Chapter 22: Clumsy Protection

For the past month, Jiang Yang had been away, and the perspective in the book followed him, so Shu Wan did not know what would happen at the Zhongshan Sect. Fortunately, Shu Qi had been very busy and had no time to find ways to trouble Yi Chenlan. The two of them had peacefully practiced martial arts for an entire month.

However, once Jiang Yang returned, Shu Wan became nervous again.

Jiang Yang had the persona of a wild monkey—lively, active, and always running around the mountains. After having left the mountain once and seen the beautiful sights outside, he couldn’t stay still when he came back. He spent his time playing and eventually caused trouble.

Unknowingly, he accidentally released a prisoner who had been locked away in the forbidden area on the back mountain—Shu Wan’s subordinate, Shi Tianlei.

This big brother was a brute, full of raw strength but lacking in brains, and having been imprisoned for many years, he had become almost half-mad. Once released, he went wild searching for his young master, killing many disciples of Zhongshan Sect along the way. He even killed his way to Shu Qi, demanding that he hand over his young master.

Shu Qi asked him: “How did you manage to escape?”

The big brother proudly answered: “Naturally, it was my young master who released me. His voice is exactly the same as my master’s when he was young!”

Everyone’s eyes immediately fell on Yi Chenlan.

Shu Qi’s heart dropped. After so many years, most people who had been fortunate enough to meet Yi Heng or heard his voice were no longer present. Even those who were still around hardly remembered his voice.

But Shu Qi would never forget, and he immediately realized who had released Shi Tianlei.

He couldn’t expose Jiang Yang. If he did, his own secret of switching children would be revealed, and his reputation would be tarnished. Fortunately, Yi Chenlan was always on his own, and no one knew his whereabouts. Shu Qi quickly thought to himself, and before Yi Chenlan could speak, he slapped him hard on the chest, injuring him severely and causing him to be unable to say a word.

Soon after, the angry Shi Tianlei was killed by Zhongshan Sect’s masters, and the wounded Yi Chenlan was thrown into a water dungeon, imprisoned for over a year.

That year was when he realized that no matter what he did, he would never be treated kindly. No matter how hard he tried, the deep hatred others had for his bloodline could never be erased. It marked the beginning of his descent into darkness.

Shu Wan looked at Jiang Yang before her. The incident where he unintentionally released Shi Tianlei had happened after he returned from Wuchuan Valley. She didn’t know the exact date, but she knew it was a rainy day.

“Little Junior Sister? Wan Wan? What are you daydreaming about?”

“Huh? Oh.” Shu Wan snapped back to reality: “You appeared so suddenly, I didn’t react in time. Senior Brother Ah Yang, how was it? Was it fun outside?”

“Fun? It was more than fun.” Jiang Yang laughed loudly. “Once I went outside, I realized that staying at Mount Pochen every day was incredibly boring. Outside, there are lakes and seas where you can row boats and fish, the streets are lively, and at night, there are temple fairs—so much fun! Wan Wan, if there’s a chance in the future, I’ll take you to see!”

Shu Wan’s curiosity, however, was focused on something else. “Senior Brother Ah Yang, have you met the Lord of Wuchuan Valley? What is she like? Is she incredibly beautiful?”

Jiang Yang glanced at Shu Wan, and his expression seemed a little guilty. “She… she’s just ordinary. A regular woman. I didn’t pay much attention to her, but I suppose she’s not as beautiful as Junior Sister you.”

Huh? What kind of answer was that? She had clearly wanted to hear him describe the female protagonist’s appearance, but he said—ordinary? How could that be! She had spent so much effort describing the female protagonist as being as beautiful as a celestial immortal!

Well, she thought, if there’s a chance, she’ll see for herself. “Alright then, Senior Brother Ah Yang. It’s so late, are you still going to visit my father? If so, I’ll head back now.”

“Oh, alright.” Jiang Yang scratched his head, not understanding why Little Junior Sister seemed a little distant.

Perhaps it was because it was so late and she was tired. Jiang Yang quickly dismissed the thought, waved his hand, and said: “I’m going to report to Master. Wan Wan, get some rest early!”

…

Shu Wan was troubled with her thoughts and didn’t sleep well the whole night. In the morning, she got up, looked out at the continuous rain, and showed an expression full of determination.

She didn’t know which rainy day would mark the start of her storyline, but she decided that every rainy day would be her battlefield!

Shu Wan quickly grabbed an umbrella and walked out. She had already made up her mind. In order to prevent Yi Chenlan from being wrongfully accused, she first needed to provide an alibi for him, proving that Shi Tianlei could not possibly have been released by him. Secondly, to avoid him being injured, when Shi Tianlei appeared before Shu Qi, Yi Chenlan must not conveniently be by Shu Qi’s side.

One witness for the alibi wouldn’t be enough; she needed another person with enough weight to their words. Someone like Song Anzhi would never help Yi Chenlan, and after going through her options, there was only one suitable person.

“Wan Wan, aren’t we practicing martial arts today? Why are you leading me this way?” Yi Chenlan glanced at Shu Wan and subtly tilted the umbrella in her direction.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, we’re taking a break today. How about we go learn some medical skills from Uncle-Master Zhou?” In the rain, Shu Wan’s beautiful face became even more radiant, her clear eyes fresh and lovely, spotless and pure.

Yi Chenlan’s Adam’s apple moved up and down. He paused for a moment, then turned his gaze forward, as if seriously focusing on the road. “…Why suddenly want to learn medicine?”

