I Ran Away with the Scumbag's White Moonlight Chapter 33

"Who is this medicine for?" Shi Jingxian flipped through the plot supplement pack again, only to find, regretfully, that it didn't specify.

Due to premeditated schemes and betrayals, Xuanyuan Nan's plundering of the Martial Arts World was like a hot knife through butter, encountering almost no resistance. This allowed him to focus more on dealing with his brothers, leaving little screen time for the righteous sects.

The supplement pack did include parts where Xuanyuan Nan humiliated Bai Qinglian after capturing him, but these contents were private to the task characters and couldn't be viewed in detail. Shi Jingxian searched repeatedly but couldn't figure out Bai Qinglian's background.

Thinking back to Ji Xuanran's identity issue in the last task, it seemed these details could only be unlocked by Shi Jingxian himself.

Due to repeatedly reviewing the expression supplement pack, by the time Shi Jingxian returned to the young master's body, it was almost noon. He reached out to remove the towel from his eyes, and the medicine boy was nowhere to be seen in the room, leaving only Xiao Yi.

Seeing the young master awake, Xiao Yi quickly stepped forward to take the towel. He said that someone from the Sect Leader's side had come earlier, but seeing the young master asleep, they didn't wake him, only saying to invite the young master for lunch.

Even though Shi Jingxian was well aware of the Demon Sect's indulgence towards the young master, he was still occasionally reminded of it.

When he arrived at the reception hall, he found that it was already past noon, and everyone had arrived early, but since the young master wasn't present, they hadn't even served the dishes, nor did anyone urge them.

As he stepped into the hall, a group of people who had been waiting for a long time all turned to look at him, and even Shi Jingxian felt a bit of pressure.

But this pressure was quickly overshadowed by another matter—Shi Jingxian was surprised to find that Bai Qinglian hadn't left.

He was sitting at the right side of the main table, his snow-white clothes standing out among the dark-robed hall masters and left and right protectors, looking somewhat out of place.

The young master's seat was on the left side of the main table. Shi Jingxian walked over and sat down, and only then did the left protector signal for the dishes to be served.

The Sect Leader explained concisely, "Sect Leader Bai will be staying at the Demon Sect for a while. He will discuss the treatment of nasal inflammation with the right protector."

The Sect Leader actually intended to have Bai Qinglian help with the treatment? Shi Jingxian agreed on the surface but was puzzled inside.

Weren't the righteous and demonic factions supposed to be at odds? How did they suddenly start helping each other?

He couldn't help but glance at the Sect Leader, only to find that the other seemed somewhat absent-minded.

The Sect Leader's distraction became increasingly apparent. After the meal was served, he habitually picked food for the young master, who also habitually accepted it into his bowl. Although Shi Jingxian had already learned about Ling Yao's preferences from the plot, eating what the Sect Leader picked for him was clearly more in line with the character.

However, Shi Jingxian hadn't eaten much when a large, bright red, shiny object appeared in his bowl.

—He looked down to see that half of his bowl was now dominated by a plump, round lantern pepper.

Shi Jingxian: ...Even if this pepper was given by a beauty, it's really not something I can handle.

Since it was already in his bowl, Shi Jingxian couldn't just take it out. He pushed the ostentatious lantern pepper to the side of the bowl and decided to find someone to answer his questions.

The Sect Leader was still distracted, so Shi Jingxian called out to Bai Qinglian.

"Sect Leader Bai," he asked, "how did you know I have nasal inflammation?"

Bai Qinglian rarely moved his chopsticks, like an immortal who lived on dew rather than earthly food. Upon hearing this, he turned his gaze over, his inorganic silver eyes sending a slight chill down one's spine.

This time, the white moonlight was a bit too cold, Shi Jingxian thought to himself, like the moon in the dead of winter.

However, when Bai Qinglian looked at Shi Jingxian and spoke, the chilling aura around him seemed to recede a bit.

"I have someone close to me with similar symptoms to the young master," Bai Qinglian's voice was like the ripples of a cold pond, low and ethereal, but because his pupils reflected the young master's image, it finally seemed a bit more human.

"So I made this guess."

