When morning came, Liang Jun had already left. True to his word, he had also left the messenger dove, but Pei Nuo was still unsettled. She thought of informing Hu Rongming, but feared what kind of mess her shizun would make if she really did. That, or Hu Rongming would directly order her to not get involved and she couldn’t do that either.
After thinking about it for an entire morning and afternoon, Pei Nuo finally took one of their black hawks, wrote a message to Su Han, and sent it on its way.
On the other side, Liang Jun had left even before the sun came up. He had left a note to Hu Rongming, apologizing for his abrupt departure and explaining that he had remembered he had important business to attend to and that he had promised to meet up with a friend of his near Lingsi City.
With his sword, Liang Jun quickly traveled to the border between Xianping and Jianshi, the entire time, he tightly clutched the bloodstained note in his hand as his chest began to bubble with anxiety. Using the invisible tracking talisman hastily drawn on the note, Liang Jun followed it until it landed him in the northeast, near a cluster of woods that spanned far between Xianping and Jianshi without belonging to either territory.
Liang Jun tripped over himself as he landed. He quickly retrieved his sword and watched the piece of paper glow brighter and brighter the closer he got to wherever Xiu Lan had hidden. His eyes scanned the foliage and the fauna frantically until, suddenly, the piece of paper burst into a cold flame.
Liang Jun froze. He turned around and retraced his steps frantically. At what moment had the piece of paper caught fire?
He walked slowly, trying his best to catch any glimmer in the light that might signal a shield or barrier that could make Xiu Lan invisible. He watched the way the wind blew and took note of whether or not the leaves on the forest floor shifted. His gaze finally landed on an area between a relatively thin tree. There was nothing special about it and there wasn’t even a blood trail leading up to it, however, it would have been easy for Xiu Lan to exert herself a little more to clean up her trail.
Liang Jun concentrated his spiritual energy on the spot he had assumed to be her hiding space and directed it towards the barrier.
Upon coming into contact with another force, the barrier began to shimmer and, for just a moment, revealed Xiu Lan laying on the ground in a bloody mess.
Liang Jun’s brows furrowed. He exerted more force and directly shattered the barrier. He quickly took Xiu Lan into his arms. His eyes glazed over the bloodied leaves and before they abruptly erupted into flame. He looked down at the bloodless face that leaned feebly against his shoulder and quickly fled the scene as the flames ate away any remaining evidence in the area.
Liang Jun hesitated on where to go for a long time. If he returned to Screeching Sparrow Sect, he was sure to implicate everyone, but if he went somewhere else, he wasn’t sure if it would be safe enough for Xiu Lan.
After thinking for a moment, he landed again and propped Xiu Lan against a tree.
Her white and turquoise robes were soaked through with blood. Her back and arms were painted with lashes and welts. Her normally immaculate hair fell messily against her face and crimson masked her tender visage.
Liang Jun first lifted her wrist and sent a stream of spiritual energy into her. When he pulled back, he inserted a life-saving pill into her mouth before shuffling through her robes.
For Xiu Lan to send Liang Jun a cry for help, there was one of two options: One, it was someone from Drifting Clouds Mountain Sect that harmed her or two, the horrendous injuries on her body were fake, and this was a ploy to get Liang Jun to lead them to where Screeching Sparrow Sect was. If it was the former, Liang Jun could only flee with Xiu Lan until things blew over. If it was the latter…well, Liang Jun had never been one to cling onto severed relationships.
After a long time, he finally felt something against her ankle. It was a small bump that wasn’t her ankle bone. Liang Jun glanced up at Xiu Lan. After receiving the medicine, her face slowly regained a bit of color and the lighter of the wounds had already healed. He hesitated for a moment before steeling himself. He pulled out a dagger from his Qiankun pouch and quickly sterilized it with fire.
As if realizing what was happening, the bump began to writhe and move under Xiu Lan’s skin.
