter 20: Sheltering from the Wind and Rain

Shu Wan stood beside Shu Qi, unconsciously picking at her palm. In the book, Chen Tao had no companions and certainly didn’t die so soon. Now she had entered a storyline she knew nothing about. It would be impossible for her not to feel nervous.

Yi Chenlan arrived quickly. His expression remained as calm as ever, his steps composed, and every gesture carried an air of cold, ethereal grace.

Seeing him like this, Shu Wan felt, without realizing, a little bit of reassurance.

Tang Tianqin, noticing that the person they were waiting for had arrived, immediately looked towards Yi Chenlan. “Young Master Yi, my subordinate Chen Tao, the leader of the Bamboo Green Gang, died suddenly last night. Are you aware of this?”

Yi Chenlan replied: “I have heard a little about it. I express my deepest condolences.”

“Don’t feign sympathy!” Tang Tianqin sneered, his gaze filled with sharp malice. “He saw you in the daytime and never left his room after that. I’m very curious about what you two talked about.” he mocked, his voice laced with venom. “Handling a snake requires great focus, and Chen Tao never made mistakes. But after seeing you, he was bitten by his own snake, his body covered in wounds. It’s clear that he lost his focus and made a mistake. Young Master Yi, don’t you think you should give me an explanation?”

Yi Chenlan smiled politely. “What explanation does Protector Tang seek from me?”

“Chen Tao’s entire family of five, along with his subordinates, died at the hands of your Demon Lord father many years ago. Yesterday, he saw you and couldn’t help but recall the painful past, causing him to lose focus and die from the snake’s bite. Young Master Yi, don’t you think you should take responsibility for this?”

His tone was extremely venomous. “Seeing you alive is already enough of a reason to hate you. Who knows if you spoke some heart-wrenching words to Brother Chen?”

His words were so vicious, so full of malice. Shu Wan, standing beside him, was so angry she widened her eyes in disbelief. She retorted: “Your gang leader was careless and got himself bitten by the very venomous snake he raised. How can you blame Senior Brother Ah Lan for that? Protector Tang, don’t you think that’s a bit far-fetched?”

She had finally understood—no matter how much she tried to help Yi Chenlan avoid the events in the book, the plot would still arrange these damned scenarios just to humiliate him.

But she wasn’t about to let that happen today. She was here, and no one could bully her villain!

Shu Wan subtly shifted her body to the side, instinctively adopting a protective stance towards Yi Chenlan.

The smile on Yi Chenlan’s face remained just the right amount of pleasant, but his gaze finally softened a little. His voice was very gentle: “Wan Wan, step aside. Don’t get involved in this matter.”

“Wan Wan, how can you be so rude to a guest?” Shu Qi chided her softly. Then, turning to Tang Tianqin with a smile, he apologized: “Brother Tang, my little sister is young and ignorant. I hope you can forgive her for any offense caused.”

“Miss Shu is still young and doesn’t understand.” Tang Tianqin said to Shu Qi with a pointed tone. “When it comes to recognizing people, Brother Shu should offer more guidance.”

“Anyway, something happened to my Bamboo Green Gang members here. If we simply let this slide, how can our Bamboo Green Gang maintain a foothold in the Jianghu?” His voice turned cold. “Even if Young Master Yi didn’t kill him personally, it’s still because of him. If Brother Shu doesn’t provide an explanation today, none of us will be at ease.”

Shu Qi’s face showed a hint of difficulty. “Brother Tang, please calm down. I will definitely provide an explanation. But… is it not too hasty to pass judgment like this?”

His upright face exuded righteousness, looking every bit the concerned master worried for his disciple.

“My disciple witnessed their argument with his own eyes.” Tang Tianqin shot a glance at Yi Chenlan. “Also, Brother Chen’s venomous blood snakes are all dead, and when he returned to his room, he looked distressed. How could that not point to something?”

Shu Qi kindly asked Yi Chenlan: “Ah Lan, is what Protector Tang said true? Did Hall Master Chen’s blood snakes really all die?”

Yi Chenlan looked over, his phoenix eyes clear and calm. “Yes.”

“Then Master can no longer protect you.” Shu Qi sighed, his expression one of regret. “Ah Lan, you indirectly caused Hall Master Chen’s death. If Protector Tang wants to punish you, Master will have nothing to say.”

He cupped his hands to Tang Tianqin. “Protector Tang, my disciple is still young. Please, for my sake, consider a lighter punishment.”

“Hero Shu is too polite. With you here, I would not dare let your disciple pay with his life.” Tang Tianqin replied.

