Chapter 5: Protecting him Devotedly

After she finished speaking, Yi Chenlan finally, for the first time, gave her a serious look. 

This life’s Shu Wan was a bit strange; when she was of this age in the past, she had never said such things.

Yi Chenlan lowered his gaze and thought. The kindness he had received could be counted on one hand, and if Shu Wan had ever said such words, he would have remembered them.

However, Yi Chenlan only spaced out for a moment. 

Now, what good was gentleness? 

In two years, when she became more sensible, she would likely go back to humiliating him to the utmost.

Considering that she had said this today, he decided that he would carefully prepare the poison, making sure that she wouldn’t die too painfully.

Yi Chenlan gently touched the fluffy top of Shu Wan’s head and smiled slightly. “Nonsense, the Blazing Sun Manual is Master’s unique technique. Whoever it is to be passed on to must be decided by Master. How could Wan Wan give it to me privately? Don’t speak such childish foolish words again.”

Her villainous family member was truly too kind, which made Shu Wan extremely frustrated. 

The Blazing Sun Manual was created by your father! It originally belonged to you!

In any case, Shu Wan was determined to make sure Yi Chenlan would study the Blazing Sun Manual. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, don’t worry. I will think of a way to ensure that you learn it properly, and no one will be able to speak ill of it.”

Yi Chenlan furrowed his brows and was about to speak, but suddenly, the door to his room was kicked open. “Yi Chenlan! So, you are here! Sect Master has punished you with confinement in the water prison for reflection, yet you dared to sneak back here! You’re truly rebellious!”

The person sneered coldly. “Go to the Disciplinary Hall, Sect Master is waiting for you!”

The Disciplinary Hall was the Zhongshan Sect’s court of punishment. Shu Wan looked at the man with a displeased expression, and from his sharp voice and mannerisms, she guessed that he must be Shu Qi’s attendant, Zhao Zhun.

This person handled all sorts of dirty work for Shu Qi and was greatly trusted by him. 

Neither of the two, master and servant, were good people; he was essentially the one who collaborated in disgraceful schemes, the fox that borrowed the tiger’s power to intimidate others.

Zhao Zhun managed the various trivial matters of Zhongshan Sect and often tormented Yi Chenlan in his daily work. 

What was described in the book was one thing, but seeing it with her own eyes was another. His attitude when speaking to Yi Chenlan immediately ignited a small spark of anger in Shu Wan:

“Steward Zhao, is this how you speak to Zhongshan Sect’s Sect Master’s second Disciple on a daily basis?”

Zhao Zhun hadn’t noticed Shu Wan when he entered, but he quickly began to smile awkwardly. “I didn’t see the esteemed Miss here just now, my apologies, my apologies. Sect Master is already at the Disciplinary Hall, I was only afraid that Sect Master might be waiting too long and I didn’t want to neglect him.”

Shu Wan smiled disdainfully. “That’s a separate matter. Just because you wouldn’t dare neglect my father, does that mean you can be so casual with his Disciple?”

Cold sweat began to bead on Zhao Zhun’s forehead. 

Shu Qi loved his daughter dearly, and no one in Zhongshan Sect dared to offend this little tyrant. “Please, esteemed Miss… don’t make things difficult for me…”

When Yi Chenlan saw Zhao Zhun, past events rushed to his mind, and he almost couldn’t suppress the hostility rising within him. 

However, before he could speak, Shu Wan actually spoke up on his behalf.

Yi Chenlan thought for a moment and finally smiled, shaking his head at Shu Wan. “Wan Wan, don’t be willful. If Master calls for me, I must go immediately.”

Shu Wan stopped him with concern. “But your leg…”

“It’s fine. I can remove it.” Yi Chenlan didn’t mind at all and quickly pulled out the golden needles one by one. He needed Shu Qi to take action against him, throw him into the water prison, or some other place of confinement. 

He could then slip out unnoticed, kill Shu Wan, hide her body, and throw Zhongshan Sect into chaos. That way, he could escape while the sect was in disarray.

“Then… then I’ll go with you.” Shu Wan said, still uneasy. Right now, her  villain was still a frail little flower, and she needed to keep a close eye on him. She couldn’t let him be bullied by others.

Yi Chenlan quietly looked at her and smiled. “Alright.”

———

On the way, Yi Chenlan walked slowly, clearly in severe pain in his legs. 

Shu Wan felt a pang of sorrow in her heart and desperately wracked her brain, trying to figure out how to protect Yi Chenlan from her father.

After thinking for a long time without any clear solution, she angrily cursed herself as a fool in her mind.

When they arrived at the Disciplinary Hall, several stern-faced senior disciples were seated inside. 

Shu Wan glanced around, and when she saw the middle-aged man seated at the main seat, she deeply felt that this person was indeed a living, breathing version of Shu Qi—more refined and upright than anyone else in the room, but there was just something about him that felt off.

Shu Wan had grown up in an orphanage and had never seen her parents. Suddenly, having a “father” of her own creation was a strange feeling, especially since she clearly knew he wasn’t a good person. It felt strangely complicated.

Shu Qi, who had been frowning, eased slightly when he saw Shu Wan had arrived. “Wan Wan, what are you doing here? The Disciplinary Hall is not a place for you, go outside.”

Shu Wan hesitated for a moment, then ran to Shu Qi’s side, showing a naive smile. “I just wanted to watch the excitement, Father need not worry about me.”

Shu Qi affectionately pinched Shu Wan’s nose before turning his head, his expression immediately turning stern. “Ah Lan, you stole the Forbidden Technique ‘Floating Heart Sutra’ to learn it in secret. I’ve punished you with reflection, yet you secretly ran away. Such blatant rebellion, showing no remorse—kneel down now!”

Shu Wan had been thinking about her next move when she suddenly heard the name “Floating Heart Sutra.” and a flash of inspiration struck her. She quickly came up with a plan.

“Floating Heart Sutra? Senior Brother Ah Lan didn’t take the Floating Heart Sutra.”