With the immunity from Lan Luohai before, and now the Sect Leader and the young master's own stunning looks, Shi Jingxian had become somewhat accustomed to the extraordinarily high attractiveness in the task. He asked, "Has Sect Leader Bai's close one been cured?"

Bai Qinglian nodded.

After seeing Bai Qinglian's ending in the plot supplement pack, Shi Jingxian's impression of him had slightly softened. But due to the core issue of avenging his father's death, this change wasn't significant. However, if Bai Qinglian truly had a method to cure Ling Yao's nasal inflammation, it could offset some of the hatred, and Shi Jingxian could opt for a simpler, less labor-intensive method of revenge.

Shi Jingxian decided to believe him for now and congratulated him, "May I ask Sect Leader Bai, how is this treatment method implemented? Is it through medication, or...?"

The Demon Sect had previously sought out famous doctors and tried all sorts of safe methods, but they had never managed to cure the nasal inflammation. Having been sick for so long, Shi Jingxian wanted to assess the feasibility of Bai Qinglian's method.

Unexpectedly, Bai Qinglian shook his head and said calmly, "It's not through medicine, but a mental technique."

"Mental technique?" Shi Jingxian paused, "Sect Leader Bai, are you referring to a martial arts mental technique?"

Bai Qinglian nodded, "Once the details are settled, I will hand over the mental technique to Sect Leader Ling."

Can practicing martial arts cure illness?

Shi Jingxian was full of questions. Perhaps his confusion was too evident, as Bai Qinglian added, "This mental technique is unrelated to internal energy and won't conflict with the path the young master is currently on."

Shi Jingxian wasn't worried about that. Although the young master was young, he was a martial arts fanatic with strong learning and imitation abilities. He had studied all the martial arts and techniques the Demon Sect could find. Now, the young master's martial arts were quite different from the Sect Leader's, with many techniques learned from external sources. If Bai Qinglian really wanted to deceive him with a martial arts mental technique, it would be easier to use medicine.

"I was just thinking, aren't mental techniques something that requires long-term practice? It's hard to say what effect it will have in a short time..."

"It indeed requires gradual nurturing and should not be neglected," Bai Qinglian said naturally, "but there's no need to worry too much. During the treatment period, I will assist from the side to help the young master recover as soon as possible."

The more Shi Jingxian listened, the more he felt something was off.

First, the Demon Sect Leader was hosting the future Martial Alliance Leader as a guest, and now the righteous sect leader was personally helping the Demon Sect's young master with his illness...

He couldn't help but ask, "Sect Leader Bai, will you be with me the whole time?"

Bai Qinglian not only agreed but also emphasized again, "This method has been proven and will definitely cure the young master's condition."

...That's not what I meant.

Shi Jingxian cleared his throat, "I'm not doubting the effectiveness of the mental technique, just worried that practicing for too long might delay Sect Leader Bai's matters."

Bai Qinglian remained expressionless, but Shi Jingxian inexplicably felt that the cold aura around him seemed to have faded a bit, and even his snow-white clothes had taken on a hint of warmth.

He said calmly, "It won't."

The Sect Leader, sitting between them, finally snapped out of his daze. Hearing this conversation, he couldn't help but frown.

The others at the main table had varied expressions. They clearly hadn't expected such an inexplicable atmosphere to appear at a table that usually only had fatherly love and filial piety.

The Sect Leader frowned in displeasure, glancing at Bai Qinglian, then turned his gaze back to the young master. It was then that he noticed the large lantern pepper in the child's bowl, and the young master was so focused on talking to Bai Qinglian that he wasn't paying attention to eating.

Recalling the reason for taking in Nan Ren, the Sect Leader's wariness of Bai Qinglian deepened. He even began to suspect that the young master was once again bewitched by beauty, which was why he mistakenly picked the pepper and wasn't eating properly.

The more the Sect Leader thought about it, the more displeased he became. Seeing the young master trying to bypass him to talk to Bai Qinglian, he directly called out, "Ya'er."

Ling Yao turned his head, asking softly, "Dad, what's up?"

The Sect Leader almost couldn't keep a straight face at this address, pausing before saying, "Focus on your meal."