Liang Jun gripped the handle of the dagger in his mouth and tore the leg of his robe. He hurriedly wrapped Xiu Lan’s leg, tightening the cloth to cut off any blood flow, so the tracking worm couldn’t move to another part of her body. He finished the sterilization of the dagger and made a deep cut against her leg. Xiu Lan stirred in her sleep, but Liang Jun couldn’t stop the process.
The moment the flesh was cut, a worm slithered from the fresh wound and shot out at Liang Jun. Liang Jun quickly caught it and threw it to the ground. He spat out a fire spell and watched the worm burn and writhe until it was nothing but a pile of ashes.
Liang Jun shakily knelt back down and retied the ripped fabric around the ankle wound.
He breathed out a sigh of relief and sat down.
The only reason such a creature showed itself was all thanks to the life-saving pill that Fan Yi had personally created. It worked to not just heal injuries, but expel most poisons and expose any parasites.
Moments later, Xiu Lan coughed up a mouthful of blackened blood before settling down again.
Liang Jun looked down at the black blood with distaste and glanced up at Xiu Lan again. He let out a sigh and pressed his water canteen to her lips, making her at least drink a few sips before he sat back down. He knew he couldn’t stay long and he had already made his decision.
He strapped the water canteen back against his waist and hoisted Xiu Lan up. He had just gotten on his sword and was about to head away from Screeching Sparrow Sect when the pendant against his waist started to get uncomfortably hot. Liang Jun looked down at the black pendent and then back at Xiu Lan. He chose to ignore it, but the pendant really was getting unbelievably uncomfortable.
He gave up a few miles away and settled back down again. He sat down with Xiu Lan against him and uneasily answered.
“Hello?”
“Get your pretty ass back here this instant,” Ren Yizhou’s voice sounded through the pendent.
“S-Shizun?” Liang Jun’s eyes widened. He began to panic. “Wait, um, I can’t right now, I—”
“If you don’t come back here right now, I’ll find you myself,” Ren Yizhou said icily. “Su Han and Bai Qiu have already left to look for you. If I don’t see you with them or by yourself back at the gates of Screeching Sparrow Sect within three hours, I will personally descend this mountain to drag you back.”
“But—”
“I don’t care what’s happened,” Ren Yizhou continued, “But whatever you found, bring it back with you. It’s just a bit of trouble—what can’t our Screeching Sparrow Sect handle?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Liang Jun felt his nose sour a bit. He glanced down at Xiu Lan, who now looked only to be sleeping if not for her bloodied robes, and took a deep breath. “Alright, Shizun.”
“Three hours. You better make it back in three hours,” Ren Yizhou repeated, the sternness doing nothing to hide the concern in their voice.
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Tian Xiewen scoffed as soon as Liang Jun was within earshot. He aggressively messed up Liang Jun’s hair and glanced down at Xiu Lan in his arms, “What were you thinking about doing? Eloping with her?”
Liang Jun’s face immediately reddened. He shook his head and hurriedly jogged over to Su Han, who had just landed with Bai Qiu.
“Da-shixiong!” Liang Jun held Xiu Lan out to him. “Xiu Lan’s been plotted against.”
“Xiu…who?” Su Han stared blankly at Liang Jun and then looked down at the girl who laid limply in his arms. “This—isn’t this Li Ran’s eldest disciple!?”
“Yes, she is! But she was poisoned and she even had a tracker bug placed into her,” Liang Jun quickly explained. “I figured Li Ran was trying to figure out where our sect was, so I did a thorough check, but I’m not sure if it was even thorough enough, but I couldn’t just leave her like this in the woods. If our location is revealed because of this, I’ll take full responsibility, so—”
“Don’t think about that now,” Su Han allowed Xiu Lan to roll into his arms. He turned to Li Qing and Hua An’ting, “You two, go get me a basin of water and some gauze. I’ll take her to the medicinal hall. Liang Jun, if you already used the life-saving pill, then go get another one with Wen Yi.”
Su Han quickly sped off with Li Qing and Hua An’ting following after him.