“Ah, just learning a bit, you know? Not aiming for great accomplishments or anything.” Shu Wan giggled a few times. “When we walk the Jianghu in the future, we’re bound to encounter some small illnesses and injuries. We’ll need to know how to treat ourselves. Just imagine—if we accidentally fall into a valley and break a leg, and we don’t know anything, can’t call for help… how tragic would that be, right?”

Clearly, Yi Chenlan’s focus was different from hers. “You’re not going to fall into a valley and break your leg.”

He pressed his lips together. “Don’t talk about such hypotheticals.”

“Oh… well, anyway, you get the idea. It never hurts to have more skills.”

Yi Chenlan looked at her with a smile in his eyes. “Mm. Walk slowly, don’t get your shoes wet.”

As they entered Zhou Yuan’s courtyard, wrapped in a light mist, Zhou Yuan was busy poking several metal needles into himself with half-closed eyes. When he saw them, there was no surprise or joy on his face, no expression at all. “What are you two here for?”

Shu Wan flashed a bright smile. “Uncle-Master Zhou, we wanted to learn some medical skills from you.”

Yi Chenlan also looked at Zhou Yuan, and upon recognizing him, he suddenly froze for a moment.

“Learn medicine? Why suddenly want to learn medicine?” Zhou Yuan didn’t notice Yi Chenlan’s gaze, and with a baffled glance, he scanned them, his expression showing a hint of disdain. “Do you two even have the talent for it?”

“Of course, we can’t reach Uncle-Master Zhou’s level, haha.” Shu Wan quickly said, noticing the clear disapproval in his gaze. She forced a smile, feeling a bit pitiful. “We just… want to learn a little bit about treating injuries. Just a little.”

She showed a tiny gap with her thumb and index finger.

Yi Chenlan turned his face, observing her innocent and naive appearance. He slightly lowered his head, hiding the upward curve of his lips. This action, though, made Zhou Yuan mistakenly perceive him as a little shy.

Somehow, he found himself charmed by Shu Wan and Yi Chenlan’s earnest and studious attitude. He spoke slowly: “Fine. After all, you two will be walking Jianghu, so knowing a little about treating injuries might be useful. I can teach you, but don’t bother me too much.”

“No problem, no problem!” Shu Wan happily agreed without hesitation.

Rest assured, Uncle-Master Zhou, we promise not to disturb you every day—we’ll just come on rainy days!

“Wan Wan, don’t handle that, it’ll hurt your hands. Give it to me.”

Shu Wan stared blankly as Yi Chenlan unceremoniously took the bundle of herbs from her. She blinked and carefully tugged at Yi Chenlan’s sleeve. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, are you angry?”

“Talking nonsense, why would I be angry?” Yi Chenlan stacked the herbs neatly and lightly tapped Shu Wan’s forehead with a smile.

“Uncle-Master Zhou didn’t teach us anything, he just sent us to sort herbs… looks like it’ll take us a whole day to finish, huh…”

Yi Chenlan smiled. “Pay attention. These herbs can be used for treating injuries.”

“Huh? How do you know that?” Shu Wan’s eyes widened as she looked at him. “And you knew that the herbs from earlier could hurt your hands too—Senior Brother Ah Lan, you’re really amazing!”

Yi Chenlan lowered his head, his pale ears slightly reddened. Thankfully, they were hidden in his damp black hair, so no one could see. “Mm. I’ve skimmed through a few medical books.”

Right, her villain was supposed to be knowledgeable. As long as there were books to read, he would immerse himself in them. Shu Wan happily ran over to another bundle of herbs. “Then I’ll sort these.”

“Wait.” Yi Chenlan called out to her helplessly. “These aren’t good either. They have thorns. Go sort the ones over there.”

He pointed to the herbs on the nearby table. These had been trimmed and looked much easier to handle.

Shu Wan glanced at the long, dark herbs on the ground, all messy and tangled, and thought about how a person like Yi Chenlan—someone who seemed as if he were a celestial being—had to do this kind of work. A little guilt surged in her heart. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, I didn’t expect this… I’m sorry for making you do this.”

“Sorry?” Yi Chenlan murmured the word, lifting his gaze to look at Shu Wan. His eyes, shining with a soft, bright hue, seemed to fill the dim room with warmth. “There’s no need to apologize. I like it.”

No insults, no humiliation, no torment, no degradation. In this room, filled with the fresh scent of herbs, there were only him and Wan Wan.

In both of his lifetimes, only the calm before his death could compare to the peace of this moment.

But that calm was merely that—peace, without a trace of joy.

Yi Chenlan lowered his head again to tie up the herbs, and suddenly, as if casually, he said: “Wan Wan, Uncle-Master Zhou’s hairpin looks quite special. What do you think?”

Shu Wan hadn’t expected him to bring that up. She felt a bit guilty and rubbed her nose.

“That… that was a gift I gave to Uncle-Master Zhou.” she said, feeling somewhat embarrassed. It was originally meant to be a birthday present for Jiang Yang, something the original owner of the book had gone to great lengths to prepare, but it had been tossed into a cupboard. A few days ago, seeing Zhou Yuan’s disheveled appearance, using a broken tree branch to tie his hair, she thought it was too shabby. So, she had casually given him the ugly silver hairpin.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, do you like that hairpin?” Shu Wan suddenly realized. She’d given Yi Chenlan a gift before, but she’d never seen him wear it.

“No, I don’t like it.” Yi Chenlan immediately denied it.

“Oh…” Shu Wan nodded, her eyes flicking as if she wanted to say something.

Yi Chenlan, ever perceptive, remained silent for a long time. Finally, he caved under her innocent, adorable gaze. He bent his finger and lightly tapped her nose, saying vaguely: “…Go on, don’t overthink it.”

He kept the unspoken words to himself.

“I only like the one you gave me.”