No distractions, especially not because of looking at someone!

With him watching, the young master obediently finished his meal without picking the wrong food again.

As a result, the white sect leader sitting on the right side of the main table didn't get to say another word to the young master. After the meal, he was directly called away by the right protector.

Shi Jingxian had some sweet tea with the Sect Leader before leaving with the left protector. His eyes had improved significantly, and he carried medicine with him. According to the original course plan, the afternoon was supposed to be spent learning the sect's rules and handling affairs with the left protector.

The left protector was responsible for the sect's punishments and rewards, while the right protector managed finances and accounting. They would pre-process the sect's affairs before presenting the most important parts to the Sect Leader.

Both the left and right protectors were under thirty, direct disciples of the previous protectors, and of the same generation as the young master. They were cultivated by the Sect Leader to be the young master's right-hand men, absolutely loyal to him.

This was why they were chosen as the young master's instructors, teaching him how to handle sect affairs in the most appropriate way.

However, this teaching changed after Xuanyuan Nan arrived.

Xuanyuan Nan had been exposed to various affairs early in the palace and had served in the Six Ministries. After a long period of waiting, he finally "coincidentally" helped the young master solve problems left by the two protectors.

Once the precedent was set, the rest was easy. Not long after, the young master regarded Xuanyuan Nan as his study companion, asking him about any problems he couldn't solve. Xuanyuan Nan used this opportunity to access the Demon Sect's internal affairs, meticulously uncovering its details.

Now, with two months left before the righteous sects' extermination of the Demon Sect, Xuanyuan Nan had already uncovered a lot, but it wasn't beyond redemption. Using Ling Yao's memories, Shi Jingxian diligently studied with the left protector all afternoon, preparing to secretly alter the Demon Sect's plans at the right time, catching Xuanyuan Nan off guard.

Shi Jingxian's earnest study was entirely for Ling Yao and the Demon Sect's sake, but he didn't expect that after successfully completing all the tasks unknown to the left protector, the latter would pull out a round, plump, milky white porcelain bottle from his sleeve.

"Brother Yan...?" Shi Jingxian was puzzled, "What's this?"

The left protector still looked like a stern instructor, but there was a hint of gratification in his expression.

"These are sugar balls, a reward for the young master getting everything right."

Shi Jingxian: ...

He took the porcelain bottle, thinking, getting candy for answering correctly, these people really are raising a child.

The porcelain bottle was exquisite, clearly not an ordinary item. As soon as he opened the stopper, a sweet fragrance wafted out. Shi Jingxian looked at the bottle full of snow-white sugar balls wrapped in frosted sugar and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Yan, where did this candy come from?"

Using such an expensive porcelain bottle to hold sugar balls didn't seem like something a regular pastry shop would do.

Sure enough, the left protector said, "This was given to me by Zhi Ling, saying it could be tasted as a snack or eaten while handling affairs. But I'm not fond of it, found it too sweet after a few tries, so I saved it for the young master."

Zhi Ling was the right protector's courtesy name, sounding like a girl's name, but actually belonging to a big shot who could poison a crowd with a wave of his hand. So few people called him by this name, only the left protector of equal rank would do so.

However, if it was something the right protector specifically prepared for the left protector... Shi Jingxian glanced at the porcelain bottle a few more times, thinking it should be fine for the young master to eat, right?

Thinking it over, he poured one into his palm and rolled it into his mouth with his tongue.

The sugar ball's outer layer melted instantly, and the sweet flavor quickly filled his mouth. The inside was soft, chewy, and slightly sticky, with a faint minty sweetness flowing out when bitten, making the texture and taste quite exceptional.

Shi Jingxian was immediately captivated by these sugar balls, which were like soft candies with fillings. He ate them while listening to the left protector's summary and explanation, and before he knew it, he had consumed half the bottle.

Only when he considered that eating too much might be bad for his teeth did Shi Jingxian reluctantly return the porcelain bottle to the left protector, planning to eat more next time he came for lessons.

Leaving the left protector, it was nearly dusk. Shi Jingxian stretched his muscles, which were a bit sore from sitting too long, and leaped onto a nearby roof.