Liang Jun stared dumbfoundedly for a moment before his knees finally gave out below him. However, instead of falling, a large arm came over to keep him steady. He looked up at the silver mask above him. Even with a mask on, Liang Jun could sense Bai Qiu’s exasperation.
“What were you thinking, really?” Bai Qiu sighed as he helped straighten up Liang Jun’s appearance. “If there’s something you’re troubled with, ask your elders for help,” his gaze trailed over to a disgruntled Tian Xiewen, “No one in this sect will abandon you.”
“Rich of you to be the one to say that,” Tian Xiewen huffed and walked back into the sect.
Pei Nuo sighed. “It was my fault. All the things I said must have scared him.”
“You’re half at fault,” Ren Yizhou agreed and then turned to Liang Jun, “But he’s an idiot for thinking of running away without even talking to us first.”
Wen Yi nodded. “You should have only thought to run after confirming we actually didn’t want you. What teenager runs first when they’re in trouble?”
“Well—I—it—” Liang Jun couldn’t come up with any plausible excuses. He looked up at Bai Qiu pleadingly.
“Alright, everything’s passed and he’s home,” Bai Qiu released Liang Jun after confirming that he could stand on his own two feet. “Just punish him a little and let it go.”
“You’re right,” Ren Yizhou nodded seriously. They turned their head to look at Liang Jun. “You must be punished so that you can remember the consequences of your actions today.”
Liang Jun gulped, but he still clasped his hands together dutifully, “Yes, Shizun. This disciple is willing to accept any punishment Shizun gives me.”
“Good,” Ren Yizhou folded their hands into their sleeves. “Then, you run five laps around the main area of the sect and scream ‘Screeching Sparrow Sect is the best, long live Sect Leader Fan’.”
“…Huh?” Liang Jun’s somber expression faded.
Pei Nuo coughed out a laugh as Wen Yi slowly averted her gaze, delight shining in her eyes. Bai Qiu’s stiff expression showed a crack and he lowered his head to prevent the others from seeing his smile. Liang Jun whipped his head between the remaining individuals and looked back at Ren Yizhou.
“I…I have to scream that?”
“Yes.”
“B-but—wait, Shizun, can’t I just copy sect rules a hundred times or something?” Liang Jun blubbered.
Ren Yizhou stared at Liang Jun with a deadpan expression, “You’ve been here for ten years, and you still think we have sect rules for you to copy? Run another lap.”
“Wait—wait, no, Shizun, but that’s so embarrassing!”
“If you keep protesting, I’ll add one more,” Ren Yizhou turned and began to walk back into the sect. “Wen Yi, you’re in charge of watching him!”
“Shizun!” Liang Jun shouted after Ren Yizhou.
“Remember—seven laps!” Ren Yizhou called back.
“That…” Liang Jun slowly deflated.
“Protest three more times to make it an even ten,” Pei Nuo suggested with a small smirk.
Liang Jun glared at Pei Nuo. “Why are you even here?”
“I was afraid the black hawk would get lost, so I came to personally deliver the message and then I was caught by your shizun,” Pei Nuo shrugged. “It’s a good thing I did, or else who knows what kind of stupid things you would have done.”
“Since you’re done, can you leave?” Liang Jun asked weakly.
“How could that be? I have to stay and watch you finish your punishment,” Pei Nuo said gloatingly.
Liang Jun looked at Wen Yi, but the young woman simply shook her head. “If you wait any longer, then you’ll have to do it while the disciples are heading to dinner—then being watched is absolutely unavoidable.”
Liang Jun groaned. He took a deep breath and began to walk back into the sect, followed by Bai Qiu and the other two. Once he was by the dining hall, he took a deep breath and began a steady jog around the sect, all the while screaming at the top of his lungs, “Screeching Sparrow Sect is the best, long live Sect Leader Fan!”
This will later become one of the only black spots in Liang Jun’s heroic history, but that is a story for another time.
The searing pain Xiu Lan expected when she woke up didn’t arrive. However, her eyelids were immensely heavy, as if she had slept for a long time, and her limbs felt very weak. She shifted and tried to open her eyes, but a gentle touch made her settle back down.
