Chapter 3: The Demon’s Rebirth

His eyes were an incredibly clear shade of jet black, and his beautiful phoenix-shaped eyes held a trace of confusion, staring blankly at the white gauze curtain swaying gently above him, lost in thought for a long time.

Countless voices echoed endlessly in his mind.

“Yi Chenlan, you are alive only to atone for your sins. You don’t deserve to live.”

“Yi Chenlan, even a thousand cuts and a thousand stabs cannot repay your karmic debt.”

“Yi Chenlan, the Zhongshan Sect raised you, but you repay their kindness with ingratitude. You are truly a born wretch.”

“The Demon Lord Yi Chenlan must be eradicated, or the martial world will never be peaceful!”

“Kill him…”

“Kill him…”

A sudden sharp pain stabbed through his chest, as if a blade had pierced through him. 

The joyful voice of a man echoed in his ears: “The Demon Lord Yi Chenlan has been eliminated, and the world is at peace!”

“Young Hero Jiang is truly a hero among youth!”

“Young Hero Jiang has removed the threat from the martial world, and we are forever grateful!”

“Crush this Demon Lord to dust!”

He was dead…

He was dead.

But why could he still see? 

And where was he now? 

There was a faint fragrance in the air, a warm and clean scent. 

Who was standing beside him?

Yi Chenlan’s gaze slowly focused. 

He felt every part of his body in excruciating pain, and his legs hurt with a bone-deep agony. 

Maybe he wasn’t dead after all. If he were dead… he shouldn’t be feeling this pain.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, are you alright? You, you mustn’t move around, Uncle-Master Zhou just gave you an acupuncture treatment. Don’t hurt yourself.”

Shu Wan, seeing that Yi Chenlan hadn’t responded, finally couldn’t help but try speaking to him.

Yi Chenlan slowly turned his head. 

Standing at the foot of the bed was a young girl with clear apricot eyes, her black and white pupils filled with concern as she stared at him, looking somewhat dazed and adorable. She wore a light yellow robe, her body still immature, delicate like a tender bud on a branch in early spring.

It was her… it was Shu Wan…

But it didn’t seem like her.

Yi Chenlan closed his eyes, feeling that his mind was somewhat unclear. 

Didn’t Shu Wan die? 

She had died tragically, and he was the one who killed her. How could she be standing here, looking years younger than before?

And… why was she looking at him with such a gaze?

“Who are you?” Yi Chenlan found it hard to confirm, finally asking in a deep voice.

Huh? 

Was her male villain broken? 

Why didn’t he recognize her? 

Shu Wan naively introduced herself: “I’m Shu Wan, Senior Brother Ah Lan, you don’t remember me?”

Senior Brother Ah Lan? Yi Chenlan thought indifferently. 

It was true that she had once called him Senior Brother Ah Lan many years ago, but that was a long time ago. 

No matter what trick she was trying to play now, he wasn’t interested in knowing.

Yi Chenlan secretly gathered his internal energy in his palm, intending to strike. 

No matter if she was a person or a ghost, he would kill her again.

However, as soon as he moved his inner energy, he immediately felt the terrifying emptiness within his body. 

His meridians were sluggish, completely not resembling the state of his internal cultivation being perfected to the thirteenth level.

Yi Chenlan coughed, turning his head to spit out a mouthful of dark red blood.

This startled Shu Wan. 

Didn’t Zhou Yuan say he was fine? 

Why was he coughing up blood all of a sudden? 

Such a weak villain stirred a strong sense of protectiveness within Shu Wan.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, you, you mustn’t be anxious, lie down and relax, breathe… yes, yes, don’t move. I’ll go get Uncle-Master Zhou right away!”

Shu Wan chattered on, finishing her instructions, and gently used a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of Yi Chenlan’s mouth before quickly running out to find Zhou Yuan.

Yi Chenlan felt disgusted when Shu Wan came close. 

He tried to turn his head to avoid her hand, but even though he turned slightly, he still couldn’t avoid the soft, clean handkerchief.

Yi Chenlan momentarily lost focus: she was wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth…

He looked at the empty doorway, remembering that Shu Wan had said something like: “I’ll go get Uncle-Master Zhou.”

What did “get him back” mean? 

Had Zhou Yuan just been here? 

He had nearly destroyed the entire Zhongshan Sect, and Zhou Yuan hated him to the core—how could he possibly be treating his wounds?

Yi Chenlan’s gaze shifted to his own legs, which were covered in golden needles. It was obvious that this was the work of the “Golden Needle Divine Doctor.” Zhou Yuan.

He cautiously pushed himself up using his elbow, then froze. 

He gazed at his intact arm in confusion. 

He looked around and finally realized where he was.

This was the Jingtong Pavilion, which he had completely burned down.

Piecing everything together, Yi Chenlan came to an absurd conclusion: Shu Wan had become younger, his martial arts were nearly lost, yet his arm was still intact, Zhou Yuan was treating him, and the Jingtong Pavilion hadn’t been destroyed…

It seemed that he had been reborn.

This explanation made sense of everything. 

Yi Chenlan slowly clenched his fists, a self-mocking expression appearing in his phoenix eyes. 

Was the heavens playing such a cruel joke on him?

All he had asked for was one form of freedom, and even that humble request could not be granted?

He hadn’t died, and now he had to live again.

Was he really so eager to live?

Yi Chenlan felt an icy chill in his heart. 

He slightly curled the corners of his lips. 

Does it really matter if he lived again? 

It wasn’t like he hadn’t tried. 

He had been humble and respectful—he honored his teachers, and carried the hatred of the world that had been passed from his father onto him without complaint. 

He had longed to live with dignity, hoping one day to escape his father’s shadow.

But it was all useless. 

No matter how hard he tried, the result was always the same—humiliation, trampling, verbal abuse, and torment. 

Everything he did was wrong—simply existing was wrong.

No matter how many times he was reborn, he would always be nothing more than a tool for others to vent their hatred.

In his previous life, he had paid many prices before realizing this. 

Yi Chenlan stared at his right hand, his eyes filled with a touch of madness and bloodlust. 

But not this time. 

This time, he had already recognized the reality early on, and he would start doing what he truly needed to do.

He would stir up even greater storms in Jianghu. 

He would turn this world into a true hell…

“Aiyo, Uncle-Master Zhou, why are you walking so slowly? With your martial arts, how can you walk slower than me? Come on, let me help you up the steps!”

The soft, clear voice of a young girl grew louder as she approached. Yi Chenlan glanced at the door and smiled faintly, dark thoughts bubbling in his mind—one by one, they were coming. He would start with her.

He wouldn’t give her another chance to sever his arm.