He intended to stretch his muscles and decided to walk along the rooftops. After all, there were sentries everywhere in the Demon Sect, so no one would really be startled by him.

The young master's lightness skill was also a blend of various styles, ultimately forming a method most suitable for him. Although his lightness skill wasn't yet perfect, it was far ahead of others, and now he could walk on narrow eaves and brick walls as if on flat ground.

It wasn't until he passed by Xinglin Hall that Shi Jingxian stopped.

The outer wall of Xinglin Hall was narrow, and the wall itself was a bit high. Shi Jingxian couldn't find a suitable foothold, so he stepped onto the crown of an ancient locust tree outside the wall, propping his elbow on the wall to look inside.

Inside Xinglin Hall stood two people, one being the right protector just mentioned, and the other being Bai Qinglian, who was visiting today. They seemed to be discussing the mental technique, both with serious expressions.

The setting sun slanted westward, and Shi Jingxian leaned on the wall, watching the brilliant sunset burn like crimson silk, yet it failed to cast a warm hue on Bai Qinglian's white clothes.

Unlike the patient sect leader at the luncheon, Bai Qinglian now exuded a chilling aura, like millennium-old ice that had been frozen for too long to melt.

Shi Jingxian wondered if this righteous sect leader's temperament was related to temperature. Was he warmer at noon when the sun was out, and did he freeze again at night?

He had heard that this sect leader lived on a snowy mountain, so if he moved to the tropics, would he become perpetually warm?

As Shi Jingxian's mind wandered, he heard the right protector, who had already noticed him, call out from afar.

"Young master?"

"Where are you headed?"

Shi Jingxian leaned on the wall and asked them, "Dad has something tonight, so I have to eat alone. Brother Fu, Sect Leader Bai, would you like to join me?"

He had just asked when the right protector directly refused, "No need, young master, go ahead."

He also answered for Bai Qinglian, "We haven't finished our discussion, Sect Leader Bai won't be going either."

Bai Qinglian, standing aside: "..."

Shi Jingxian was still thinking about the sugar balls the right protector made, but asking someone to make them specifically seemed a bit too much trouble. After some thought, he asked, "Brother Fu, are you going down the mountain soon?"

The right protector asked, "I have to collect rent in three days, why?"

Shi Jingxian asked, "Then when you go, could you bring me some Osmanthus Cake from Liufang Building at the foot of the mountain?"

The right protector chuckled, covering his mouth with a light cough before saying, "I'll send someone down to buy it tomorrow. When you come to Xinglin Hall for lessons tomorrow afternoon, I'll give you the Osmanthus Cake."

Bai Qinglian listened quietly, seemingly thoughtful.

Although the idea of getting candy for attending lessons seemed a bit childish, Shi Jingxian still agreed, considering the Osmanthus Cake.

After waving goodbye to the two in the courtyard, he flipped down from the wall.

The evening breeze blew, and the boy on the wall disappeared in an instant, leaving only a cluster of blooming snow-white locust flowers behind.

After dinner, Shi Jingxian browsed through the books in Ling Yao's room, and just as he was about to prepare for bed, he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten for a long time.

—He had forgotten to check on Xuanyuan Nan!

After meeting Bai Qinglian at the Martial Arts Arena today, Shi Jingxian already had a new plan. He hadn't intended to play along with Xuanyuan Nan for too long from the start. The sooner he could break ties with him, the sooner Ling Yao could be free.

The dark guards' private actions were swift. The Demon Sect had already received the news, and those princes who had been searching for Xuanyuan Nan's whereabouts should have also received accurate information, not in vain for all the dead soldiers they had spent.

Previously, due to the Demon Sect's defense, these princes hadn't discovered Xuanyuan Nan's whereabouts. When they initially planned to cooperate to kill Xuanyuan Nan, they had already torn their faces. Now, with blood feuds between them, it was naturally a fight to the death.

With these princes around, Xuanyuan Nan would soon be overwhelmed, and Shi Jingxian wouldn't need to meticulously maneuver around him anymore.

Moreover, he had found the perfect reason to break ties with Xuanyuan Nan.