Tang Tianqin sized up Yi Chenlan. “A single arm in exchange for my brother’s life—surely that’s not too much to ask.”

Yi Chenlan’s sleeve fluttered slightly, and a faint white powder silently settled on his right hand. His gaze moved between Shu Qi and Tang Tianqin, then he lowered his head slightly, his attitude extremely docile.

“If it can resolve the conflict between the two factions, I am willing to sever an arm.”

What was this? She hadn’t seen him sever his arm like in the book, was this a way of making up for it? Shu Wan’s heart ached terribly. She reached out to grab Yi Chenlan’s hand, but Yi Chenlan’s heart sank, and he immediately clenched his fist. Shu Wan’s hand ended up resting on his wrist.

He nervously turned his wrist inward, afraid that she might move recklessly.

Shu Wan didn’t notice any of that. She grabbed Yi Chenlan and quickly placed him behind her, glaring at Tang Tianqin. “Protector Tang is indeed right, but it was I who had the argument with Hall Master Chen! He insulted my father, describing him as a petty man, and tried to sow discord between the disciples and master of our Zhongshan Sect. My father values Senior Brother Ah Lan highly and holds him in no contempt. How could he speak of him so vilely? As for the snakes, I killed them. When he couldn’t talk his way out of it, he tried to intimidate me with his snakes. What? Am I not allowed to kill these few snakes?”

“People say that Hall Master Chen was out of his mind, but I don’t think so. When he insulted me, his mind was quite clear, and when he released the snakes, there was no sign of him being in a bad state.” Shu Wan shot a glance at Shu Qi. “If Hall Master Chen’s death must be blamed on the Zhongshan Sect, then I take full responsibility. I’ll face the consequences myself. If Protector Tang wants to punish someone, then punish me.”

Yi Chenlan furrowed his brows, looking at Shu Wan with a complex expression.

Tang Tianqin was momentarily stunned by Shu Wan’s bold words. He subtly glanced at Shu Qi. Shu Qi frowned deeply, clearly displeased. “Wan Wan, your father and Protector Tang are discussing serious matters. Stop causing trouble and leave!”

Shu Wan immediately recognized that Shu Qi was truly angry, but she wasn’t about to back down. “Father, I’m not causing trouble. Everything I said is the truth. You’ve always taught me to be honest and upright. How could I let Senior Brother Ah Lan take the fall for me?”

“Everyone is watching. If I step back now, would that not be a cowardly act? I couldn’t live with myself.”

Her words were firm and full of the same dignity that Shu Qi usually carried. The people around them looked on with approval, whispering among themselves.

Shu Wan lifted her chin at Tang Tianqin. “Protector Tang wants to take a life with an arm, I accept that.”

Tang Tianqin awkwardly replied: “Miss Shu, you flatter me… How could I ask for your arm?”

“Ah, so I don’t need my arm after all? Then, Protector Tang, where would you like to cut?”

At this, Tang Tianqin was somewhat at a loss, and could only force himself to turn his gaze toward Shu Qi.

Shu Qi’s expression darkened slightly as he stroked his chin, thinking for a long moment before speaking. “Protector Tang, my little girl never lies. But just now, something came to mind—how did the venomous snakes crawl out of their bag on their own? How could they all have died? Could it be that Hall Master Chen acted improperly first?”

Tang Tianqin paused, gritting his teeth before answering. “The snakes wouldn’t have crawled out by themselves. It must have been… it must have been Brother Chen who released them. Miss Shu, in self-defense, killed a few small snakes, that’s no big deal.”

He hesitated, his face darkening as he glared at Shu Wan. “Miss Shu, don’t falsely admit to things. Brother Chen must have been troubled in his mind. After seeing Yi Chenlan, he must have been reminded of the past and…”

“How can that be certain?” Shu Wan smiled as she countered: “Now that he’s dead and has no way of speaking for himself, should we just believe Protector Tang’s side of the story? Is our Zhongshan Sect really going to punish the Sect Master’s personal disciple over a foul-mouthed, venomous, ill-mannered villain?”

Tang Tianqin’s expression became one of frustration. He had originally planned to lay the blame, but with Shu Wan’s intervention, he was left speechless. Grumbling, he cupped his hands towards Shu Qi. “Since that’s the case, I’m at a loss for what to do. I’ll leave it to Hero Shu to decide.”

Shu Qi, his gaze still carrying a hint of anger, turned from Shu Wan to smile warmly at Tang Tianqin. “We were too hasty earlier. Upon further thought, it is indeed unclear why Hall Master Chen’s snakes lost control.”