The touch was followed by an unfamiliar, but comforting voice, “Don’t move too much, Miss Xiu. Although your wounds have closed up, you should take care to be careful.”
Xiu Lan’s eyes slowly opened. The first person she saw was a slightly familiar face—one that was handsome enough to be good-looking, but not enough so to be unforgettable. The second person she saw was a little head that peered up at her from the bedside. The little head sported a pair of buns, which had lovely little blue butterflies protruding from it. Whenever she moved, the butterflies would sway, and her round eyes observed Xiu Lan worriedly.
“Jiejie, do you feel better?” Li Qing asked quietly. “Can you speak?”
“I…” Xiu Lan’s voice came out as a bit of a croak.
Su Han moved back to get Xiu Lan a cup of water and Li Qing quickly took his place. She placed her hands against the bed and rested her chin against the back of her palms. “Do you recognize us?”
Xiu Lan stared blankly at the little girl and slowly shook her head. “I just…recognize you two as Screeching Sparrow Sect’s disciples.”
“That’s enough,” Su Han helped Xiu Lan sit up and handed her the cup of water. He smiled, “After all, we haven’t been properly introduced.”
Xiu Lan quietly thanked Su Han for the cup of water and took careful sips. She stared blankly ahead for a moment before speaking again, “You’re not going to ask me any questions?”
“It’s pointless to question a patient,” Su Han said as he sat down behind where Li Qing knelt with a soft smile, “Besides, right now, you’re our Screeching Sparrow Sect’s guest. We only question captives and criminals.”
Xiu Lan glanced up and met Su Han’s gaze. His gentle eyes betrayed nothing, but Xiu Lan couldn’t bring herself to believe him. She averted her eyes. “How long was I asleep?”
“Three days,” Li Qing answered. She pouted, “We were so scared that you wouldn’t wake up again.”
“…Scared?” Xiu Lan glanced at the little girl at her bedside. “Why were you scared?”
“Because you would have died!” Li Qing exclaimed, the little blue butterflies on her head swaying as she jerked about, “Why wouldn’t we be scared?”
Xiu Lan fell silent again. Her eyes suddenly widened and she turned to Su Han with a pair of frantic eyes, “W-wait, I shouldn’t be here, I—”
“Are you worried about the tracker worm in your body?”
Xiu Lan stilled.
“If you are, then that was already dug out by Liang Jun,” Su Han said as he gently pressed Xiu Lan back down. “As for everything else, you only need to worry about that after you feel better.”
“Everything…else,” Xiu Lan repeated softly. She slumped against the headboard and looked down at her hands. “…What should I call you two?”
“My name is Su Han, this Li Qing. You can call me however you like,” Su Han said.
“You can call me Qingqing!” Li Qing said with a bright smile.
Xiu Lan smiled softly. “My name Xiu Lan…Young Master Su?”
“Yes?”
“The ‘everything else’ you spoke of,” Xiu Lan flexed her fingers, “Does it have something to do with my meridians?”
Li Qing’s eyes widened. She looked at Su Han behind her and then back to Xiu Lan.
“You can already feel it?” Su Han asked. The room fell silent until Su Han sighed again, “That’s right. Your meridians damaged. It won’t impede your daily life, but if you’re forced to overexert yourself at any time, your meridians will directly collapse and you may even die. And…it may impede on your cultivation advancements.”
“I-is there a way to fix it?” Li Qing tugged on Su Han’s sleeve.
“It’s not that there isn’t,” Su Han patted Li Qing’s head and looked at Xiu Lan. “The easiest way is nourishing your meridians and strengthening the meridian walls, so your spiritual energy can still flow through with ease. The harder way is completely reconstructing your meridians, but that requires the Fire Star Flower that blooms once every five-hundred-years.”
“In fact, it isn’t all that bad,” Xiu Lan said with a wry smile. “So long as I stay careful, then I’ll still be able to live as a cultivator, isn’t that right, Young Master Su?”