Running from Cloud Peak Palace to the shadow guards' residence, the lights in the rooms were still on. Shi Jingxian saw from afar that someone was coming out of Xuanyuan Nan's room, but this time it wasn't the maid named Xiao Cui, who was actually a subordinate, but the Demon Sect's doctor.

Along with them, a basin of slightly pale blood was brought out, clearly not the first basin. Shi Jingxian nodded in response to the doctor's greeting and pushed the door open to enter.

The room was dim, with suppressed coughing sounds inside. Bandages stained with blood were scattered on the floor, and a strong smell of blood mixed with herbs filled the air.

The servant tidying up inside quickly bowed to the young master upon his entrance, and the person on the bed seemed to notice the young master only then. He tried to get up but failed, instead pulling at his wounds and starting to cough violently.

"Cough, cough... cough...!"

The young master took a few steps forward, just in time to hear Xuanyuan Nan suddenly choke and then cough up a large mouthful of blood.

The blood stained the scattered bandages on the floor, turning a large area red, a sight enough to make one's heart skip a beat.

The young master called out cautiously, "A Nan?"

Xuanyuan Nan coughed a few more times before weakly responding, "Young master..."

His eighty strokes of the cane from the previous day hadn't healed, and the forty strokes that followed today were ordered by the Sect Leader, almost completed under heavy blows. If yesterday's punishment could be endured, today's Xuanyuan Nan was truly on the brink of death.

What made Xuanyuan Nan cough up blood wasn't just this sudden disaster but also his unexpected encounter with Bai Qinglian today and the young master who hadn't come to see him all day. Yet, he was beaten so badly that he couldn't move, unable to know how things had developed.

Now that the young master was finally here, Xuanyuan Nan had already decided to extract all the reasons for today's anomalies from him. Coughing up blood in front of him was the first step; he needed to make the young master feel heartache and guilt, then break through under his remorse.

But before Xuanyuan Nan could speak, he heard the young master say, "A Nan, your face looks so pale."

Xuanyuan Nan coughed a couple more times, then managed a helpless, bitter smile.

"To protect the young master, I would die a thousand deaths without regret."

After two years of disguise and concealment, he had long since figured out the young master's temperament, knowing how to make him soften instantly.

At this moment, the room was dimly lit, the candlelight flickering, casting a thin, cool light. Xuanyuan Nan lowered his eyes with a bitter smile, his handsome face showing weakness and bitterness, precisely the moment to touch Ling Yao's soft heart.

Everything was perfectly timed.

The only unexpected factor was the young master's attitude.

Seeing no response for a long time, Xuanyuan Nan finally couldn't resist breaking his best angle, raising his eyes, only to find—the young master was actually distracted.

Yes, distracted in front of a weak, severely injured, and pale Xuanyuan Nan.

Xuanyuan Nan's mind raced, instantly filled with all sorts of terrible speculations.

He suppressed his surging emotions, hoarsely calling out again.

"...Young master?"

With this call, Xuanyuan Nan's heartstrings were stretched to the limit.

Did he find out? Did he?

The young master finally snapped back to reality.

However, his face didn't show the shock and hatred Xuanyuan Nan expected upon discovering the truth, only a faint trace of nostalgia.

The young master said, "A Nan, besides you, I met someone with very fair skin today."

His expression showed even more evident reluctance, and the young master sighed, "He looks so good."

The worst speculation hadn't come true, but Xuanyuan Nan's heart still skipped a beat.

He heard the young master say, "That person is the best-looking I've seen so far, besides my dad."

Xuanyuan Nan recalled the reason he was taken in by the young master against all odds—because the young master thought he looked good.

The qualifier "besides my dad" didn't lessen the weight of this compliment. The last person the young master described this way was Xuanyuan Nan himself.

How did Ling Yao treat him after saying that?

Even if he was ashamed of his shadow guard identity, Xuanyuan Nan had to admit that he had enjoyed all the benefits in the Demon Sect over the past two years.

What kind of treatment would the next person Ling Yao praised like this receive?

Xuanyuan Nan suddenly felt an urgent sense of crisis.