He shifted the conversation. “However, since this incident occurred under our Zhongshan Sect’s watch, we must take responsibility. Protector Tang need not worry. We will make every effort to address the matter involving your gang leader and will certainly ask the master of Wuchuan Valley to come for treatment. Additionally, I will present three volumes of superior Cultivation Methods as a token of my apologies. What do you think, Protector Tang?”

What more could Tang Tianqin say? He couldn’t salvage the situation, so this conclusion seemed as good as any. “Very well, as Hero Shu suggests. The matter of seeking medical help is urgent, so we shall take our leave. Could we depart now?”

“Of course.” Shu Qi nodded. “I will write a letter immediately and have Ah Yang accompany you to Wuchuan Valley. Please, feel free to leave at once.” He stood up and moved to escort Tang Tianqin out.

Shu Wan suddenly remembered what she had come here for—she wanted to leave the mountain too! Quickly, she hurried after Shu Qi. “Father…”

Shu Qi, his face still dark with anger, turned to look at her. “We’ll talk when I return.” he said tersely, leaving her with those words before walking off.

Shu Wan blinked. It seemed like Shu Qi was really upset this time, and a scolding was inevitable. But so what? She had protected her villain properly! No grievances were suffered!

With that, Shu Wan rushed back to Yi Chenlan’s side, seeing him wiping his hands, still with a serious expression. She leaned in curiously to take a look. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, what happened to your hands? They’re so clean.”

Yi Chenlan shot her a look, a slight frown of reproach in his gaze. He tapped her lightly on the forehead. “Don’t be so reckless in the future.”

“I wasn’t reckless!” Shu Wan thought he was referring to what had just happened. She poked Yi Chenlan’s chest and scolded him: “You big fool! Tang Tianqin was obviously talking nonsense! Saying that Hall Master Chen got bitten by a snake because he was ‘mentally disturbed.’ What a load of rubbish! Their Bamboo Green Gang’s deaths were just an accident, and he tried to blame you for it, even demanding you cut off your own arm!”

The more Shu Wan spoke, the angrier she became. Without thinking, she gave Yi Chenlan’s forehead another tap. “And you! You’re so foolish! You actually agreed to it!”

Yi Chenlan, after being tapped by her, actually smiled. His eyes, bright and clear like the shine of a phoenix’s gaze, softened. He had originally thought that if the punishment were only a few slaps or being confined for a few days, he would endure it. But who would have known that Tang Tianqin would demand that he cut off his own arm? Shu Qi, of course, was happy to see it, and Yi Chenlan couldn’t just wait for death. He would have had to use poison to gamble, to kill Shu Qi and Tang Tianqin, and fight his way out of Zhongshan Sect.

Although the odds of success weren’t a hundred percent, there was a glimmer of hope. But… if it came to that, how much trauma would it leave on Shu Wan?

He didn’t want to resort to such drastic measures, but it seemed there were no other options left. Yet, once again, his hasty escape plan crumbled before it even began.

Yi Chenlan’s expression softened even further. The young girl in front of him, the only person who ever shielded him from the wind and rain, once again stood there, protecting him with her innocent and untainted presence.

For the first time, after being injured, he had received careful treatment…

For the first time, someone cared whether he felt pain…

For the first time, he wasn’t forced to kneel all night in a cold temple…

For the first time, he had received a birthday gift…

For the first time, he had been protected, cared for, and cherished.

The hard shell he had built throughout his life, bit by bit, had started to crack under her gentle touches. His once unyielding outer defenses fell apart in the face of her love and tenderness, revealing the fragile interior beneath.

It was then that he realized—when he was being oppressed, there would be someone like a furious little beast, shielding him, driving all malice away.

This hand, in his past life, had been severed by her own hands.

In this life, it was she who desperately protected it.

Yi Chenlan could hardly recall what Shu Wan had been like in his past life.

His memories were now entirely consumed by the image of this naive and bright young girl before him.

“You’re still smiling? You can still smile?” Shu Wan was nearly driven mad by Yi Chenlan’s gentle smile. He didn’t speak, just smiled, and she couldn’t handle it anymore. “If anyone dares to say such nonsense to you again, blaming you for things you didn’t do, you mustn’t be foolish and let them bully you! You have to argue with them, do you understand?”

Shu Wan suddenly slapped her forehead. Wait, with Shu Qi around, Yi Chenlan wouldn’t be able to fight back. “Forget it, forget it. I’ll just keep an eye on you at all times. If… if one day I’m not there and you get bullied again, don’t worry about anything else, just come find me, got it?”