“…Yes. That’s correct.”
“Though, nourishing my meridians doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Xiu Lan met Su Han’s gaze. “I would be forever grateful if you could help me with that.”
Su Han nodded. “Then, since you’ve made your decision, I’ll get the herbs ready then. Li Qing, you stay here and keep Miss Xiu company.”
“Yes, Da-shixiong!” Li Qing chirped happily. She saw Su Han to the door before coming back and sitting down. “Xiu-jiejie, is there anything you want to know? I’ll answer to the best of my abilities!”
Xiu Lan stared at Li Qing for a long time before speaking again, “You really aren’t going to ask me anything?”
Li Qing grinned, “What are we going to ask you? Xiu-jiejie, you must not know this because you’re not from around here, but we in Jianshi never ask questions. My shizun said everyone in Jianshi has a story and they didn’t end up here for good things, but not everyone is willing to share it. Many came here for a fresh start, where they won’t be judged or criticized, so, asking questions would only dig up a painful past.”
Li Qing thought for a moment before continuing, “Just like how we’re close to my shizun and Tian-shishu and Ren-shishu, none of us knew who they were before Screeching Sparrow Sect. No one knows why Ren-shishu lost their eyes. No one knows why Tian-shishu is such a good weapons maker. No one knows where my shizun learned his amazing medical skills.”
Xiu Lan’s brows furrowed, “Even you all don’t know?”
“Nope! Because we’re taught not to ask,” Li Qing said. She straightened, “But not asking doesn’t mean ignoring! Xiu-jiejie, if you feel like someone really is a bad person, then avoid them. After all, there are all sorts of people who flee to Jianshi—obviously one of them will actually be a bad person.”
“Then, what about me?”
“Huh?”
“Do you think I’m a bad person?”
Li Qing shook here head. “I think you’re a good person. Wu-shishu loves you a lot and when you woke up, you even wanted to tell us about the tracking worm. If you were a bad person, you wouldn’t have said anything about it.”
“What if it was just because I felt that it had been dug out and I was trying to fool you?” Xiu Lan mused.
“Wu-shishu wouldn’t care for someone so much if they were that kind of person,” Li Qing said plainly.
Xiu Lan smiled. “You have that much faith in him?”
“I think Wu-shishu is a good person, so the people he cares for will naturally also be good people,” Li Qing explained. “And you’re one of the people that Wu-shishu cherishes, so, of course you’re a good person!”
Xiu Lan finally laughed. “That’s such circular reasoning.”
“I think it’s quite good,” Li Qing murmured. “Well, Shizun thinks Wu-shishu is a good person, and I trust Shizun, so I think that whoever Wu-shishu thinks is a good person is also a good person.”
Xiu Lan smiled and lightly pinched Li Qing’s cheek. “Thank you, Qingqing.”
Li Qing was not at all put off by Xiu Lan’s actions and even warmly held her wrist. “Then, Xiu-jiejie, do you feel like eating?”
“Um…”
“Just a little bit! It’s not good to leave your stomach empty for too long—not to mention you’ve been asleep for three days!” Li Qing said.
Under Li Qing’s intense stare, Xiu Lan finally nodded. Li Qing happily stood, “Then, I’ll tell the kitchen to cook you some congee!”
A/N: Liang Jun was ready to become his own xianxia protagonist 
Xiu Lan is in a very different sect but it looks like she’s adapting quickly.
And, I foresee a future where a specific type of punishment will be called “doing a Liang Jun” 😂.
oh Liang Jun will never live this down. And cultivators have long lives…RIP this man LOL (thanks for reading!)
Lol 🤣 How I missed this story! Thanks for chapter 💖💕❤️
aaa thanks for reading!!!! 😀
I do not know why, but I feel that the worm was just a decoy and smth is hidden in her mind ! I hope I am wrong !
Thanks for the chapter 🙂
YEEHAW, SHE LIVES!
i’m glad the sect dragged Liang Jun back;;;;